Please join us as we give a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to Sarah Trygstad, DCNP Assistant. Sarah has been on staff with the DeKalb County Community Foundation for a little over a year now, working directly with DCNP Manager Ben Bingle. She has been a great asset to the team and played a significant role in the forward progression of the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP). Sarah recently accepted the Events & Communication Specialist position with Hiawatha Homes, a nonprofit organization located in Rochester, Minnesota. She will be greatly missed in her role with DCNP and we wish her the very best as she moves on to a new, exciting chapter in her life.

Sarah graduated from Northern Illinois University (NIU) in May 2017 with a Master in Public Administration, emphasis on nonprofit management. When not at school, Sarah kept very busy working in the community. She held positions at Midwest Museum of Natural History, NIU, and DCNP.

During her time with DCNP, Sarah focused a great deal on communications and marketing. From the launch of a new website and online resource center to the content creation and timing of social media and e-newsletters, Sarah took on each new project with professionalism and enthusiasm. She also played an important role during Give DeKalb County from the planning stage all the way through the giving day and final distribution of donations to participating nonprofits.

“Sarah was a tremendous asset to DCNP and her impact can be seen in nearly every aspect of our work. We’ll miss her positive attitude, her extraordinary work ethic, and her reliable professionalism. She has a very bright future ahead,” said DCNP Manager Ben Bingle.

In a recent interview with Sarah, here are a few things we learned:

• Starting off with a simple, fun question…Do you have any pets?
  Yes, a German Short-haired Pointer named Darwin. He’s cute and he’s coming with us to Minnesota.
• As you move to Minnesota, what is one thing you’ll miss from this area?
  The people and the friends I’ve made…and Ollie’s Frozen Custard!!
• What is something you’re looking forward to in Minnesota?
  I’ve never lived outside of Illinois before, so this is very exciting for me. The new area, new state, new friends, and the opportunity to use what I spent years in school studying.
• Favorite projects that you worked on with DCNP?
  Give DeKalb County and the Internship Program were two of my favorites. Give DeKalb County was a lot of planning and work, but such a joy to see the generosity of the community. With the DCNP Internship Program, I loved interviewing the students, getting to know them a little more, and then to see them excel in their internships at the local nonprofits.
• Skills you learned during your time at DCNP
  Communication and marketing; event planning and running successful committee meetings; content creation, planning and executing for e-newsletters and social media; and, of course, the day-in and day-out of working with a group of professionals in the nonprofit world.
• Anything you wish to add?
  Yes, I want to thank the Community Foundation staff (especially Ben Bingle) for this great experience! I know that the skills, knowledge, and experiences I have gained while working at the Community Foundation will help me throughout my career. Again, thank you for everything!
  

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