PUMP’s mission is to make Pittsburgh the most dynamic and diverse place by engaging, educating, and mobilizing all young people to create change in our community. Each year, they serve nearly 30,000 individuals, primarily under the age of 40, through their programming.
Lindsay Cashman is the Advocacy + Public Policy Director of PUMP.. In the following interview, she speaks about the experience of partnering with PULSE.
CC: Why did your organization decide to work with PULSE?
LC: We chose to work with PULSE because of the reputation of providing high-quality Fellows who get results when working with their nonprofit partner. We are especially excited about the intentional community that supports and elevates emerging leaders. The program’s goals of providing genuine leadership opportunities for young people to make change aligns with our organization’s values and agenda.
CC: What is the most rewarding part of working with PULSE?
LC: Watching our PULSE Fellow grow and flourish as she strengthens her voice and makes a positive impact on the Pittsburgh region is most rewarding for us.
CC: How has your partnership with PULSE impacted your organization?
LC: The increased organizational capacity we receive from our PULSE Fellow has dramatically increased our communication and information-sharing with our members and constituents, allowing us to have an even bigger impact on key regional issues. The additional perspectives from the PULSE Fellow in our office and the Fellows placed with other nonprofit partners bring fresh ideas and opportunities to the work we do every day. The fact that PULSE Fellows are part of our target demographic of young people makes their input especially relevant and all the more valuable. We are hopeful that many of the Fellows are able to find longer-term employment in the region as they are becoming such an important part of the fabric of this work.
CC: What do you like most about your current PULSE follow and/or other fellows you’ve worked with?
LC: Katie is so passionate and dedicated to the issue of equity, the center of our advocacy and public policy agenda, that we know we can always count on her to do an excellent job advocating for the Pittsburgh region our members want to see. Katie is also an excellent writer, which is extremely valuable for our communication with our constituents, partners, and the general public. The other PULSE Fellows who have volunteered with or worked alongside us have also been very professional and passionate.
CC: What would you tell other Pittsburgh nonprofits about PULSE?
LC: It is an excellent program and opportunity to connect with brilliant young people during an important time in their career development.
Check out more great Partner Stories.
This is part of a series of posts about the Nonprofit Partner experience with PULSE. If you would like to learn more about a Nonprofit Partnership, please visit our Partner Page.