Intern, Development

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.

Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

Who you are:

Vera’s Development Department is tasked with helping the organization secure the funding it needs to meet its expenses. Though we sometimes assist with government grants and contracts, we are primarily focused on raising funds from philanthropic, non-governmental sources—individuals, foundations, and corporations. Two key fundraising goals for Vera are to raise more dollars that aren’t restricted by donors to specific projects and to raise a greater proportion of our revenue from philanthropic sources. Staff in our department work toward those goals through specialized fundraising events, foundation relations and grant writing, individual donor fundraising, online fundraising, donor and prospect research, and development operations.

The Development interns will provide a wide range of administrative, database, and research support to Vera’s Development Department. Vera will provide an opportunity for our interns to gain experience and familiarity in areas such as fundraising, donor cultivation, philanthropy, and non-profit administration. The intern will work on a range of projects as a learning opportunity for navigating similar prospect researching, database management and hygiene, the creation of briefing documents for frontline fundraisers, and assisting in the execution of donor-facing events.

What you'll do:

Donor Intelligence

• Collaborate with prospect research team to conduct qualifying research on prospective donors.
• Partner with Individual and Institutional teams to build donor briefing documents.

Data Hygiene

• Partner with development operations and special events team to reconcile and record past event attendance
• Work with the prospect research team to ensure appropriate tracking of donor intelligence across development systems
• Support the institutional giving team in best practices in data management

Donor Engagement

• Participate in design and dissemination of key donor engagement pieces, including acknowledgement and cultivation mailings
• Support the execution of donor-facing events, both in person and digitally

Administrative Support

• Special projects for the department as needed
• Support development operations in the design and implementation of department files into new team SharePoint platform

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required:

• Interest in a nonprofit career, particularly in development and fundraising

Preferred:

• Previous experience working in a fundraising database

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office and ability to learn new technologies
• Interest in a nonprofit career, particularly in development and fundraising
• Ability to show initiative, ask questions, and adapt to changing priorities
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• A demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
• A strong passion for social justice and reformation

Technical knowledge we need you to be prepared to use:

• Microsoft Office
• Previous experience working in a fundraising database preferred

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.

Schedule:

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 3rd and August 9th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.

Compensation:

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.

How to apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Summer 2024 - Intern, Development

Vera Institute of Justice

34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Fax: (212) 941-9407

Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.

No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

In order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.