Young Change Makers: Why and How Ellie Zimmerman of Interns 4-Good Is Helping To Change Our World by Connecting Teens with Valuable Nonprofit Experiences
Easier said than done. As a leader, I always encourage our team to innovate and I let them run with their ideas. However, take the time upfront, think through steps and the resources that will be required. Bringing an idea to life is invariably harder than it seems.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ellie Zimmmerman.
Ellie Zimmerman is the Founder and CEO of Interns 4-Good.org a social enterprise that provides over 15,000 digitally-savvy high school and college students with virtual, technology-based internships with over 350 nonprofit organizations. Ellie’s efforts have not gone unnoticed: she has received recognition and financial grants from prestigious national organizations such as The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, Points of Light’s Inspiration Honor Roll, Prudential Emerging Visionaries Program and Volunteer New York’s Youth Leader of 2021. Ellie launched Intern 4-Good as only a sophomore in high school. Currently a Freshman at Vanderbilt University, Ellie is expanding Interns 4-Good to serve college students across the country.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
Both of my parents work in business. As far back as I can remember, family dinners were filled with conversations about startups and the stock market. Each of my parents continue to play a critical role in helping me build my organization. My father is my biggest cheerleader and my “spiritual leader”, especially when I need encouragement. My mother has had a successful career on Wall Street, rising to the top of a male dominated field. In addition to being a fantastic role model, I rely on my mother as my “ business strategist”.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Since middle school, I have devoured information about entrepreneurship and today’s most innovative organizations. But, it was Jacqueline Novagratz’s personal memoir, The Blue Sweater that sparked my passion to launch my own social enterprise. Novegratz left her cushy Wall Street job to live in rural third world countries such as Rwanda to help impoverished women achieve financial independence. Despite her young age, Jacqueline had the determination to change the lives of so many.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
“Making a difference” is incredibly subjective. Personally, I feel that I have made a difference when I have empowered others to do the same. Each time I sign onto our Slack channel and see our members in action, I know that we have made an impact. For example, today I read “STEM Without Boundaries needs an infographic for their Instagram!”, and “For anyone interested in healthcare, I just finished an awesome internship with CNK Health Services.” Within minutes, responses come pouring in. “I am on it!” or “Just signed up!” I am truly amazed at the power of this virtual community.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Interns 4-Good has set out to revolutionize teen volunteering We offer high school and college students opportunities to use their skills and make a difference through virtual volunteering. Today, our 15,000 member community provides much needed volunteer support to over 350 nonprofit partners. Our volunteers can fulfill their service hours while building their resumes with real world experiences.
Many studies show the benefits of volunteering, not only for the communities being served but also for the volunteers themselves. By offering volunteer options that are virtual, flexible, and that students actually enjoy, we are setting up the next generation for a lifetime of community engagement.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My journey began the summer after ninth grade. As editor of my high school yearbook, I developed skills in graphic design. As summer approached, I set out to find an internship that would allow me to put my skills to the test. I spent hours sifting through a maze of job marketplaces but nothing surfaced. I simply couldn’t meet their requirements: prior work experience, at least one year of college, and more. Even nonprofits turned me away, explaining that they don’t engage high school volunteers because they were unable to stick to a weekly schedule. After speaking to my peers, I realized that I was not alone. I knew that I had identified a significant issue for our demographic
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
I set out to find a solution. I interviewed several local charities to understand their technological needs. In each case, digital projects had been piling up because of a lack of adequate resources. From maintaining social media accounts to organizing photo libraries and updating websites, there were several common needs that would be ideal projects for tech-savvy teen volunteers.
It was then that the lightning struck. I knew that there was an opportunity to bring these two communities together and build something amazing.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
Getting Interns 4-Good off the ground took several months and a great deal of patience. First, I needed funding so I worked with my sister to transform my idea into a business plan so I could apply for a social entrepreneurship pitch competition. I won $400 in prize money which covered the cost of running our website and filing for nonprofit status.
