Department:                      Communities Program  

Supervisor:                         Noreen Castor, Associate Director of Development

Location:                             Robert R. McCormick Foundation, 205 N Michigan Ave, Ste 4300, Chicago, IL 60601

About the Robert R. McCormick Foundation

The McCormick Foundation is one of Chicago’s leading philanthropic organizations with the mission of fostering communities of educated, informed, and engaged citizens. Our aim is to assist communities, strengthen democracy, and help ensure that all families and children have the opportunities they need to flourish.

We do this by investing in organizations that demonstrate a commitment to creating value in one or more of our key areas of work – early childhood education, journalism and the First Amendment, youth civic engagement, assistance for under-resourced communities, and serving veterans. When we make grants, we look for motivated, knowledgeable, and passionate organizations who think holistically about social issues and how we can effectively contribute to the solution together. We are committed to having measurable, systemic impact on the areas we invest in, and holding ourselves accountable for these results.

About the Communities Program

The Communities Program helps to transform under-resourced communities by giving people access to programs which improve their lives. Through its Communities Matching Fund, Impact Englewood Fund, and partnerships with sport teams and philanthropic organizations, it raises money for local needs and provides matching funds to increase the impact of charitable giving. Grants are then made to qualified nonprofit organizations with programs that help transition low-income children, adults and families to self-sufficiency. To achieve greater impact, the Communities Program focuses on programs in education, economic security, and community health.

Position

The McCormick Foundation’s Communities Program is seeking a detail-oriented and creative individual with excellent communication and multi-tasking skills to work on its Development team for a six-month internship from July 2018 to December 2018. This individual should have a strong understanding of and/or affinity for fundraising, philanthropy, and marketing.

The individual will be tasked with and will receive exposure to a variety of projects associated with the front and back-end operations of a Development department. Over the course of the internship, the individual will have responsibilities involving fundraising campaigns; major gifts; marketing; donor stewardship; gift processing and reporting; Raiser’s Edge database; and research. The individual will work with each member of the team and will have the opportunity to help shape new fundraising tactics.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Campaigns

• Assist with creation, copywriting, and production of solicitation materials including direct mail letters, emails, online ads, social media, blog posts
• Help create content and build engagement across digital channels, and manage the distribution and execution processes between internal teams and external stakeholders

Marketing

• Assist with projects that promote the work of Communities Program such as brochures, white papers, social media posts, website copy

Stewardship

• Help with the creation, copywriting, and production of donor acknowledgements and stewardship emails
• Assist with the planning and execute the major donor thank you notes process
• Manage and execute the mid-level donor thank you note process
• Help prepare materials and assist in finalizing logistics for major donor cultivation events
• Assist with creation of a prospect cultivation and/or new donor welcome series

Database, Gift Processing, and Reporting

• Train on Raiser’s Edge donor database
• Perform gift and acknowledgment letter processing, and database clean-up projects
• Execute administrative tasks such as matching gift processing and review of operational documentations
• Perform basic level analysis and assist with reporting

Research

• Assist with research to support the major donor program  
• Compile and summarize current industry trends and fundraising benchmarks

Other duties as assigned, including

• Administrative work
• Assist in managing high school interns

Desired Qualifications

• Recent college graduate or graduate student with a degree in Nonprofit, Social Work, Marketing, Business, Communications, Journalism, or other related field and an interest in fundraising and philanthropy
• Working knowledge and experience in creating and managing content for social media platforms and digital channels
• Outstanding writing skills and an effective communicator
• Detail-oriented, inquisitive, and thoughtful
• Efficient and effective multi-tasking and time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Team player, with the ability to work independently
• Familiar with latest digital trends and emerging technology
• Computer Skills: Microsoft Office, social media platforms, database experience (preferred)

Schedule, Compensation, and Benefits

Individual available for full-time or part-time work for a total of up to 980 hours from July 2018 to December 2018. Internship compensation is $14/hour. After 30 days of employment, one hour of paid time off (PTO) will be earned for every 40 hours worked. PTO hours can be used for personal, sick, vacation, or holiday time. Internship is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check and drug screening.

Selection Process

To be considered for the 2018 McCormick Foundation Communities Program Development Intern position, please submit the following via email to [email protected] no later than June 29, 2018.  

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Two academic and/or work references

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation believes in equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or any other legally protected classification. The Foundation's policy is to hire and promote the most qualified applicants and to comply with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.