Hi, I am Bella, an MK Youth Board member.
In January 2025 I had the amazing opportunity of travelling to the US on an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), sponsored by the US Department of State. I visited DC, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Orlando looking at different not for profits and partnerships working in volunteerism and civic action. We met with several universities, small and large organisations working to make change in all areas of society. One of the most inspiring parts of the program was the 17 other change makers I travelled with, from all around the world. Highlights were a session run by story telling scientist, John Trybus and a session on fundraising by Scott Mietchen. Trybus talked about how to tell stories strategically to convey a message and generate action. Mietchen’s session was very specific about what stimulates on going donors and how to manage these relationships. I learnt a lot about their not-for-profit sector, how it operates and how it’s structured. How the federal system of government impacts the work of the NFP’s was very interesting, as well as the financial structures in place. Most NFP’s had large endowments which seemed to be a way of setting up sustainable income streams. This is definitely something we could look into. Whilst in the US I also participated in various cultural activities – ice hockey, Jazz, NASA Kennedy Space Center, museums and more!
I am looking forward to putting what I learnt into action at Millennium Kids in 2025.
