Development Intern

Development Intern – Illinois Policy Institute

Temporary, Part-Time | October–December 2026 | Chicago, IL USA (In Person)

The Illinois Policy Institute is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented development intern to provide short-term administrative support to our Development and External Relations team from October through the end of 2026. This role is designed for an undergraduate or graduate student who is dependable, comfortable handling high-volume administrative work, and interested in gaining practical experience inside a fast-paced nonprofit development operation.

About the Role

This is an administrative-heavy, hands-on role supporting year-end fundraising and ongoing development prospecting projects. The intern will assist with printing, postage, internal and donor mailings, data reconciliation, research, project fulfillment, and other time-sensitive development needs. Accuracy, organization, discretion, and follow-through are essential.

The intern must be available to work in our downtown Chicago office approximately two days per week. Hours are flexible and can be structured around undergraduate or graduate school schedules.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare, print, assemble, and organize donor and prospect mailings
• Manage postage, envelopes, labels, inserts, and other mailing and fulfillment needs
• Support internal mailings and distribution of development materials
• Assist with data reconciliation, data entry, list cleanup, and basic CRM/database projects
• Conduct donor, prospect, foundation, and other development-related research as assigned
• Support fulfillment of ongoing development prospecting projects and outreach campaigns
• Organize and prepare materials for donor meetings, stewardship, and year-end fundraising activity
• Assist with document organization, filing, scanning, copying, and other administrative projects
• Provide responsive general administrative support to the Development team as priorities arise

Qualifications

• Undergraduate or graduate student with availability through the end of 2026
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage repetitive, deadline-driven tasks
• Dependable, responsive, and willing to take ownership of administrative projects from start to finish
• Professionalism and discretion when handling donor and organizational information
• Comfort with Microsoft Office; familiarity with Salesforce or another CRM is a plus
• Ability to work independently while also responding quickly to team needs
• Availability to work in the downtown Chicago office approximately two days per week; scheduling can be flexible around classes

What You Will Gain

• Practical experience supporting a professional nonprofit fundraising operation during the critical year-end giving season
• Exposure to donor prospecting, research, data management, stewardship, and fundraising operations
• Experience managing real development projects with clear deadlines and deliverables
• Mentorship and exposure to experienced development professionals

Compensation & Benefits

This is a temporary, part-time internship position lasting until the end of December 2026. Weekly schedules will not exceed 20 hours a week. 

Compensation is $18.00 per hour.

As a temporary internship position, this role is not eligible for employer-sponsored benefits, including but not limited to health insurance, dental or vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, or other fringe benefits.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Apply Here