Internships
Internship, Mentorship and Volunteers Program
FairVote seeks highly motivated individuals, including undergraduate and graduate students, and graduates of all disciplines for full-time (up to 40 hours/week) and part-time (minimum of 15-24 hours/week) internships (paid), mentorships (unpaid), and volunteer opportunities in the following areas:
- Communications
- Research
- Fundraising and Development
- Government Affairs
- Partnership and Outreach
- General Administration (Operations and Executive Support)
Interns and mentees are matched to FairVote's available opportunities based on the student's school requirements, skills, knowledge and abilities, and career interests. We will share a form with all applicants where they can share their interests and goals.
Volunteers of all ages with particular talents in these areas are invited to let us know of your interest in supporting our work.
Bringing diverse perspectives to electoral reforms
To expand the diversity of voices that speak with authority in electoral reforms, our internship, mentorship and volunteer programs promote the representation of diverse communities. Our program supports motivated individuals, candidates' career development, and responsiveness to candidates from underrepresented communities in the electoral reforms space – with a passion for and demonstrated interest in public policies, promotion of fairer elections, and better government. We also are eager to have participants bringing a full range of political networks into our work.
Location
Due to COVID 19, most FairVote interns and mentees will work remotely until further notice. Work hours are generally expected to be during core Eastern time business hours.
Internship & Mentorship Program Description
Our internship Program provides a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theories learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships allow students and early career graduates to gain valuable, applied experience and make connections in professional fields they consider for career paths.
We currently have four internship opportunities, all named after leaders from FairVote's history:
- Lani Guinier Law and Civil Rights Internship: Focus on legal & civil rights aspects of FairVote reforms. The trailblazing law professor and civil rights attorney Lani Guinier was a long-time backer of FairVote's work and leading voice for changing winner-take-all elections.
- Dolores Huerta Social Justice Internship: Focus on campus & state organizing & campaigns. The famed union organizer Dolores Huerta was a board member of FairVote and remains a supporter of our reform vision.
- John Anderson Voter Choice Internship: Focus on outreach and/or writing on FairVote reforms & expanding ballot options. Former Congressman and independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson co-founded FairVote and was our board chair for many years.
- Wilma Rule Scholar Internship: Focus on research & analysis on FairVote reforms. Professor Wilma Rule served on FairVote's board and wrote a series of groundbreaking scholarly and general audience articles about the central role of fair electoral systems in creating opportunities for women to win, serve and lead in elected office.
Interns are assigned to a supervisor and specific program area with a defined job description outlining performance expectations and key deliverables, including coaching, and post-internship evaluations.
Compensation and Benefit
- Undergraduate students will receive $18.00 per hour .
- Students with a bachelor's degree receive $19.00 per hour.
- Graduate students receive up to $20 per hour depending on progress towards completing degree requirements, relevant coursework, and research.
Mentorship Opportunities
FairVote provides options for mentorships as an extension to our paid internship program. The mentorship program's primary purpose is to expand the opportunity for interested students and young professionals to acquire new experiences applying their knowledge and skills in a professional setting. Participant selection and placement follow a carefully developed and monitored mentorship project plan based on FairVote's opportunity and the mentee's career interest, educational program, and skillset.
Each mentee is matched to an internal FairVote mentor, whose primary role is to supervise and coach. Even if the mentee rotates through various departments to gain broad-based experience, there will be a single overall mentor overseeing the mentorship as a whole. Mentors are selected based on subject-matter-expertise, interest, time available, and patience. The mentorship may also be part of an educational program where students can earn academic credits from their college.
Schedule, Application Deadlines & How to Apply
FairVote accepts intern and mentorship applications on a rolling basis and sometimes does take on participants outside of the three main internship periods identified below. Applications for all paid internships and most mentorships will follow the schedule below. Students taking gap years or recent graduates may explore an internship or mentorship over more than one time period.
Summer 2022
Application deadline: March 15, 2022
Summer 2022 internship start date: June 1, 2022
Ends-August 2022
Fall 2022
Application deadline: July 1, 2022
Fall 2022 internship start date: September 6, 2022
Ends Mid-December 2022
Spring 2023
Application deadline: November 1, 2023
Spring 2023 internship start date: January 3, 2023
Ends May 2023
Summer 2023
Application deadline: March 15, 2023
Summer 2023 internship start date: June 1, 2023
Ends-August 2023
Click here to apply.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in helping further FairVote’s mission to advance democracy through electoral reforms, we would like to hear from you. We match volunteer’s interests and skillset(s) with available projects or initiatives. Please contact [email protected]
