What are your professional goals?
Structure your response in terms of the job for which you are interviewing. Think about how this position fits within your overall career path and explain to the interviewer that this is the next logical step in that direction.
"The thesis for my Master's degree explored the impact of decades of illegal waste dumping on clean water available to the oldest neighborhood in my city. I used to live in this neighborhood, so the project was personal to me, and I wanted to gather data that would inform strategies for stopping the pollution entirely. Through this process, I discovered my desire to pursue a career leveraging good data to enact sustainable change. In the next five years, I would like to be in a directorial position guiding community impact analyses."
"While researching United Way's organizational structure, I was delighted to found the position of Chief Equity Officer. Although I am only two years into my human resources career, I have already discovered my interest in refining and advancing DEI models in the workplace. I would welcome the opportunity to continue this at United Way as I work toward my ultimate professional goal of overseeing an organization's efforts to embrace equitable change."
Due to high turnover rates, nonprofit organizations seek employees who want to pursue careers within their issue areas. Determine if there are any positions at United Way that align with your professional goals. Highlight these positions in your answer; this will demonstrate your institutional knowledge and suggest to the interviewer that you are willing to invest in a career with United Way.