Advancement Fundraising Internship

The Climate Reality Project is a nonprofit organization founded by former US Vice President Al Gore. Our mission is to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every sector of society.  

At The Climate Reality Project, we come to work every day to help solve the climate crisis. We do it by working from the ground up, empowering people and communities worldwide to fight for their future and together drive a just transition to clean energy.

We are committed to building a more just and equitable world, one where all voices are heard and respected regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or physical ability. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other historically marginalized communities. We encourage applicants to read our diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice statement on our website.

Internship Program

The goal of our internship program is to provide a high-quality learning experience that helps to form the foundation for a career in the climate change or environmental movement for a diverse group of individuals seeking hands-on work experience in the field. 

We offer paid internships in three cycles (spring, summer, fall) that align to typical college semesters. Each cycle runs for approximately 10-15 weeks. We ask for a 15-20 hour minimum commitment per week. Interns will be allowed to work a maximum of 30 hours per week. The internship opportunities are in a variety of programs and departments that will vary from cycle to cycle. Every Climate Reality intern is assigned a mentor who works closely with them to help navigate the organization, create overall objectives, and oversee their work plan.

Our Spring 2024 Internship begins January 22nd and runs through May 3rd. This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC office where our DC-based staff will come to our Washington DC office two days a week. 

Interns will be paid $17.00/hr and will receive a Climate Reality Macbook to use during their internship.

Position Summary

The Advancement Department at Climate Reality is responsible for overseeing the organization’s fundraising efforts, including our major and principal giving programs, prospect research and management programs, and our fundraising event execution. The advancement fundraising intern plays a key role in keeping our small and efficient team on track with our annual fundraising goals by conducting research on prospective donors and helping our team identify potential new sources of revenue for regional trainings, fundraising events, and other initiatives. This is a research-focused position, so a successful candidate will enjoy research and have strong attention to detail. This internship is a great opportunity for someone looking to learn about fundraising and development while actively contributing to our team’s goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive training in the fundamentals of prospect research and the use of research tools
• Assist team with donor prospect research and various assigned projects as needed
• Produce donor research reports and assist with writing call sheets and briefings that serve the department’s information needs
• Assist department with day-to-day tasks, including database entry, donor stewardship, and department initiatives 
• Gain a general understanding of Climate Reality's fundraising program
• Participate in overall goals and initiatives of the organization 

Required Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail 

• Innate curiosity and a desire to learn effective prospect research techniques
• Attention to maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software and advanced web searches, including experience with Excel spreadsheets
• Experience with donor or constituent management software preferred 
• Commitment to solving climate change 

Organizational Competencies

The Climate Reality Project has adopted a competency-based approach to job definition, hiring, performance assessment, and professional development. The following are our seven organization-wide competencies and examples of how they manifest for this role.

1. Teamwork and Collaboration: Builds and sustains productive working relationships with colleagues; actively listens to others and seeks to understand diverse perspectives; follows through on commitments.
2. Flexibility and Adaptability: Demonstrates the ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances; takes initiative to solve problems, improve processes, and/or achieve outcomes; learns quickly when faced with new situations or systems.
3. Written and Verbal Communication: Written communication is clear and concise; verbal communication is intentional and straightforward; provides timely and helpful information across the organization as needed; gives and receives constructive feedback in a thoughtful manner.
4. Time and Project Management: Possesses a strong work ethic i.e., a sense of ownership over tasks, commitment to following things through, and a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done; manages multiple competing priorities, tasks, and projects effectively, appropriately seeking help from others when needed.
5. Professional Development: Shows commitment and acts to continuously improve; connects with advocates, experts, mentors, and resources, and actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged through internal and external training opportunities; accepts assignments that broaden capabilities.
6. Climate Justice: Works to understand and achieve anti-racist principles to disrupt the systems of white supremacy, privilege, classism, sexism, and racism; seeks to understand how systemic racism and environmental injustice impact individuals and frontline and fenceline communities; works to promote a welcoming and inclusive environment in Climate Reality spaces (workplace, events, trainings, and other convenings).
7. Climate Reality Mission and Focus: Is passionate about Climate Reality's role and mission and can act as a Climate Reality ambassador to a diverse set of audiences.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Climate Reality, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this internship but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in this job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this internship.

The Climate Reality Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other category prohibited by local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, social and recreational activities and termination.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 references with name, relationship, and contact information to internships@climatereality.com. Please use this subject line: Advancement Fundraising Internship. Also, let us know in your email with your submission the job site or other source where you found our posting.