Through word of mouth, over 100 students joined our platform. With the help of an advertising grant from Google, we placed a bunch of ads online and caught the attention of nonprofits across the country. Using key phrases such as “Free Tech Support” and “Tech-Savvy Volunteers”, the emails began pouring in.
I quickly recognized that I could not do it all on my own. I recruited a fantastic leadership team of 18 passionate volunteers and assigned them each a title and a set of responsibilities. It is because of their commitment that we are where we are today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
When COVID-19 hit, Interns 4-Good was one of few virtual volunteer platforms-and the only one that accepted teen volunteers. Stay-at-home orders caused applications to surge from homebound high school and college students, eager to step up and do their part. Interns 4-Good quickly expanded our services to support the many children, parents, and teachers struggling with the transition to remote learning. For example, volunteers from California helped launch a technology hotline to assist parents and teachers who were struggling to navigate unfamiliar platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom. It was amazing to watch our community rise to the challenge.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Volunteer New York, has done so much to support me in building Interns 4-Good. In a pre-covid world, many nonprofits were reluctant to engage with volunteers virtually but, the VNY team embraced my idea from the start and opened up their incredible network of nonprofits to our volunteers.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Our volunteers support dozens of student-led organizations that depend on our volunteers, thereby helping young changemakers turn their dreams into reality. One example that comes to mind is the sixteen-year-old female founder of a humanitarian organization that aims to provide educational support to children in Bangladesh. Her team needed volunteers to create educational materials and provide one-on-one virtual support to their Bengali students. Within three days of posting the internship opportunity on our Slack Channel, we amassed over 200 volunteers, many of which are still supporting the organization today.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I would call on schools, nonprofits and politicians to each do their part. Today, public schools require students to complete community service hours but offer very few options that are engaging or practical. I would ask schools to support their students in their volunteer efforts and cast a wider net when determining what community service looks like.
Second, the harsh reality is that our model is not as inclusive as it needs to be. Why is this the case? Students and underserved communities often don’t have time to volunteer, instead they are called on to care for their siblings or take on part-time jobs to supplement the family income. The government should provide a stipend to nonprofits so they can pay those students who live in underserved communities and want to volunteer.
To Nonprofits I would say, there are millions of talented high school students that want to share in your mission and pitch-in. Let them.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each)
- Perfect your elevator pitch. A good elevator pitch grabs the listeners attention while communicating the what, why and how clearly and succinctly. If it takes more than 30 sec, go back to the drawing board. Refining our elevator pitch took an entire weekend, but the process provided me with clarity and focus. I wish I had done it sooner.
- Carve out time to meet with your organization. So much is lost in texts and on slack so our Weekly Zoom calls have been a game changer. They allow the team to make personal connections, share learnings and rally around the mission.
- Test and learn: I have invested time in countless new initiatives that didn’t pan out. The key is to measure progress and institutionalize the learnings to ensure we don’t make the same mistake twice.
- It isn’t personal. The unfortunate truth is that at some point in time, member(s) of your team will let you down. Some will leave and others may not follow through on their responsibilities. Know that their actions are not personal and move on.
- Easier said than done. As a leader, I always encourage our team to innovate and I let them run with their ideas. However, take the time upfront, think through steps and the resources that will be required. Bringing an idea to life is invariably harder than it seems.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
My advice to fellow changemakers: Let’s always remind ourselves that doing something important is hard, but the true measure of our success will be our ability to keep trying.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would choose Ray Dalio. His book, Principals, has been a guiding force in leading my organization. I would like to hear more about the future of Bridgewater and to better understand how young people might incorporate concepts such as idea meritocracy as we enter the workforce.
Given the choice between breakfast and lunch with Ray Dalio — I would choose lunch. Since lunch tends to last longer than breakfast, we would be able to have a more meaningful conversation during our meal. Additionally, in the spirit of radical transparency, I am not very much of a morning person.
How can our readers follow you online?
Interns 4-Good website: https://interns4good.org/
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliezimmerman/
Interns 4-Good LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interns-4-good/
Interns 4-Good Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interns4good/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work
Young Change Makers: Why and How Ellie Zimmerman of Interns 4-Good Is Helping To Change Our World… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.