InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations with a combined donor base of $15 billion annually. Members operate in every developing country and advocate for global change to overcome poverty, exclusion, and suffering by advancing social justice and basic dignity for all. Located in Washington, D.C., InterAction aims to give each of its members the collective power to speak and act on issues of common concern.
InterAction’s Global Development, Policy, and Learning [GDPL] Team is seeking three highly motivated students or recent graduates to intern remotely with our Washington, D.C. office to support our development and policy work for the spring.
InterAction’s Global Development, Policy and Learning Team offers internship opportunities to motivated individuals with a passion for global change. Our team advocates for the public policy priorities of InterAction and its members, primarily with the U.S. Congress and executive branch. Simultaneously our Development Implementation Team manages an IFAD-funded advocacy project, working closely with agricultural advocacy organizations in East Africa, manages NGO Aid Map, and supports preparations for the 2020 G7 meeting. Our team portfolio includes work on Food Security and Agriculture, Water, Health and Sanitation, Humanitarian Policy and Practice Advocacy, Climate and Fragility, and Democracy, Rights, and Governance.
A stipend of $1000 will be provided to full-time interns completing the internship (pro-rated for part-time) along with class credits and a robust professional development program which includes workshops, trainings, and educational opportunities. We anticipate the internship lasting from mid-January through May with flexible start and end dates.
Responsibilities for the GDPL Intern will include:
- Attend and summarize hearings and briefings on Capitol Hill, working group meetings, and events hosted by InterAction members;
- Provide administrative support for meetings and briefings at InterAction and on Capitol Hill, including scheduling, tracking RSVPs, and developing and distributing advocacy materials;
- Contribute to strategy development and advocacy outreach;
- Research and brief on legislative action that affects the international development community;
- Update Air Table (an online platform for data management), and other internal databases;
- Desk research on advocacy practice among agricultural organizations in East Africa, under InterAction’s IFAD grant
- Support project management and coordination of IFAD grant, as well as NGO Aid Map & G7 workstreams
- Other duties as desired or assigned.
During the internship, you can expect to acquire the following knowledge and skills:
- Familiarity with advocacy strategy development and implementation in the US and abroad;
- Experience using a variety of advocacy tactics;
- Increased knowledge of civil society, public policy, international development, and more;
- Improved knowledge of how to build working relationships in Washington, DC;
- Exposure to managing fast-paced coalition politics and trade-offs amongst a large consortium of non-profit organizations;
- Familiarity with tools available for Congressional research;
- Understanding of the pressing issues within the non-profit sector vis-à-vis InterAction's members and access to leading member NGOs;
- Professional development support in the form of informational interviews with staff, feedback on resume, networking opportunities, access to meetings and events, and more.
Qualifications of the ideal candidate:
- Bachelor’s degree (or working towards one) in government, public policy, international relations, international development, or another related field;
- Able to commit to at least 4 days a week of work (32 hours per week), with preference for those who can work full time (40 hours per week);
- Ability to write quickly and effectively, and ability to copy edit, sometimes under pressure;
- Basic knowledge of the legislative and election processes;
- Self-starter and self-motivated;
- Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.), Adobe, additional computer skills in Salesforce, graphic design, or related computer programs a plus;
- Interest or curiosity about policy and the non-profit sector;
- Commitment to teamwork, good interpersonal skills, can-do positive attitude, and professional etiquette.
How to apply:
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to policy@interaction.org. The deadline for spring applicants is November 13, 2020. Please put “Global Development and Public Policy Intern – YOUR NAME” in the Subject line of the email.
