My name is Elizabeth Mullen, and I am a junior Psychology and Political Science major at Tulane University. This past semester, I have had the privilege of working as a development intern at Lift Louisiana. I was assigned several short-term tasks or projects throughout the semester, but my longest and most significant role was helping organize Lift’s silent auction and gala.
Lift Louisiana’s 2025 Roots of Justice Gala celebrates “resilience, growth, and the deep foundations of the reproductive justice movement.” The auction is their largest fundraiser of the year, and I was assigned several tasks surrounding the auction, primarily regarding donor outreach. Over the past few months, I built connections and solicited auction item donations from stores, restaurants, and various local businesses in New Orleans and beyond. I conducted outreach through both phone calls and email communication and sometimes even in-person. I input all the names, contact information, websites, and auction item information into a spreadsheet to track fundraising and outreach progress, as well as inputting contact information of potential businesses to reach out to.
In addition to auction item responsibilities, I conducted phone calls and communicated with potential food and alcohol vendors, as well as researched and emailed various local organizations in New Orleans looking to potentially sponsor the Gala.
Besides the auction, I was assigned some shorter-term tasks, such as creating a thank-you script and reaching out to recurring donors to thank them for their commitment to Lift’s work. I particularly enjoyed this task because I engaged in several meaningful, genuine conversations with other passionate and like-minded advocates, some even working in state legislation, about reproductive rights and the importance of investing in a future where our rights flourish.
Overall, my work as Lift’s development intern this spring vastly improved my fundraising and interpersonal communication skills, and I have amassed valuable knowledge of how non-profits operate. I have greatly enjoyed my time here and am excited to continue my work in development at Lift in the fall.
