Development Intern Spring 2026

New Politics Academy (NPA), a nonpartisan non-profit organization, was founded in 2016 to transform government by recruiting and developing transformational servant leaders with the highest caliber of integrity, courage, and empathy. NPA is working to help servant leaders overcome the traditional barriers to entering the political arena. Through leadership development experiences, educational programming, and networking events, we're building a new pipeline into politics for Americans who have served our communities and country and who feel called to continue their service by jumping into the political arena. Our organization works to strengthen our democracy.

About the internship:

The Development Intern will play an integral role on the NPA Development Team, gaining hands-on experience in fundraising and donor engagement strategy. This internship offers the opportunity to develop practical skills in donor research, data analysis, and prospect pipeline development while learning the inner workings of a multi-million dollar nonprofit organization.

• Term: Mid-January 2026 – Mid-June 2026 (start and end dates are flexible)
• Hours: 15-20 hours per week
• Location: Fully remote. If the intern is based in Boston or the DMV, there may be an opportunity to attend occasional in-person working sessions with the Director of Development and/or Fundraising Manager.

Roles and Responsibilities:

An intern will primarily support the Development Team, with occasional collaboration across other departments – including Campaigns, Communications, Recruitment, and Programs – to gain a broad view of how a mission-driven political organization operates.

Assist in donor prospecting and research

• Conduct weekly donor research to identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential donors.
• Build and maintain a prospect pipeline of aligned donors who can help advance New Politics Academy’s mission.
• Draft donor briefs, memos, and outreach materials for cultivation and stewardship.
• Support the development of engagement strategies for potential and existing donors.
• Assist with planning and preparation for virtual and/or in-person fundraising events.

Assist in the day-to-day operations of the Development department

• Work directly with the Director of Development and Fundraising Manager to support the execution of finance operations.
• Research best practices in fundraising and nonprofit management to recommend process improvements.
• Help track donor data, engagement metrics, and reporting systems to inform strategy.

Preferred Qualifications

● Interest in politics, leadership development, and/or national service.

● Commitment to mission and belief in the theory of change that states servant leadership will transform our politics and restore our democracy.

● Willingness to learn and be trained on New Politics Academy processes.

● Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as strong organizational abilities.

● Solving problems beyond a given scope of work, and providing feedback.

● Self-starter, capable of working with managers and conducting research on their own.

● Eagerness to learn fundraising strategy, data management and donor relations.

● Collaborating with a small team that makes a big impact.

● Experience in Excel/Salesforce to develop reports for analysis and feedback. Helpful but not required, a willingness to learn these tools.

What you’ll learn here:

● A chance to work remotely with a nationally dispersed team

● An understanding of common research tools and a chance to test and refine your findings

● A chance to grow professionally in the political world

● An opportunity to dive into the backend of finance operations for a multi-million dollar organization

Eligible to apply:

● Open to current undergraduate students

Compensation:

This position is eligible for hourly compensation at the rate of $15 per hour.

Application Materials and Submission

Please submit the following to alicia.siddiqi@newpoliticsacademy.org with the subject line: [YOUR NAME] Development Intern Spring 2026 Application

● Resume

● Writing sample

• 1-2 pages of writing of your choice: it could be a sample of a paper you wrote, a template email you use for informational interview outreach, anything that shows us your writing.

New Politics Academy is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. New Politics Academy is committed to achieving a diverse workforce through application of its affirmative action, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy in all aspects of employment.