When it comes to non-profits, design matters. You may like to think that people will judge organizations by their mission and actions, but it’s often not so. A great logo, a slick website, or a beautiful brochure is often the best way for an organization to prove its legitimacy. The same biases play out in the business world. Professional design is a sign of professional quality. If you’re going to donate to, volunteer for, spread the word about, or apply for an internship with a non-profit organization, you’re more likely to do it if their design impresses you. Hopefully NYC based Empax will impress you with their design. They are “a pioneering graphic design house devoted exclusively to helping nonprofit organizations meet their marketing and communication challenges in a unique and effective way.” Continue reading about Empax…
Have you ever heard of animal-assisted therapy? Wikipedia defines it as “a type of therapy that involves an animal with specific characteristics becoming a fundamental part of a person’s treatment.” This type of therapy can have all kinds of beneficial effects for a wide array of ailments, and it can be done with animals ranging from dogs to horses to elephants to lizards. Green Chimneys is a Brewster, NY based non-profit organization that “operates residential treatment for children and a special education school” with a large focus on animal-assisted therapy. They’re located on a 200-acre farm, and they’re constantly working towards “restoring possibilities and creating futures for children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges.” Continue reading about Green Chimneys…
Happy Mother’s Day! It was a lot harder finding a mother related non-profit organization to feature today than I thought it would be, but luckily I came a cross the Family Health and Birth Center in Washington, DC. They are “a full scope birth center providing prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to women and their families,” and since what they do is all about motherhood, they’re a perfect fit for today. The reason that the Family Health and Birth Center exists is that there are often high rates of infant and maternal mortality in low-income areas. That is unacceptable for a country as advanced as the United States, so Ruth Watson Lubic, “an experienced nurse-midwife and health care reform advocate,” decided to do something about it. Continue reading about Family Health and Birth Center…
If you’ve made it all the way to college without ever watching or reading some sort of National Geographic material, there has to be something wrong with you. Despite their dot com web address, National Geographic is actually “one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world” according to Wikipedia. Their main focuses “include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history.” You probably know them best for their yellow-bordered magazine covers and fantastic documentaries. The organization is more formally known as the National Geographic Society, and they are headquartered in Washington, DC. They’ve been around since 1888, and they continue to be a powerhouse when it comes to publishing educational content about the natural world. Continue reading about National Geographic…
Yesterday I got some bad news. A good friend and one of the best people in the fly fishing community was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. It’s not a pretty picture, but if anyone can beat it, it’s him. Since he’s been on my mind since yesterday, I thought it would only be appropriate to take a look at the American Lung Association today. They’re a nationwide non-profit organization that aims to “save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.” Whether it’s a lifelong smoker who is facing a life and death situation or a kid who is growing up with asthma (like me), the American Lung Association is there to help – mostly “through research, education and advocacy.” Continue reading about American Lung Association…
Since we’ve started, one of our most popular categories for internships and companies has been Software Development. Despite this fact, surprisingly few of those software related internships have been at non-profit organizations. Still, we’ve come across our fair share – mostly open-source projects – of jobs at organizations that combine the web startup feel with the do-gooder mindset. One of those organizations is Participatory Culture Foundation, a Boston, MA based organization, that “makes bottom-up economies and cultures possible by ensuring that our political, social and cultural systems are open and democratic everywhere.” They took the non-profit route because they had seen too many startups sell out of their ideals due to financial pressure – that’s not going to happen to them. Continue reading about Participatory Culture Foundation…
