Development Intern

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation’s first and largest organization dedicated to serving the 2.5 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, from their first day home to the rest of their lives. IAVA strives to build an empowered generation of veterans through programs in four key impact areas: Health, Education, Employment and Community.

• Health - IAVA makes it a priority to ensure that both mental and physical health needs are being effectively addressed in our community, and has provided support to over 20,000 returning veterans nationwide.
• Education - With nearly a million new veterans headed back to school under the New GI Bill, IAVA has provided over 500,000 with the tools and support needed to make informed decisions about their education.
• Employment - No veteran should come home from Iraq or Afghanistan to an unemployment check. To fight shockingly high joblessness rates, IAVA’s Combat to Career initiative helped over 270,000 veterans in their transition to civilian careers in 2011.
• Community - Less than 1% of the country served in Iraq and Afghanistan – a stark contrast to the 12% that served during WWII. Building community, both online and on the ground, is a critical factor in fulfilling IAVA’s mission, which means bridging geographical divides to create a united, supported and proud movement of new veterans

The Development Department is responsible and leads all fundraising for IAVA, raising revenue from individual donations, foundation grants, special events, corporate contributions and sponsorships, and earned income. The Development Intern will have a unique opportunity to gain experience in both sides of development – foundations and individual giving – and to work one-on-one with professional staff experienced in both fields. The Development Intern will report to the Development Director.

The Development Intern will:

Have the opportunity to learn about the fundraising process, from individual donors, institutional partners, major US foundations and major corporations.

Develop skills in researching prospective foundations and individual donors.

Learn how to, and assist in, the drafting of: proposals, reports, donor cultivation letters, thank you letters, and other donor communications.

Get hands on learning in the planning and production of fundraising events as well as assist with scheduling for development travel.

Learn critical fundraising, marketing and administrative skills applicable in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, while contributing to meaningful social change.

The Development Intern should possess:

Strong communication and organizational skills.

Exceptional writing and editing skills.

Personal qualities such as: sensitivity, flexibility, and a good sense of humor.

Computer and software knowledge, including MS Office. Experience in working with databases and mail merge will also be beneficial.

Salesforce experience is a plus.

To Apply: Please send a resume, cover letter, salary history and three professional references to [email protected], with “Salesforce Coordinator” in the subject line. Include a cover letter that concisely explains how your campaign experience could be applied to IAVA. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. No phone calls, please.

IAVA is an equal opportunity employer. VETERANS OF THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN CONFLICTS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.