Internships
FairVote's Internship Program
FairVote is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to make democracy fair, functional, and fully representative. We believe there are simple, common sense ways to strengthen our democracy and ensure all voices are heard, all views are respected, and every vote counts.
Our internship program is based in our Takoma Park, Maryland office, but because our staff are currently working remotely until the end of 2020, we are offering full-time remote, unpaid internships at this time.
We offer participants the opportunity to work on projects that advance reforms at the local, state, and national level. Interns build skills and learn through assignments and attending workshops and seminars. We also often have guest speakers in our office and organize field trips to relevant sites in Washington, D.C. such as Capitol Hill.
Our internships are substantive and interns' work is often featured in our educational, advocacy, and outreach activities. Our internships include the flexibility to work in a field the intern is most interested, be it research, activism, communications, administration, or design.
Internship Categories
Executive: Executive department interns will work with the CEO and executive assistant to support FairVote’s work on fundraising, thought leadership, and strategic engagement. Projects will include donor research, grant writing and reporting, endorsement campaigns, event planning, virtual house parties, writing assignments, and targeted research tasks. The interns will learn leadership skills relevant for running a nonprofit through joining meetings involving fundraising, management decisions, and coalition building.
Nonprofit Administration: Interns will assist office management in various administrative, financial, human resources, and technology management activities that support FairVote's work. Interns will be exposed to a diverse range of duties and responsibilities, which will vary considerably depending on the time of year and election cycles. Suitable backgrounds include accounting, business administration, management, and information technology.
Research: Interns will work closely with staff to provide research support. Tasks may include preparing original research, drafting reports, contributing to blogs, and analyzing election results. Interns should be current undergraduate or graduate students, or recent grads with a commitment to voting rights and electoral structural reform. Social sciences, research, and statistical analysis experience is highly preferred.
Outreach: Interns will work closely with staff on various outreach activities, such as assisting electoral reform advocates at the local, state, and national levels and online and grassroots organizing. Applicants should possess a commitment to electoral reforms and voting rights issues highlighted on the FairVote website. Strong communication skills and an outgoing personality are highly preferred.
Communications: Harnessing the power of social media, interns will assist in creating relevant and engaging written and visual content for FairVote and its allies. Interns will also collaborate on messaging campaigns and creative brainstorming sessions. Strong writing, research or multi-media production skills are required. Graphic design, journalism or video production experience is highly preferred.
*To apply for an internship in the communications department, please supply no more than three examples of written or multi-media work. 
Law and Policy: Interns will work closely with fellows and staff in performing research, writing legal memos, and assisting with statutory drafting and analysis. Suitable applicants will possess excellent research and writing skills, an interest in policy work, and a demonstrated commitment to voting rights and structural election reform.
Please note: applicants must have completed their 1L year.
Applicants with Special Skills: We occasionally offer stipends to interns with special skills, such as the demonstrated ability to film and edit short videos, work with online databases, design promotional materials and websites, and perform advanced statistical work. These interns will receive compensation based on experience, skills and need.
Applying
Applications for internships are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis. For non-summer internships, we encourage you to apply at any time, although our preference is December 1 for spring internships and August 20 for fall internships. For the highly competitive summer internship season, please apply by March 1, although we may review applications after that date.
Basic Qualifications:
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Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Docs
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Strong writing and analytical skills
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Ability to work in teams and be a self-starter
- Interest in electoral reforms studied and supported by FairVote.
Applications should consist of a cover letter, a resume, a writing sample (ideally no more than 5 pages) and reference names with contact information.
Email your application to hr@fairvote.org.