Last night I had some friends over for dinner, and we played a question and answers game. My questions for everyone was “if you got arrested, what would it be for.” Think about that for a second. I’m sure most of you never expect to run into trouble with the law, but not all criminals intend to break the law and not all people who are arrested are guilty. Since you’re a college student/new grad with limited financial resources, how would you afford a defense lawyer? Your parents? (If your parents would pay for it, then maybe you should take advantage of that generosity and have them sign you up for our job search prep course.) Or would you end up needing a public defender? That’s not a good thought – “someone you’ve never seen; someone you didn’t choose; someone you have no reason to trust” is responsible for your freedom. That’s why The Bronx Defenders exists. They “have transformed the role of the public defender by changing the nature of the attorney-client relationship, investing in the communities where our clients live, and striving to create justice for the people [they] serve.” It’s still not pleasant to consider a court case, but having better public defense makes it a little less scary. Continue reading about The Bronx Defenders…
The world of non-profits is built on fundraising. Organizations big and small take money from donors and put it to use how they see fit. The system works, but it leaves a lot to be desired. What if you want to know where your money is going and whom it is helping? What if you want to decide where your money goes? You often can’t. With San Francisco based Kiva you can. You can loan money directly to the working poor. And if you make a wise investment and the person you loan money to succeeds, you’ll get your money back and get to loan it again. You can lend money to a man who runs a food market in Togo or a woman who sells traditional coats in Tajikistan. The choice is yours. Kiva is all about “connect[ing] people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.” It’s a really simple idea that couldn’t have taken hold before the Internet. Now it’s changing the way that we think about giving through microfinance and microfunding. Continue reading about Kiva…
Finding a quiet place to read or study can be a challenge in New York City – especially if your apartment is the size of a walk-in closet and your roommates derive satisfaction from invading your personal space. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why so many New Yorkers seek refuge in the city’s many public library branches. Aside from students, scholars and frugal intellectuals, the New York library system is also a haven for jobseekers that can access a slew of free computers to send out resumes and research jobs. This is particularly noteworthy considering that many of today’s unemployed don’t have the money to afford a personal computer. What makes the New York Public Library (NYPL) particularly unique is its rich history and sheer volume of information. Founded at the end of the 19th century, NYPL has grown to represent over 80 branches in Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island. Currently, the collections at NYPL rival those at the British Library, the Library of Congress and the Bibliotheque nationale de France. NYPL prides itself “in being historically a privately managed, non-profit corporation with both public and private financing in a century-old, still evolving public-private partnership.” Continue reading about New York Public Library…
Happy Easter! Last year we took a look at internships with Easter Seals to celebrate, and this year we’re going to have even more fun with the holiday theme. I’m a big fan of the Easter Bunny, because he still brings me delicious treats despite the fact that I’m way too old to still be getting anything from him. I’m not sure how rabbits became indelibly tied to Easter, but they are, which is why we’re taking a look at Rabbit Rescue today. They are a Paramount, CA based non-profit, no-kill shelter for rabbits that is staffed and run entirely by volunteers. Yes, that means that there’s no mention of internships on their site, but I couldn’t find any bunny related non-profits that were hiring interns. In case you didn’t know, there’s a big problem with people who get bunnies as Easter gifts and then fail to take care of them. You can read about it here. Rabbit Rescue is doing great work to save rabbits, but they may be a little short on internships. Your Easter challenge is to find a non-profit (or even a for-profit company) with better bunny related internships. Report back in the comments! Continue reading about Rabbit Rescue…
When I was a little kid, I was fascinated by science. Some of my favorite things to do were to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Mr. Wizard’s World, ask my Dad show me Chemistry experiments, and build all kinds of paper airplanes. I was just the kind of kid that would love the Museum of Science, Boston, and I’d still love to spend a day there if I ever get the chance. Their mission is to “stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society,” and judging from their Flickr gallery, they’re definitely doing that. Some of their attractions include an IMAX theater, a Planetarium, a Laser show, a 3-D Digital Cinema, and an awesome looking Simulator that can take you under the sea or to outer space. That’s not even getting into the Museum of Science’s current exhibits. Boston’s Museum of Science looks like an insanely cool place to visit, and an even cooler place to do an internship.
