Development Intern (Fundraising)

To be considered for this role, you must apply directly through our online application. 

About the Role

This paid, in-person internship in Washington, DC (25–40 hours per week over 12 weeks) joins Cato’s Development team. You’ll assist with stewardship and fundraising operations that support Cato’s research and outreach—working with the Director of Development Communications and development operations staff on donor communications, CRM data hygiene, Salesforce campaign support, and iWave prospect research.

Day to day, you’ll make thank-you and customer-service calls, update records, build segmented lists, draft and edit sponsor emails and letters, and prepare research that informs moves management.

The work emphasizes accuracy, professionalism, and effective communication aligned with Cato’s principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.

Responsibilities

• Make thank-you and customer service calls and manage information in Cato’s Salesforce database.
• Collaborate with Cato’s director of development communications to support print and digital communications for Cato’s sponsors, including writing and editing emails and publications, conducting market research, gathering data, organizing email and mailing lists, and managing marketing campaigns in Salesforce.
• Prepare research for the Development team, focusing on using iWave to guide moves management for Sponsors.
• Assist with other tasks and projects as needed for the Development team.

Qualifications

• Genuine interest in—and familiarity with—nonprofit fundraising; alignment with Cato’s mission.
• Professional demeanor and interpersonal skills for donor/sponsor calls and cross-team collaboration; clear phone and email communication.
• Skilled writing and editing for donor audiences—thank-you notes, stewardship updates, and brief research summaries—with careful tone and accuracy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (filters/sort, XLOOKUP or INDEX-MATCH, PivotTables) for managing lists, generating reports, and simple analysis.
• Experience with CRM and marketing tools—Salesforce data entry and list hygiene, HubSpot campaign support, and iWave for prospect research.
• Detail-oriented and dependable—juggle multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and exercise discretion with sensitive donor information.

The Cato Internship Program

Cato’s paid internships are available for undergraduates, recent graduates, graduate students, law students, and early-career professionals who are strongly committed to individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—principles that together form libertarianism, also known as “classical liberalism,” “market liberalism,” or, to many of our international friends, simply “liberalism.” 

All Cato interns participate in the same intensive seminar series, which covers a wide range of history, philosophy, policy, and professional development topics. Interns also assist with events and occasionally support Cato staff with other daily tasks. 

Interns receive competitive pay. Part-time roles are adjusted accordingly and require a minimum of 25 hours per week. Program participants must be able to attend in person in Washington, DC.

For more information about the internship program and experience, we encourage you to explore our website. If you have any questions, email studentprograms@cato.org.