Grassroots.org

With the fall semester just beginning, I'm sure many students are seeking internships to accompany their studies. Grassroots.org has several fall internships built for those who either want experience in nonprofit work or would like to learn about technology, new media, or outreach and development. I know many of our nonprofit members know someone who would benefit from this opportunity, so help pass it along!

Grassroots.org is a creative and fast-paced environment, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on work. Read below to find out what opportunities are being offered this term.

To apply, please send an email with your resume and cover letter to jobs@grassroots.org. Place the internship you're applying for in the subject line.

Development Intern

Grassroots.org is seeking a dynamic and energetic intern to assist with fundraising and development.

Approximately 5-10 hours per week.
We are flexible on start and end dates.

Location: New York, New York

Internship Description:

He or she will provide support for the development department of Grassroots.org. Everyday tasks include foundation and grant research, donor outreach, updating the member and donor databases, assist with setup and execution of fundraising initiatives. The applicant should be in school and have a commitment to grassroots organizations. The position is open until filled. Please note that this is an unpaid position.

Requirements:

• Comfortable with Microsoft and Adobe programs (Word, Excel, Photoshop)
• Attention to detail
• Ability to troubleshoot ones own work
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Prefer to have own laptop computer

Outreach Intern

Grassroots.org is seeking a dynamic and energetic intern to assist with outreach.

Approximately 5-10 hours per week.
We are flexible on start and end dates.

Location: New York, New York

Internship Description:

He or she will provide support for the Program Manager and the Outreach Coordinator. Everyday tasks include client request management, volunteer-client coordination, Update member and volunteer databases, assist with setup and execution of outreach initiatives. The applicant should be in school and have a commitment to grassroots organizations. The position is open until filled. Please note that this is an unpaid position.

Requirements:

• Basic knowledge of HTML and/or Web Design fundamentals
• Comfortable with Microsoft and Adobe programs (Word, Excel, Photoshop)
• Attention to detail and the ability to troubleshoot ones own work
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Prefer to have own laptop computer

New Media Intern

Grassroots.org is seeking a dynamic and energetic intern to assist with new media development.

Approximately 5-10 hours per week.
We are flexible on start and end dates.

Location: New York, New York

Internship Description:

He or she will provide support for the New Media Coordinator. Everyday tasks include designing graphic materials, writing blogs and other articles or comments, monitoring and updating social networking sites, assisting with setup and execution of online-outreach initiatives, creating/editing content on Grassroots.org sites. The applicant should be in school and have a commitment to grassroots organizations. The position is open until filled. Please note that this is an unpaid position.

Requirements:

• Basic knowledge of HTML and/or Web Design fundamentals
• Comfortable with Microsoft and Adobe programs (Word, Excel, Photoshop)
• Attention to detail and the ability to troubleshoot ones own work
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Prefer to have own laptop computer

*Please be ready to show your portfolio

Technology Projects Intern

Location: New York, NY

This internship provides an opportunity to develop valuable technical skills and professional experience while working for positive social change. We are looking for someone with strong computer skills, a very strong interest and a passion to learn.
This internship will involve challenging opportunities, real technical projects, and interaction with staff. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the computer field.

Interns work a total of 5-10 hours per week. Grassroots.org is a fast-paced, supportive and creative work environment.

We are flexible on Start and End Dates

Projects may include, but will not be limited to:

• Assist with development of new online technology tools.
• Develop online content and support guides.
• Provide assistance with current nonprofit service

outreach.

• Assist in organizing and maintaining IT resources.
• Support current programs and resources.

I come bringing good news for Grassroots.org's nonprofit members: we have a new tool!

The new tool is a web builder, powered by Doodle Kit. I am pleased to say that it is very easy-to-use, and produces professional-looking content in no time. Like all our tools, the web builder is free to all Grassroots members.

Our web builder tool is a great option for members who would like to:

• create their own website
• get a website up immediately
• edit their own content

Being a newbie at Grassroots.org, I was asked to test out Doodle Kit's web builder simple plan a few weeks back. When asked if I had experience with a website builder, I cringed and reluctantly said yes, flashing back to a bad experience I had with another web builder a few years ago.

At the time, my ISP offered free personal website space with a "simple and helpful website builder", which turned out to be pretty simple, but extremely unhelpful. I spent a boatload of time attempting to figure out what each tool was for and how to tweak content boxes. There were no templates to work with (just background colors), limited text box locations that weren't design-friendly, limited fonts, colors and photos, and no Web 2.0 features (forums, widgets, blogs, RSS). The result? After hours of work, a pretty darn ugly site.

And so, as you might imagine, I was rather dubious of this new "great" web builder when Katie and Sura asked me to check it out. But as it turns out, this web builder is great! It's awesome! It makes me feel like I know how to design a website...which is no small feat for an English major.

The control panel is intuitive enough for intermediate users to learn some basic design or HTML skills and for advanced users to experiment with some technical editing. Being an intermediate user myself, I almost got carried away playing with the background and layout templates on my test site and picked up a few HTML tips too.

We are grateful and excited to have the opportunity to offer Doodle Kit's $14/mo simple plan to our members free of charge. The features in the plan certainly address the modern user's needs and interests. Effective technology minimizes the gap between new and experienced users without sacrificing quality. And personally, I don't like to get frustrated when I'm trying to do something creative; it messes up my flow! So check out the tool by signing up now!

After returning from a pretty intense Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) in preparation for my year of Americorps VISTA service, I am glad to say that I had really interesting conversations with most everyone. Usually, introductions at these events can be brief or too formal. But it was a relief to hear personal stories from everyone in Boston; I even had a chance to meet Laura, my fellow VISTA for the year! While at the orientation, I realized what interesting and diverse backgrounds we all come from, and how different our motivations to join non-profits were. So even though I have already introduced myself so many times in the past week, I shall do this one last time!

I always find that introductions sometimes takes a bit of self-reflection. As someone with a science background growing up, I never knew that I would become interested in non-profit work. But there were little hints looking back on my life that clued me in on what I was supposed to be doing. I was always reading or writing and enjoyed words and the arts much more than those in more technical fields. Becoming an English major was a huge risk but involved re-visiting my goals. My interest in web publishing came after I realized I could use the many hours I use reading Wikipedia and blogging in a more practical way. More often than not, you realize that much of what you have been doing all along is more applicable than what you are doing now! Who knew being a Googlemeister or an advocate for mental health would help me realize how much I love technology and non-profit work.

So as I begin my year-long relationship with Grassroots.org and my fellow VISTAs, I encourage a re-evaluation of your goals. It helps shift your focus if you need to, or renew old objectives. Whether you are considering how to create your organization's mission or thinking of how to maximize your capacity with our web tools, don't forget the things that have defined your purpose all along; you may have more ideas and options than you think!