Continue reading about Museum of Science, Boston…
Sustainability has become a major buzzword over the past few years. Anyone who wants to appear to be a qualified leader has jumped on the bandwagon and started using the word loosely. For the most part we identify “sustainability” with the environment, but it can really apply to anything. My definition is something like “helping to create a situation in which you can keep doing what you’re doing for a long time.” It’s really about a long-run mindset instead of a short-run mindset. For Institute for Sustainable Communities sustainability is a long run thing. They’re a Montpelier, VT based non-profit that has had sustainability on its mind since it was founded in 1991 by Vermont’s then-governor Madeleine M. Kunin. Continue reading about Institute for Sustainable Communities…
Having grown up in Connecticut and now living in Illinois, I’ve lived in areas that don’t have too many National Parks. Luckily, I’ve had the chance to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton. They are unbelievable. Our National Parks here in the US are one of the best things that the government has done – they’re a big part of what makes this country so special. Unfortunately, the same government that gave us those parks doesn’t always seem to have their best interest in mind. That’s why National Parks Conservation Association exists. They are a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC that is focused on “working on key initiatives to restore America’s national parks by the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.” If you’ve never visited a National Park, you should. You can use this locator provided by the National Park Service to find the park closest to you. Continue reading about National Parks Conservation Association…
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m on the Board of Advisors of a startup non-profit called National Coaching Fellows. One of my fellow board members also has a full-time job at another Chicago based non-profit organization called Near West Side Community Development Corp. She said that they’re looking for interns, and asked me to share some information on the internships with you guys. Near West Side Community Development Corp. was established in 1988 “to create a viable, mixed-income community in West Haven without the displacement of low and moderate income residents.” They’re doing all kinds of things to make this happen, but they remain focused on doing everything in their power to make one small area of Chicago a better place to live. Continue reading about Near West Side Community Development Corp….
I’ve already recounted my whale watch story in our post on internships at the Whale Center of New England, but I will say again that I think whales are absolutely amazing creatures. To see them in the wild is an experience that I think everyone should be able to have. And one of the reasons that we continue to be able to see whales in the wild is Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.They’re based in Plymouth, MA, and they are “the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins, and their environment.” Their internship coordinator e-mailed me to tell me about the organization and its internships, and because they sound so great, I’m sharing them with you. I also figured that if you were anything like the kids I grew up with, a good number of you wanted to be Marine Biologists at some point. For those of you who still have a strong interest in Marine Biology, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society offers amazing opportunities year round. Continue reading about Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society…
A lot of companies use the term “rock star” to describe the people that they’d like to hire. I don’t understand why “all star” never caught on – it’s more appropriate. Rock stars come with all kinds of problems and aren’t necessarily the most desirable employees or interns, but all stars are the best at what they do. The All Stars Project is a non-profit organization based in New York City that is “dedicated to promoting human development through the use of an innovative performance-based model.” Even though their logo kind of looks like Rock Bands, they’re all about creating all stars. They do this by “sponsoring community and experimental theatre, developing leadership training and pursuing volunteer initiatives that build and strengthen communities.” They offer a wide range of programs that are centered around theatre and the performing arts. Continue reading about All Stars Project…
One of the cool things about the world that we live in these days is that not every decision need to be politicized. You aren’t restricted to voting your social conscience once a year on election day. You can also vote with your pocketbook/wallet/loose change. There are all kinds of products that not only serve your everyday needs, but that also represent a social idea. I’m not just talking about brands either. That Nike symbol on your t-shirt doesn’t really mean anything, but building a house with LEED certified green materials or buying Fair Trade Coffee allows you to ensure that you’re spending your money in away that aligns with your moral stances. TransFair USA, based out of Oakland, CA is the non-profit organization behind the Fair Trade Certification – as you can see from the logo to the right. They have programs that certify coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla, fresh fruit, rice, sugar, and much more along a specific set of guidelines. Continue reading about TransFair USA…
Let’s say that I wrote an article about scam internships. And let’s say that the company whose internships I wrote about wasn’t too happy about my exercising my First Amendment rights to expose their scams. I could, theoretically, end up with some legal trouble. That wouldn’t be a very good situation for me, because I don’t have a legal team on retainer. Luckily there’s a non-profit organization called Citizen Media Law Project that provides “legal assistance, education, and resources for individuals and organizations involved in online and citizen media.” If I was ever in a legal situation because of something that I published online, they’re certainly the first place that I would go to for help. I’d check out their Legal Guide and their Legal Threats Database, and try to put together a plan of action for how to respond. I think that the “citizen media” is an extremely important part of our society, and I’m happy to see that the CMLP is there to protect people like me if we ever need it. Continue reading about Citizen Media Law Project…
