My Summer at Sanky
Summer vacation is a coveted time for many young people. It is a time of relaxation, exploration, and hopefully education and growth. When I decided to spend part of this precious time working at Sanky Communications, I decided to invest my time in something that would hopefully lead to that growth. As someone who has been involved with many nonprofit organizations in the past, I thought it would be interesting to see the other side of the operation. Who spearheads the fundraising efforts for these organizations? Who helps keep them afloat?
As my time comes to an end, I have a lot of stuff to say about that arena. And I’ve reached an understanding of what working with a company like Sanky Communications really means.
First thing’s first: What is a “sanky”? Any guesses? Take a break and do a quick google search. Really, I’ll wait…
…And we’re back! Confused? Me too. Moving on.
Now, what does it mean to communicate? Intuitively, we may reduce it to simply speaking or writing something. But it’s more than that. Communication is an exchange. It is a back and forth of an idea, a message. Working here has led to me thinking about this a lot more. It has left me wondering what my message is, what my “big idea” is. What do I really wish to convey? Is it something positive, hopeful? Hopefully it’s something worth sharing.
Here at Sanky, we make sure everything we communicate is something worth sharing. At its core, Sanky is dedicated to telling a story, to getting out the client’s message. Nonprofits more than any group rely heavily on the story they tell, on constantly keeping people informed and sometimes, outraged about the world around them. Without clear and consistent communication, people can grow indifferent and the nonprofit as we know it would cease to exist.
This is also integral to how Sanky operates. There are multiple modes of communication here at Sanky, instant messaging groups dedicated to everything from managing specific accounts to book recommendations and stretch breaks. In order for a group of people to operate as well and sufficiently as Sanky does, it is no wonder that they’ve mastered the art of communication.
This environment is one of the best incubators for learning and curiosity. During my time here I have gotten an insider’s look into search engine marketing and social media fundraising efforts. I’ve learned a bunch of jargon and the meaning behind many acronyms that would have left my head spinning simply a few weeks ago. I’ve learned what exactly goes into running a paid social media campaign, the ins and outs of turning data into a coherent and understandable story, how exactly those ads that pop up on a Google results page come to be. I’ve gotten experience in everything from writing ad copy to planning and proposing entire fundraising campaigns.
More importantly, I’ve gotten invaluable experience working in a collaborative setting. Although everything in my educational background stresses the importance of being a leader, it is equally as important to be a team player; to be able to work effectively and efficiently with other people to achieve a common goal. No matter what my next endeavor is, I know I will apply the skills I’ve learned here going forward.
Now time to circle back to an earlier question. What is “Sanky”? It is a company named after Sanky Perlowin, who founded a direct mail fundraising shop in 1977, giving us our lovely title. Her little company has grown a bunch since then, my title alone as the SEM/Social Media/Data intern being evidence of that. Despite that, the spirit which it was founded on remains. Ultimately, “Sanky” is the quirky name of a quirky company named after a woman who wanted to give back to those who give back.
And at the end of the day, as someone who cares about nonprofits, and like everyone else at Sanky Communications, I was more than happy to help.
