Normal environment but typical entry-level challenges - Account Assistant The Bonner Foundation Employee Review

Loved serving in Bonner. Best 4 years of my life. Nothing compares to being in the community.

Depending on your site location, you have more work and difficulty scheduling

I worked for one summer here and have maintained some contact with them while working at one of the schools they fund. Overall the experience was very positive. The senior management there has built this nonprofit from the ground up. The work I did was satisfying, but the best part was the contact with the staff. The commitment and drive they demonstrate and the energy they bring every day is inspiring. Talking to interns from past years, many of them mentioned the summer internship as formative. The pros and cons I provide are based on limited experience and reflect more of what I observed in the lives of the regular staff than my own certain knowledge. - The permanent employees are all sharp and qualified for their positions. - Friendly environment with somewhat flexible work hours. - Upper leadership are talented leaders. Dr. Ariane Hoy and Bobby Hackett are path-makers in their field and have been long-term partners in this work. - Finance and payroll is never a problem. Their accountant, Elaine Wheeler, has been there since the beginning. She is very approachable and organized. - There is plenty of room for ownership of projects and innovation. The foundation actively promotes creativity, and has the expertise in-house to inform decisions. - Could not ask for a better office space! The offices are beautiful and the location in downtown Princeton is perfect. - They have recently hired some much-needed help for new permanent positions, and they all seem to be doing a great job so far. - Working in a small office, you will develop relationships with your colleagues and know everyone in the office after the first couple weeks. - Every position will work frequently with the VP and President. They both take an authentic interest in developing their workers, regardless of whether they are salaried employees or summer interns.

- Work hours will fluctuate mildly leading up to large annual conferences and meetings. These are well planned for, however. Exceeding 40 hours a week is largely a choice for most positions and is not coerced by senior management. - You will sometimes have to pick up work that is simply not delegated to anyone. This is inherent in the nature of any small nonprofit. The new positions they have hired should solve most of this problem, though. - A few of their positions change every few years, as planned. This will not have an effect on you as a summer intern, but it may take some getting used to if you plan to work here longer term. - Any nonprofit work can cut into your personal time if you allow it to. Because they are so small (and ambitious) there is always something more to do. Compared to other fields and similar positions at less established nonprofits, the work-life balance seems great.