Welcome back for another Employer Spotlight. This post-fall break interview is with the March On Foundation. This week we are talking to Marina (Mina) Simon, a Tri-Co alum and graduate of Haverford College, and Esther Pang to talk about the March On Foundation – an intersectional nonprofit whose mission is to remove barriers for community members striving to create meaningful social impact!

Kelly Dougherty: Thank you for joining us today! Can you tell us a little about yourselves and what you do at the March On Foundation?

Mina Simon/Esther Pang: Sure. I’m Mina Simon and I am the program Manager for the March On Foundation. And I am Esther Pang, Executive Director of the organization.

KD: Can you tell our students a little more about the March On Foundation?

MS/EP: March On Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making organizing easier, particularly for youth organizers. We work with grassroots projects to provide the infrastructure, administrative, and regulatory support critical to sustainable initiatives. 

We do this through fiscal sponsorship, which is a mechanism by which charitable projects can benefit from nonprofit status without having to undertake the often resource-exhaustive effort of creating a new nonprofit organization. We support a few types of fiscal sponsorship, depending on the needs of the project.  

We look for projects that are mission aligned in supporting the advancement of:

Civic Engagement

Climate Justice

Food Justice

LGBTQIA+

Racial & Economic Justice

KD: This is all really great information. Considering the projects that you support are geared towards social impact, I assume that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion play a key role in your mission.

MS/EP: DEI is central to our mission. Many of our projects are dedicated to the advancement of equity for underrepresented people. We strive to incorporate an intersectional perspective in all things we do internally and externally. 

KD: Can you tell us a little more about the process about applying for project support through the organization?

MS/EP: We are always open to new projects that would like to be onboarded as fiscal projects. Project leads can put forward an application at any time. It is also open to any class year as well as graduates.

KD: What is your favorite part about working at the March On Foundation?

MS/EP: The exciting projects that we get to see – it’s very rewarding to see the wonderful ideas people come up with to tackle difficult systemic issues.

KD: Is there any other information about the organization you think our students should know?

MS/EP: March On Foundation is an intersectional nonprofit organization driven by the potential of every community organizer to create meaningful social impact.

As a 501c(3), we deeply understand the difficulties and complexities of sustaining a charitable project. Whatever you’re going through, we’ve been through it. No matter where you are in your organizational cycle, we’ve been there too.

KD: Do you have any advice for students looking for work in nonprofit?

MS/EP: It is critical to be organized and to engage with your network consistently.

KD: Thank you so much for chatting with us. Who can students reach out to if they have any other questions?

MS/EP: They can reach out to Mina Simon (Mina@mo-foundation.org )