Working Behind the Scenes: The Small but Necessary Projects for Advancing an Organizational Mission

In early August, nearing the conclusion of my summer fellowship experience with the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative (VEJC), I scheduled the last of my two informational interviews with Quan Williams. Quan is currently the Civic Engagement Coordinator at the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy however she also has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy and was an integral figure to the conception and early start-up phase of the VEJC. For these reasons, I thought she would be the perfect person to talk to as I was trying to grapple with exactly what my various summer work experiences meant not just for myself but towards advancing the mission of the VEJC. Although I did not have one set project that I had devoted myself to working on, Quan explained how all of the smaller projects that I had done, while not eye-catching, was the type of behind the scenes work that was essential to and integral for a non-profit organization on the operational side. It was at this point that I was able to reflect on all that I had done over the previous three months.

I had developed a policy memo on developing tactics to strengthen Virginia’s policy on testing lead in public school’s drinking water facilities. I wrote and placed an op-ed in the Virginia Mercury calling Governor Ralph Northam to task for his administration’s tepid efforts in translating environmental justice orders into action. I had written public testimony for and attended several public hearings while representing the VEJC. I spearheaded an update of the organization’s website, helping to better document their triumphs whilst also making the site a more user-friendly one. And I had gained valuable experience in the grant-writing process, having assisted on a $25,000 grant that the VEJC received from Dietel & Partners. I also worked on a  solar resilience hub proposal in an economically depressed neighborhood in Petersburg, VA for the Institute of Sustainable Communities (ISC) Partnership for Resilient Communities, a highly competitive pool of funding. After my departure, I found out that VEJC in fact had received a $25,000 grant for the initial six-month planning phase from ISC, with my name listed as a member of the proposal partner team.

It dawned on me that although I did not have the long and extended policy document that I thought I would when I started in May, the work that I was able to do on behalf of the VEJC was deeply meaningful. I learned a lot about the challenges of working within a coalition, the meticulous process of writing grants and the realities of working to advance impactful environmental legislation at the state level. I left in mid-August with a slew of refined skills and experiences that had enhanced my personal and professional development. And most importantly, the work that I undertook during my three months proved invaluable towards advancing the mission of the VEJC and fighting for environmental justice in the state of Virginia.