Over the last two weeks, we selected and contacted our assigned organizations. Once the organizations were selected from the list of applicants, the 20 lucky organizations were assigned to pairs of students. Each pair had to go through a chain of contact to inform and get in touch with their organization.
When the organizations sent their letters of intent, they attached main contact information. Each organization that was accepted was sent a standard congratulatory email from our class email. Next, each pair sent an email to their contact person. In this email, each pair included their names, information, and requests for a meeting sent up for the week of March 13th-17th.
In a follow up email, the pairs attached the request for proposal and an agenda for the first meeting with the organization. This was important so that the meetings would be productive and organized, and not a waste of time. Included in these agendas were: reviewing of the RFP, setting up a general timeline, explaining rules, and general introductions. The contact persons were asked to contribute to the agenda if desired, and to review the request for proposals.
Thanks to these steps, we are set up for successful first meetings with the organizations.