Chicago Cultural Alliance Website

General Description
Interns are integral to the work of the Chicago Cultural Alliance. Interns gain hands-on experience in the fields of community engagement, museology, and program management, as well as exposure to the methodologies and practices of a cultural, civically-engaged nonprofit. Internships are based in Chicago and typically last for 3-4 months, although a shorter or longer period may be possible. Interns participate in a wide array of activities including research, program administration, and communications and will develop specific administrative skills by providing operational support. Interns will contribute to the fulfillment of the Alliance's mission and broaden their understanding of Chicago's diverse ethnic communities through direct interaction with the cultural leaders of those communities. Internships are unpaid. However, students are often able to arrange academic credit. Students should check with their individual academic institutions for requirements. Our goal is to create opportunities for interns to build specific skills necessary for non-profits while working in a creative, engaging, and professional environment.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTERN
Together with the Alliance's Director of Programs, the Community Engagement Intern will be directly involved in the coordination of one or more Alliance programs. Examples of programs include Conservation & Collections, in which we work with Core Members to improve their artifact collections through workshops and preservation reviews; Heritage Matters in which we work with Core Members to deliver cross-cultural public dialogues on a series of contemporary issues; collaborative exhibit development; and Building Strong, Building Smart, a series of capacity-building workshops delivered to Core Members.

Responsibilities
• Assist with the technical administration of programs, this includes tracking registration and communications with member sites
• Assist with the documentation and distribution of tools and resources (such as program design, dialogue techniques, events, and important announcements)
• Compile workshop surveys and event evaluation forms
• Update workshop and participant information in the database
• Create at least one central project in which intern will be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation for the duration of their internship/may include the development and delivery of a specific event.

Qualifications
• Academic study or work experience in museum studies, sociology, anthropology, human and civil rights, or other social sciences preferred
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Candidates should be feel comfortable working with a diverse group of people

DEVELOPMENT INTERN
Together with the Alliance's Executive Director, the Development Intern will participate in all aspects of fundraising at the Alliance. Duties might include writing grant proposals and reports, communicating with individual donors, prospect research, and event planning. Academic year interns will be involved in the planning and execution of the Alliance's annual fundraiser, MOSAIC, as well as the summer and end-of-year appeals.

Responsibilities
• Perform basic research on funders
• Identify funders with giving interests in arts, culture, civic engagement and other areas consistent with the work of the Alliance
• Compose acknowledgement letters
• Write and/or edit grant proposals and other fundraising correspondences
• Manage and updated donor database
• Attend meetings related to fundraising
• Assist in the planning and execution of cultivation and fundraising events

Qualifications
• Academic study or work experience in museum studies, sociology, anthropology, human and civil rights, or other social sciences preferred
• Interest in non-profit management
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
• Attention to detail along with ability to work independently and creatively

OPERATIONS INTERN
Together with the Office Manager, the Operations Intern will provide critical organizational support in the areas of data and financial management and membership services.

Responsibilities
• Assist Executive Director with her scheduling and communication
• Maintain office workplan calendars
• Provide support to Office Manager with financial processing and support
• Maintain and update database
• Develop and run reports through database to assist organization's understanding of program performance, member engagement, and fundraising
• General office support including reception, maintenance (office and technology), meeting coordination, ordering supplies, and general file/record keeping (including digital files and records and CCA archive)
• Assist with meeting preparation and implementation for board, committees, and membership

Qualifications
• Academic study or work experience in museum studies, sociology, anthropology, human and civil rights, or other social sciences preferred
• A social media junkie; excellent online research, analysis, and data synthesis skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Attention to detail along with ability to work independently and creatively

COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
Together with the Alliance staff, the Communications Intern will be responsible for the implementation of the Alliance's social networking and the creation and management of other marketing materials. This will include frequent updates to our Facebook page, Twitter stream, and blog; writing and editing our monthly newsletter and bi-monthly events email; creating flyers and email announcements about upcoming programs; and otherwise promoting Alliance events through the active use of social media.

Responsibilities
• Monitoring Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts to analyze the demographics, needs, and preferences of our existing audience
• Website and social media maintenance, including photo uploads and content editing
• Compiling press clips on a weekly basis to highlight Core Members or relevant themes
• Create plan for new Alliance blog that features interviews, responses to articles and events, etc.
• Update, categorize, and maintain contact lists
• Represent and organize Alliance presence at target events

Time Commitment: Summer interns should expect to work a minimum of 24 hours and maximum of 40 per week for a period of at least 8-10 weeks but possibilities for longer internships are possible.
Application Deadline: Final deadline is May 6 with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

To Apply
Please email a letter of interest, resume, and two references to info@chicagoculturalalliance.org with "Community Engagement Intern," "Development Intern," "Operations Intern" or "Communications Intern" in the title. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Please note that only successful applicants will be notified.

In the cover letter, please address the following topics: (1) Why you want to work for the Alliance; (2) what you would like to work on/what you expect from the internship.

Current Opportunities at Other Organizations

If you would like to advertise a position on the Chicago Cultural Alliance, please email info@chicagoculturalalliance.org for pricing and packages.