Philanthropy Intern
Summer 2026 Philanthropy Internship
Location: Hybrid (Austin, TX)
Part-time (10-17 hours/week) | Compensation: Students (Earning Class Credit): $825 stipend
Please note this role is for currently enrolled students who will be receiving class credit for the internship. Compensation for this position is an end of semester stipend (one-time payment) in the amount of $825.00.
Solving Youth Homelessness- Together
At LifeWorks, our mission is to solve youth homelessness through housing, mental health, education, and workforce programs. We believe every young person deserves a place to call home, a sense of belonging, and the support to pursue a life they love. Our team walks alongside youth on their journeys toward stability and independence, always centering their voices and strengths.
About the Internship
LifeWorks is looking for a Philanthropy Intern for the Summer 2026 semester. In this role, you’ll assist with prospecting, data cleanup, donor communications, campaign logistics, and our strategic donor engagement efforts. This internship offers hands-on experience in nonprofit operations, capital campaign logistics, major gifts strategy, and project management.
Key Responsibilities
- Donor Prospecting & Research: Conduct in-depth research on individual, corporate, and foundation prospects. Create donor profiles that synthesize philanthropic history and key giving interests.
- Stewardship & Communication: Draft personalized outreach and donor touch points for high-capacity donors. Assist in creating stewardship updates that highlight campaign milestones and fundraising narratives. Assist the philanthropy team in executing stewardship and fundraising events.
- Capital Campaign Logistics: Support the logistics of capital campaign meetings, events, and project management. Assist in ensuring all campaign touches, tours, and follow-ups are accurately tracked within the project management system.
- Relationship Management: Assist in the administration of the multi-year giving society, corporate partners, and other donor groups ensuring that the benefits connected to their gifts are maintained.
- In-Kind Gift Processing: Work with the Philanthropy team to evaluate in-kind donation process and implement best practices for tracking and thanking.
- Other duties and responsibilities as needed
What You’ll Gain
- Major Gift Cultivation: Experience in the moves management cycle, learning how to qualify and transition donors into high-level giving societies.
- Capital Campaign Strategy: Direct insight into the mechanics of a multi-million-dollar facility campaign, from silent phase to final funding.
- Strategic Communications: Proficiency in drafting professional donor-facing content that balances mission-driven storytelling with data-backed results.
- Project Management Systems: Hands-on experience using Asana and Neon CRM to manage complex, multi-stakeholder fundraising projects.
Who We’re Looking For
- Current student in Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Communications, Business, or related fields.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). Familiarity with basic database queries.
- Ability to write persuasively and professionally with a keen eye for tone and detail.
- Someone who finds satisfaction in "clean" project boards and ensuring no detail falls through the cracks.
Ability to handle sensitive donor and financial information with the utmost discretion. - A genuine interest in solving youth homelessness and understanding the systems that drive community changes.