By Ryan Pirau
Marketing Intern at Effective Advancement Strategies
Why should your nonprofit have an intern? You may already have budget constraints or be ready to take on a large campaign, so why think about hiring an intern? As a current intern myself, it is clear to see the value an intern can bring to an organization. Whether it be with day-to-day tasks or planning out projects, interns can be a great asset to nonprofits.
MARKETING
A large focus of nonprofits is retaining and creating donors. Interns looking for marketing experience can streamline that process. While executive members of the organization can work to move projects along and create new relationships for the organization, interns can communicate with and create marketing materials for possible and new donors. Ultimately, interns can take care of the "little things" in the nonprofit's relationships with their donors. These kinds of communications are important as they maintain a relationship between the organization and the donor, other than the donor just paying the organization x amount of times a year. Along with this interns can also help create buzz and promotional materials for fundraisers, along with assisting with the organization and planning of the event.
MANAGEMENT
Nonprofits are consistently creating new events and need to get them organized as efficiently as possible. Interns looking for management experience can help lead volunteer projects and help coordinate schedules for events. This brings a knowledgeable member of your organization working directly with volunteers. Interns can also help coordinate and plan teambuilding events or exercises to build stronger relationships within the organization.
FINANCE
Every sector of business has financials to deal with and nonprofits are no exception. Interns looking for financial experience can create balance sheets for organizations, project the value of a project or fundraiser, and even lend a hand come tax season. An organization that needs more staffing in its financial sector could benefit greatly from hiring an intern with accounting and financial experience.
All in all, many qualified candidates are out there looking to get experience and are willing to work with nonprofits. Identify areas where your organization may need a little help and look into hiring an intern, they could end up being an even greater help than you expected. In the long run, it will be a beneficial experience for both the organization and the intern.