The Fund for Excellence

Every year, new needs emerge on campus. Some projects like student-support initiatives or program innovations may not be budgeted, but are vital to UW-Green Bay’s mission. When donors give to the Fund for Excellence, they help meet those needs head-on.

The Fund for Excellence is UW-Green Bay’s unrestricted giving fund. Donors often state they want to give to where “it is most needed.” Given the nature of higher education, this is a moving target. The Fund for Excellence allows the Foundation staff and Board of Directors flexibility to support current campus needs.

Each year, the Foundation Board reviews proposals from across the University and allocates funding to projects that align with UW-Green Bay’s strategic priorities: student success, inclusivity, digital transformation, community connections, sustainability and environmental work, Athletics and the Weidner. In 2024, the Foundation awarded $100,000 from this fund to deserving projects that might not have otherwise gotten off the ground. Those projects included several speaker series, student organization training and development, mentorship programs, study abroad exchange, communication devices, and the Community Impact Internship Program, just to name a few.

The Community Impact Internship Program

This fall, UW-Green Bay will expand its Community Impact Internship Program, offering paid internships to students with financial need who want to work with nonprofit and government agencies across the university’s 16-county footprint. The program is designed to remove a common barrier: many students can’t afford to take unpaid internships, especially when they are already juggling coursework, part-time jobs, and family responsibilities.

“Many of these nonprofit and government agencies would love to offer internships to students, but they cannot pay an hourly wage,” said Kay Voss, director of Career Planning and Professional Connections at UW-Green Bay. “For our students, that becomes a barrier. A high percentage of our students work while they go to school,” she continued, adding that when students must choose between an unpaid internship in their field and a paying job outside their field, many are forced to choose income over experience.

An internship experience, however, can be transformative for learners. That was the case for Kayla Kohn, a UW-Green Bay sophomore double-majoring in Political Science and Public Administration. She interned this spring with Community Benefit Tree, which supports families in medical crisis, thanks to the Community Impact Internship Program. “I’m the first intern they’ve ever had,” she said. “I’m taking a lot of initiative on things … it’s helping me develop as an individual.” She added that the experience has helped shape her perspective and knowledge of how nonprofits can help communities. Without the grant-funded position, Kohn said she would have had to work multiple jobs just to cover essentials like rent and transportation. “I just know that for my financial situation, I need to be making money to live,” she said

Kailey Miller, a graphic design student interning at CP—a nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities—said the opportunity resonated with her personal mission. “I have always wanted to stand up for people with disabilities. To be able to advocate for them when they can’t advocate for themselves is important,” she said. “After being here and seeing all we do—how much I get to help make an impact—that’s been really cool.” Without internship funding, Kailey said she might have missed out on that opportunity.

 

Nonprofit community partners say the Community Impact internships provide vital capacity. “Our intern has become an invaluable part of our YWCA family … bringing fresh energy and a commitment to advocacy … [They] have enabled us to address community needs that had been set aside due to time constraints,” said Amanda Juech, HR Specialist at YWCA Greater Green Bay.

Paid internships don’t just benefit students in the moment—they open doors to long-term success. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students with paid internship experience receive an average of 1.61 job offers, compared to 0.94 for unpaid interns and 0.77 for those with no internship experience.

Voss said the funding is currently focused on students in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, where unpaid internships are most common. Soon, UW-Green Bay hopes to expand access to these career-shaping opportunities to more learners, said Voss, “so students don’t have to choose between paying rent and building their future.

Through the Community Impact Internship Program, a single gift to the Fund for Excellence stretches further. Donors can support a student’s education, empower a nonprofit organization and benefit the communities they serve together. You can visit uwgb.edu/giving to support the UW-Green Bay Foundation’s Fund for Excellence.