I am fascinated by this discussion. I understand the importance of receiving
the grant funds and why the museum would want to count the intern's hours as
in-kind for that purpose. However, I don't see an intern's time as either
volunteer work or as an in-kind donation. The intern is receiving something
in return: experience. My impression is from what David said is that if it
weren't for the needs of the grant, the intern's time would not be tracked
at all.

Of course, I don't work for this museum, and if I had to come up with hours
to get grant funding, I might feel I needed to do the same thing. But from
this side of the fence, it feels unethical. Just my opinion.

Melinda

Melinda Kaufman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David E. Haberstich" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 12:59 AM
Subject: Re: Fundraising


> In a message dated 11/9/2004 8:30:03 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << David - Bottom line first - track the intern's hours and logging them
>  in-kind yourself.  Be honest - these should be real hours on site that he
>  spends on the project (I'm NOT suggesting smoke and mirrors).  You or
some
>  intern supervisor should know when he's there and what he's' working on,
so
>  this is reasonable personnel management on your part.  If no one's
tracking
>  him now, do begin to ask him to check in with you (or a supervisor) and
to
>  produce finished work after each session so that you can provide honest
>  numbers and so that you're sure he's really performing.
>
>  Obviously the intern is looking at this from a purely his personal
>  interests, not museum interests.  >>
>
> No, I think he has been thinking of the museum's interests all along, but
the
> realization that his work might later provide a salary for someone else
has
> simply reminded him that he might need an income someday himself.
>
> I appreciate the feedback from several of you to my question, even if I
don't
> entirely agree with every comment, but I fear I was too vague.  First, let
me
> assure you that this particular intern, who is working under my
supervision,
> is one of the best I've ever had.  He's very bright, cheerful, and highly
> productive, and he's been working about 20 hours a week for
me--unpaid--since
> April.  He's been quite contented to contribute his time and effort to the
Museum
> and to consider it a learning experience without any expectation of
payment.
> However, he is seeking employment and has applied for a paid position
> elsewhere with a reference from me.  The problem is that when he started
working with
> me nothing was said about tracking his time toward the grant project, and
when
> he was asked recently to do so--by someone else, not me--it caught him off
> guard.  I now think that we were remiss not to point out at the outset
that his
> time would be considered an in-kind contribution toward the grant, and
> probably this possibility should be routinely explained to all volunteers
and
> interns.
>
> However, I don't quite understand Lucy's statement that:
> "- there is really no relationship at all between his hours and the grant
> funded job you are creating  (though, presumably if he qualified (thanks
in
> part to this internship), he could apply)."
>
> --because there is a very definite relationship.  Perhaps you could
clarify
> this.
>
> I disagree somewhat with Sharon's statement:
>
> "I think it is not up to the intern to decide if work is "fair" or
"unfair"
> based on who he thinks it might benefit."
>
> Interns do need to feel that they're being treated fairly and will derive
> some personal benefit, even if it's intangible or delayed.  There have
been many
> discussions on this list in the past about unpaid internships and
volunteer
> positions creating an impression that a person is being "used" (some
taking the
> extreme position that unpaid interns and volunteers are inherently
exploited
> by museums), and I think it's important to show them that there is a quid
pro
> quo.  But puttting myself in the intern's shoes, I can see how the thought
that
> one's unpaid work could eventually accrue to someone else's financial
> advantage would give one pause.  I think it's a delicate situation that
deserves to
> be handled with some finesse.
>
> In any event, I told the intern that I would seek opinions on this issue
from
> this list, and I think I can report back to him what I've learned, and
> perhaps help him feel more comfortable about the arrangement.  After all,
as has
> been suggested, he might himself be a candidate for a temporary job which
his
> efforts could help create.  I thank you all for your responses.
>
> David Haberstich
>
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