Helping Area Nonprofits SHINE
As I approach my last semester with the Center for Academic Community Engagement and more specifically with the NExT program I have grown as a person professionally thanks to this program. The year and a half that I have been working with NExT and the community partners has been something I will be able to take with me for the rest of my life. Being able to work with Executive Directors of nonprofits as well as the Chief Community Officer at SEFCU has been such a unique experience that I am very grateful for and I would recommend to anyone. When I first started the program I was not comfortable speaking in front of big crowds and especially in front of executive directors but the NExT program has changed that for me. I now have the confidence to stand in front of a room of 100+ Executive directors and present on a project that I have been working on. Since I have been with this program, I have worked on the SHINE communications platform. This project could possibly change the way nonprofits communicate with each other and hopefully it will make the daily activities of nonprofits smoother and easier. The impact will not only be on the nonprofit, but also on the community as well. After two and a half years of development,I am honored to be on the team that wraps everything together.
Since our launch 2 months ago we have passed our user goal and we are still growing. Now that we are at the 2 month mark we are looking for many new community partners to join SHINE. With the help of the various departments under ACE we hope to grow our users within the next couple months. So far we have heard positive feedback from users and we are excited to grow and increase the conversation on SHINE. I am grateful to have been part of this program and all of the experiences it has opened me up to. I also can not wait to see where SHINE goes in the future and all the positive impact it will have on the Capital Region. If you know someone who is involved with in the nonprofit sector and is not a SHINE member yet, encourage them to do so!
Zach Brimmer ’20
NExT
