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David Xiu ’24 is one of 26 student fellows conducting research with a community-based organization in upstate New York this summer as a part of the Upstate Institute Summer Field School.

This summer I have had the great opportunity to work with Chenango United Way as an Upstate Institute Summer Field School Fellow. The United Way’s work includes improving education in local communities, helping people achieve financial stability, and promoting healthy lives. Currently, Chenango United Way is building an affiliation with United Way of Madison County and United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties. The work I do this summer is closely related to the ongoing establishment of this affiliation, including implementing modern United Way self-assessment tools to the United Way of Madison County and United Way of Delaware & Otsego Counties. I have also had the opportunity to engage in a mid-year site visit to organizations receiving fund from the United Way.

It has been very exciting to work as a fellow at a well-known and successful local philanthropy. I am amazed by the wide arrange of projects that the organization implements to meet diverse community needs, and the comparatively small but professional team that consists of passionate people devoted to philanthropy. The organization is supervised by a board that consists of members from different backgrounds, operated by full-time employed core staff members, and assisted by local volunteers. It works directly with donors and nonprofit organizations to distribute donations to local nonprofit organizations. Chenango United Way’s influence on the local community is inextricable to the well-being of individuals. United Way provides financial support to organizations that support individuals in the local community to secure a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.

My main project is to conduct a Modern United Way self-assessment for the United Way of Madison County and United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties. This project includes designing the self-assessment survey through the instruction of United Way Worldwide, distributing surveys through an online platform, and producing a survey report after collecting and analyzing distributed surveys. The self-assessment survey is essential for local United Ways to identify current problems and draft future business plans. The span of this project spreads through seven weeks. Therefore, I also participate in other United Way daily activities while working on the main project.

Each day, I balance time between working on projects and daily tasks. By participating in the daily work, I have gained a more comprehensive understanding of the operation of a small local philanthropy. I help to organize various data tables, witness the ongoing mergence between three United Ways, and participate in online meetings. These daily tasks provide me with a more comprehensive view of the work of United Way.
 
The opportunity to work at Chenango United Way this summer has provided me with the knowledge of the operation of philanthropy and nonprofit organization. The professional and friendly working environment gives me opportunities to have conversations with core staff members of local nonprofits. As a student enrolled in a liberal art college, and as an English and Philosophy double major, I not only have access to knowledge that is written in books but also the opportunity to learn the world comprehensively through different dimensions. This summer at Chenango United Way I work alone with these admirable people who devote themselves to helping those who are disadvantaged. To end, I will borrow a quote from Immanuel Kant: “Without sensibility no object would be given to us, and without understanding none would be thought. Thoughts without content are empty; intuitions without concepts are blind.” What I learned this summer is beyond theoretical knowledge; it is a 10-week experience of an intellectual journey.