2025 Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship Program

Now in its 26th year, the Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship program has stayed true to its goal of connecting undergraduate students and first-year graduate students with meaningful, career-related experiences in nonprofit and public sector agencies. Each intern is placed at either a local public or nonprofit organization for a period of 11-weeks over the course of the summer.

This program adds value to agencies by recruiting talented applicants and providing funding to pay interns who conduct and complete important projects within our community. In an effort to match the particular needs of an organization with the unique backgrounds and experiences of interns from all majors, projects showcase the depth, breadth, and diversity of Cleveland’s civic sector. The internship program runs from Late May 2024 through Early August 2025. 

If you are an undergraduate student or recent college graduate and can answer YES to the following questions, please consider applying:

• Are you looking for career-related work experience that could build your resume, skills, and network?
• Will you be a college Junior, or Senior in Fall 2025, a graduating senior in Spring 2025, or a first-year graduate student in Spring 2025?
• Do you attend a local college or university in Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties or are you a permanent resident of Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties?
• Do you have an interest in the nonprofit or public sector?

Please visit https://www.clevelandfoundation.org/student-resources/internship/ for more information and to apply. Internships are full-time and will be compensated at a rate of $18/hour for the 2025 summer. Applications will remain open through February 4, 2025. 

You can check out blog posts from our past interns, and follow #SummerofPurpose on social media for updates. 

For additional questions, please contact Stephanie Molnar at TCFInterns@clevefdn.org. 

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Applicants must be a college sophomore, junior, or senior in fall 2024 or a graduating senior in spring 2025.
• If not, a student attending a college or university in Cuyahoga, Lake, or Geauga counties, applicants must be a permanent resident of Cuyahoga, Lake, or Geauga counties.
• Applicants should exhibit interest in the nonprofit or public sectors.
• Applicants must not be a relative of a member of Cleveland Foundation staff or Board of Directors.

To apply, visit https://www.clevelandfoundation.org/student-resources/internship/

Register for access to our online application gateway by entering your name and e-mail, and creating a login ID. An e-mail will be sent to you within 5 minutes. Please check your spam folder. Click on the link in the e-mail to complete the registration process.

Login (with the email address you used to register), complete the internship application, and upload your documents. NEW: You will need to complete the application and upload supporting documents for each mandatory requirement before you can “submit” your application. Deadline to submit: February 4, 2025

The application will request your:

• Resume
• One letter of recommendation (with two permitted) from individuals familiar with your academic work, employment experience, or community/volunteer activities
• Responses to a few short answer questions, both to get a sense of your writing style and to learn more about your interest in applying for the program