If you’ve been reading One Day, One Internship for a year or more, you probably remember that last year we did a holiday post for Pi Day. I’m a dork, and I love dorky holidays. That’s why I’m already counting down the seconds until 1:59:26 (ok, I didn’t stay up for it, I’m waiting for the PM version), when the date and time will represent 8 digits of pi. Since today is a weekend, I thought that it was my duty to bring you info on internships with math related non-profits. Unfortunately, there are a lot fewer of those than one would think, so we’re going to stretch a bit by looking at job opportunities with The Mathematical Association of America. They’re located in Washington, DC, and they’re “the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level.” Continue reading about The Mathematical Association of America…
Today my little sister is on her way back from a few months in Ethiopia teaching art at an orphanage for children who have lost their parents to AIDS. From what I’ve heard so far, she’s had an amazing impact, so I’m obviously overwhelmingly proud of her. It’s hard to imagine what life without a family is like, but there are millions of children all across the world who know all too well what it’s like. That’s why we’re taking a look at Kidsave today (not the organization that my sister was working with). They’re a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit that is aiming to “to ensure that no orphan or foster child is forgotten and that every child grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future.” It all started when friends and business partners Terry Baugh and Randi Thompson, both adoptive parents, realized how tragic the stories of orphaned children really are. They started Kidsave in 1997, and since then they have helped “more than 2700 children [find] parents and lasting connections with adults.” Continue reading about Kidsave…
When people ask me what I do, I tell them, “I help college students find and land jobs and internships.” That’s my 3-second elevator pitch. If you were to ask people at The Cara Program what they do, you’d probably get a response like, “We help the homeless and at-risk populations find and land jobs.” Essentially we’re doing the same things – just for different groups of people. Finding a job (or internship) isn’t easy, as you probably know, but think about how difficult it is for someone who is homeless. Employers typically want employees who can provide stability, but being homeless is a pretty big sign of instability. The problem is that it’s really hard to become stable without a job. That’s why The Cara Program, based out of Chicago, provides “comprehensive training, permanent job placement and critical support services.” Continue reading about The Cara Program…
We’re always on the look out for different kinds of non-profit internships to feature on weekends, and today we’ve certainly found some. Battelle Memorial Institute is a Columbus, OH based organization that looks very much like a business – their tagline is even “the business of innovation” – but they are actually “organized for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes.” They have 5 main areas of focus – Energy, Health & Life Sciences, National Security & Defense, Laboratory Management, and Community & Education – which means that they do all kinds of things to further their vision of building “long-term relationships with their clients by anticipating their needs and delivering economically and socially valuable science and technology.” Continue reading about Battelle Memorial Institute…
What happens when you put Angelina Jolie together with a suspected conspiracy to create a “one-world government?” No, it’s not an upcoming movie release. It’s actually a non-profit organization called the Council on Foreign Relations. They are “an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.” They can claim Angelina Jolie as a member, and because of their secrecy clauses and interesting membership requirements (and the fact that so many high-ranking government officials are members), people get all kinds of ideas about Council on Foreign Relations. In fact, Wikipedia says that “some believe it to be the most powerful private organization to influence United States foreign policy.” Ok, let’s cut through all the crazy stories and see what CFR is really about. Continue reading about Council on Foreign Relations…
Yesterday we talked about one student-focused non-profit’s internships, and today we’re going to talk about another. Student World Assembly is “a non-governmental, non partisan organization created to represent students globally.” The overarching goal is to promote global democracy by providing “a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions.” It certainly sounds like the kind of thing that you’d want to be involved in if you have an interest in International Relations. Continue reading about Student World Assembly…
How’s the relationship between your college or university and the town or city that it’s in? Let me guess. Not so hot. It always seems that students and “townies” don’t get along too well. Beyond that, there can also be situations like at Yale in New Haven, CT where the students are generally much wealthier than the people who live in the surrounding neighborhood. This just exacerbates the fundamental gap between the university and the community. National Student Partnerships is a non-profit organization that was started in New Haven by two Yale students who wanted to close this gap. They “designed a program where college student volunteers work one-on-one with community residents, coordinating access to employment opportunities and social services, including job training, housing, health care, child care, and transportation.” It’s a wonderful idea, and it’s working – look at the success stories. Continue reading about National Student Partnerships…
If your sweetheart is having trouble landing an internship this Valentine’s Day, then give him or her a gift that shows that you really care. Chocolates, flowers, and jewelry only bring temporary satisfaction, but there’s nothing more satisfying (besides a relationship with you, of course) than an awesome internship. Enroll your sweetheart in Found Your Career (our online job search training course) today.
