How a Master of Science, Nonprofit Management, Candidate Made Her Way to The Athena Advisors’ Racing Upwards Fellowship
Lori Nsimpasi, 2023 Racing Upwards Fellow, talks us through what brought her to the fellowship and what she hopes to gain from her time with The Athena Advisors.
“my desire to give back to my community has been no secret”
For the past six years, my career and interests have intersected in some form or fashion with the nonprofit sector. From tutoring middle and high school students through a nonprofit on Northeastern University’s campus, to becoming a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, to helping lead and restructure a small nonprofit in Lexington, Kentucky – Box 2 Box Tumaini Academy – my desire to give back to my community has been no secret. I was fortunate, then, that my peer and colleague, Khiana Rogers, came across The Athena Advisors’ Racing Upwards Fellowship and thought of me.
“every person within a nonprofit has an impact on its fundraising”
Returning to Boston after my undergraduate degree gave me further opportunity to grow professionally. In August 2022, I was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Graduate Fellowship from the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. The Fellowship covered my tuition and fees for a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management, with a concentration on Project Management. Post-graduation, I have several professional goals, including: to run a fundraising/development department for a nonprofit, become an Executive Director of a nonprofit, become a nonprofit consultant, and finally, in the long term, create a nonprofit of my own.
My Master’s degree has taught me that fundraising is a core aspect of any nonprofit; fundraising is essential for nonprofits to successfully fulfill their mission and programs. Regardless of their role, every person within a nonprofit has an impact on its fundraising in some capacity. Despite taking a course in Fundraising/Development in Nonprofits, I knew that there was still a lot more I had to learn about fundraising and nonprofit management.
Through the Racing Upwards Fellowship,
I hope to develop the necessary fundraising skills and knowledge to be able to advise nonprofits about how to fundraise more effectively and strategically. I also hope to develop an understanding of how to work effectively with clients to help them achieve their fundraising goals for their organization’s mission. Finally, a great added benefit of the Fellowship is the connections that I look forward to forming throughout my journey. There are several remarkable people who work for and work with The Athena Advisors, and I very much look forward to getting to know them all and expanding my nonprofit network.