Every year, thousands of talented, mission-driven college graduates dream of building careers at nonprofits and foundations. And every year, most of them hit the same wall.

Entry-level roles ask for “2-3 years of experience.” Unpaid or low-paid internships filter out anyone who can’t afford to work for free. Hiring runs on personal connections, so those without a network are left on the outside looking in. The result is a sector that says it wants to change the world but too often looks like the people who already had access.

The people best positioned to lead social change are often the ones least able to get in the door.

Our Solution: Into Their Own

Into Their Own is a nonprofit workforce development program that gives recent college graduates a real, paid, structured onramp into careers in social impact.

Participants in our pilot cohort will receive:

• Paid placements with nonprofit and foundation partners, so talent isn’t limited by who can afford to volunteer
• Hands-on experience in fundraising, program management, communications, operations, and grantmaking
• Professional mentorship from seasoned sector leaders who open doors and offer honest guidance
• A peer cohort of ambitious, mission-driven colleagues who become a lifelong network
• Skills training and career coaching to turn first experiences into lasting careers

Why This Matters Now

Nonprofits face a growing talent pipeline problem. Burnout and turnover are high, and organizations struggle to find and keep emerging leaders. Meanwhile, graduates who care deeply about impact are taking jobs outside the sector simply because they can’t find a way in.

Into Their Own solves both problems at once. We strengthen organizations with fresh, capable talent. We give graduates a fair shot at a career they’re passionate about. And we help build a sector whose leadership reflects the communities it serves.

Why Your Gift Matters Now

This is our pilot, the proof of concept that will shape everything that follows. Early donors are not just funding a program. You are founding it. Your support will help us:

• Launch our first cohort and prove that this model works
• Build the curriculum, mentor network, and partner relationships that will sustain us
• Gather the data and stories that will attract larger funders and allow us to scale

Every dollar of your gift goes toward getting this pilot off the ground.

Join Us as a Founding Donor

Founding donors will be recognized as the people who made Into Their Own possible. In gratitude, you will receive:

• Regular updates on the pilot’s progress and participant milestones
• An invitation to our launch celebration and cohort showcase
• Recognition as a Founding Supporter (unless you prefer to remain anonymous)
• An impact report sharing what your generosity accomplished

Make Your Gift Today

The best investment in the future of social change is an investment in its next generation of leaders. Help us prove that talent is everywhere, and that opportunity should be too.

Questions or want to talk about a larger gift? Contact Into Their Own's founder, Laura Patterson at laura@intotheirown[dot]org. We’d love to share more about our vision.