Since Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend this year, I had to find a Cupid approved non-profit. Since today is all about hearts, I thought that it’d be fitting to talk about internships with American Heart Association. In case it’s not obvious, they’re a non-profit organization devoted to cardiovascular health. Their mission is to “build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.” It’s a simple mission, but it’s not an easy one. Since Valentine’s Day is really about the people whom we love, it’s fitting that we’re talking about an organization that is working to make sure that our loved ones are around and healthy for as long as possible. Continue reading about American Heart Association…
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Last year on this day, we hadn’t even launched yet, but on One Day, One Job we featured USA Football, a non-profit organization that promotes amateur football. Since then we’ve taken a look at some other Super Bowl related internships like the those with the NFL’s teams and with World Vision (they administer the donation of Championship paraphernalia that was produced for teams that didn’t win a championship). If you want to work in or around the sport of football, it’s a good idea to use all of the hoopla surrounding today’s events to generate ideas for your internship search. That’s why we’re going to look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. Despite their strong ties to the NFL, they’re actually a non-profit organization based in Canton, OH.. Their mission includes 4 parts, and it’s what you would expect:
To honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to professional football; To preserve professional football’s historic documents and artifacts; To educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of professional football as an important part of American culture; and To promote the positive values of the sport.
If you love football, then finding an internship at the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be pretty cool. Continue reading about Pro Football Hall of Fame…
Sometimes I can be a dunderhead. When I am behind the wheel of a car, I can get irrationally angry at having to share the road with pedestrians and bikers. And when I’m walking or riding a bike, I can get irrationally angry at having to share the road with cars. I can’t be right on both accounts, so the problem is obviously with me (or maybe with the government for not setting up a better transportation system). When it comes down to it, though, it’s pretty obvious that bikers and pedestrians are second-class citizens to drivers. Cars dominate the roads, and the burden of responsibility falls on those who are biking or walking to stay alert and avoid getting hit by a couple thousand bounds of fast-moving metal. The Thunderhead Alliance for Biking and Walking is a Washington, DC based non-profit advocacy organization that stands up for the rights of bikers and walkers by “strengthening and supporting bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations” across the country. They’re a meta-non-profit. organization – an organization for organizations. Continue reading about Thunderhead Alliance for Biking and Walking…
Nobody likes bugs or rodents. Ok, some people do, but I know some people who absolutely freeze up at the sight – or even thought – of a little critter. At the very least, pests are unpleasant. Nobody wants to live with ants, roaches, mice, rats, or whatever other uninvited guests might be trying to make a stay at your place. That’s why we use pest control. It gets rids of the unpleasantness that is readily apparent, but what are the after effects that we don’t see? It’s hard to know for sure, but much of what we do to get rid of pests includes toxic chemicals. It’s not good for our environment, and it’s not good for our children. That’s why the Safer Pest Control Project is trying to change the way that we deal with those nasty little critters. Continue reading about Safer Pest Control Project…
Henry Ford was one of the most ingenious men to grace our country’s history. “Fordism,” his philosophy of bringing inexpensive automobiles to the masses through cost cutting and the assembly line has truly changed the face of world history. It’s amazing to think that ideas that we now take for granted were so revolutionary back then. You can find plenty more on Henry Ford on Wikipedia, but what about The Henry Ford. It’s kind of an odd name for what it is, but it’s a place in Dearborn, MI that includes historic Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum, the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the Benson Ford Research Center, and The Henry Ford IMAX Theater. It’s something between a museum and an educational center. It’s a non-profit organization, but that doesn’t really tell us much about what it is. I guess that’s why they call it The Henry Ford. Continue reading about The Henry Ford…
