“If I wasn’t in this role, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to make such a large change.”
Charlotte Fajardo has recently concluded her AmeriCorps VISTA year with LearnServe International. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program where members build the capacity of organizations fighting poverty.
What made you decide to do your year of service at LearnServe?
I knew I wanted a more substantial role through AmeriCorps. Before joining, I was primarily doing administrative work. The possibility of building up an organization felt more aligned with what I felt like I could give. I wanted to focus on capacity-building as opposed to direct service, and I had an interest in working in the nonprofit space.
When I joined LearnServe, I didn’t have any previous grant writing or development experience. But, I had research experience and was very organized, so I felt that this was an opportunity for me to learn more about these areas.
I also felt like the team had a really positive energy. It felt like everyone took each other’s input, and the management style felt collaborative.
What are some skills you’ve developed during your time here?
I received a lot of opportunities to work with a customer relationship management (CRM) software this year – Neon. Before my year of service, I had no substantial experience in database management. During my time here, I got a deep dive into how to manage a database, understanding what you need for clean and accurate data.
I also improved my skills in having collaborative conversations with other team members. I learned how to articulate what I knew about very technical data systems and how to present it clearly. These systems included our main CRM system for donors and students as well as grants management software.
I also improved my skills in having collaborative conversations with other team members. I learned how to articulate what I knew about very technical data systems and how to present it clearly.
I also discovered a lot about the grant writing process itself. I learned what we should include in proposals and what language conveys what we do. A big part of my service year at the start was learning about what LearnServe does, so I could explain our programs to grantors.
Could you describe your proudest accomplishments?
Neon (our CRM). It took the longest.
We started with lots of missing or outdated information and repeated fields. I analyzed what we needed and didn’t need within the system, moved stuff around, and added in new information when needed. LearnServe has been aware for years that there were sometimes discrepancies in our CRM.
Another significant project was building our grant template. I liked this project because it really simplified the grant-writing process. I had to pull a lot of data about the demographics of our students. Building the template made the grant writing process so much easier because it became more of a filling in the blank process instead of starting from scratch.
One specific grant I wrote was for Humanities DC – we hadn’t been funded by them since COVID-19, so becoming a grantee this year was exciting. Grants can be challenging for a niche organization like LearnServe.
Do you think you’ve adopted new perspectives on your career going forward?
I learned that I really liked problem solving. I like tackling large problems and making things easier and more efficient for others. That’s something I’m looking for in a future career – problem solving components, streamlining processes, and improving operational systems.
Any particularly memorable stories or moments?
I remember one of our alumna, Aanya, spoke at the Coffeehouse event this year – an annual event where Fellows share short pitches about their ventures. I came from a pretty rigorous high school environment where schoolwork and extracurriculars could be pretty repetitive. So, it was kind of cool to see people branch out into this creative side. Students were creating things that were meaningful and complex in their communities.
As an AmeriCorps VISTA, do you have any reflections to share on the value of national service or community service in general?
It has been rewarding helping an organization accomplish a lot of things they weren’t able to do before. While it’s up to them to decide how to utilize the tools I’ve provided, the work I’ve done has significantly helped them with processes.
It has been rewarding helping an organization accomplish a lot of things they weren’t able to do before.
I feel like I improved their capacity in a long-term sense. My work will carry on for a little while.
If I wasn’t in this role, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to make such a large change in an organization.
What advice would you have for someone considering a year of service?
Something that was important when I interviewed at AmeriCorps sites was determining how collaborative the environment would be. I wanted to come into an environment that was collaborative and organized. I think you can tell in an interview whether the supervisor will help you accomplish your goals.
If you see an area of opportunity that isn’t on your VISTA assignment description but is a long-term project itself, consider it as a chance to develop and grow skills that you want. Your year isn’t just about networking or people. Try new things!