This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, the founder and director of Learning Life shares his experiences developing an internship program, including the way he manages his Summer 2020 interns remotely in the wake of COVID-19. We also talk about how to make internships fair for both parties, especially if you want to open up your internship to candidates who don’t have the luxury of being able to afford to take a full-time unpaid position.
What to Consider as You Develop a Nonprofit Internship Program
You may have heard about the benefits of hosting nonprofit interns (who are either paid or unpaid), including:
Having a dedicated person committed to providing consistent support for your organization, as opposed to relying on piecemeal work from volunteers
Affordability, especially compared to full-time or even part-time employment options
New energy and motivation, especially from students who are eager to practice skills in the real world that they’re learning about in school
However, internship programs can end up being more trouble than they’re worth if you don’t take the time to consider some important questions first.
1. Do you need to pay your interns?
There are a few popular myths that circulate about nonprofit interns. One is that your nonprofit is likely to get sued if you host an unpaid internship, because the interns could claim they didn’t receive compensation for their work. In reality, internship-related lawsuits are not common when organizations craft meaningful, enriching educational programs. Some important elements of a truly educational internship include:
Recruitment of students who receive course credit for completing your internship.
Cooperation between nonprofit leaders and students’ educators to provide evidence of learning in your internship.
A detailed outline of key concepts and skills interns will learn/practice throughout the program, along with accountability measures to ensure these opportunities aren’t accidentally pushed to the back burner.
Clear communication during the recruitment process about expectations for both parties.
At the completion of the program, interns have deliverables they can include in their portfolio or describe on their resume as evidence of the skills they’ve learned.
Important Note: Depending on where you operate and where your interns are located, you may be legally obligated to pay them! Consult with a local, experienced nonprofit attorney in each state where your interns are located to learn about relevant regulations of internships.
2. Are unpaid nonprofit internships ethical?
Another popular myth about unpaid internships is that they are inherently fair to interns as long as they provide meaningful education. Unfortunately, this belief just isn’t true.
While some unpaid internships are fair and ethical to students, other programs can perpetuate the cycle of generational poverty by shutting out potential applicants who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Students from low-income households often can’t afford to become unpaid interns because they may already struggle to balance schoolwork, student loans, family obligations, and more. They simply may not have extra time in their lives to work for free when they need to pay for their own education and cost of living.
I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions to determine whether an unpaid internship through your organization is ethical:
Where are you located? What are the demographics and needs of your surrounding community?
What is your mission? Would an unpaid internship program align with this mission, or would it potentially work against your stated values?
How many hours of work would you require from unpaid interns?
What challenges might prevent someone from being able to take your unpaid intern position? How should your nonprofit respond to those challenges to promote equitable opportunities for everyone?
How can you provide real educational value for unpaid interns as they work on impactful projects at your organization?
Does your paid staff and/or board members actually have the time and motivation to invest in unpaid interns to ensure they receive the educational value you promise?
3. How will your nonprofit plan to pay interns in the future, if you can’t afford to do so now?
Some nonprofits realistically cannot afford to host paid interns right now, and your organization may fall into that category. However, if your organization plans to be sustainable in the long-term and values the work of its team members, you should have a plan to pay interns a fair wage in the future (even if they continue to receive course credit for their work).
If your nonprofit leaders believe you will never be able to pay interns, or should never need to pay interns, this is a sign of far deeper organizational issues that need to be addressed.
Why would you never be able to pay interns? This would be a sign of ineffective leadership, strategy, and fundraising.
Why would you never need to pay interns? This would be a sign that your leaders do not believe interns’ work is valuable enough to have earned payment. If this is actually the case, the internship program should probably be discontinued or completely reworked to ensure all interns are producing valuable, meaningful work.
Ask yourself:
When will your nonprofit be able to pay interns for their work (i.e., what is your goal for when you will begin to pay interns)?
How should you adjust your budget and fundraising goals to meet this deadline?
How will you hold yourself accountable for working toward this deadline?
4. How can you recruit interns while prioritizing equity?
Here are some tips for developing equitable internship recruiting practices:
Consider remote internship possibilities which could accommodate students who have lots of other obligations to juggle. Then think about the types of people who need remote internship opportunities, and where you can find and recruit them.
Partner with local higher education institutions to recruit students who are specifically studying subjects which align with your mission. Don’t forget about historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), trade schools, alternative education and certificate programs, and other institutions which offer non-traditional programs. These institutions are more likely to serve underrepresented student populations, such as students of color or students from low-income households.
Research local programs which help connect young people with job opportunities. For example, your mayor’s office may host an initiative to help high schoolers and recent high school grads find work, or another local nonprofit may host a job training program serving underserved populations.
Research local organizations which serve traditionally underserved populations. For example, nonprofits which serve people with disabilities, homeless people, foster kids, former inmates, and other populations may be interested in partnering with you to promote your internships among the people they serve.
Ask your formal and informal connections to help spread the word about your internship opportunities through email, LinkedIn, and other channels that make sense. Specifically think about contacts who have a network that extends well beyond yours with populations you may not otherwise be able to reach.
Announce your internship opportunities beginning at least several months before the positions need to be filled so everyone has a chance to plan ahead, including your recruiting partners, as well as prospective candidates who may need time to wrap up other responsibilities before they can apply.
Get Professional Help Deciding Your Next Steps
Do you need more help deciding which direction to go with your marketing and fundraising plans? Schedule a free initial consultation call to chat with me about your challenges. I would love to help you figure out the best next steps to take to promote your organization and mission. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the Nonprofit Jenni Show for free so you won’t miss any new episodes about nonprofit management, marketing, and development!
Also, I want to thank Little Green Light for sponsoring this episode! Little Green Light is my favorite donor management system because it was built by nonprofit development professionals who know what features and metrics nonprofits really need for their fundraising and relationship building. LGL is also extremely affordable for small nonprofits and offers free fundraising resources for my podcast listeners! Visit www.littlegreenlight.com/jenni for free ebooks like “How to Retain Donors After Your Giving Day”, “Six Steps to a Successful Appeal”, and more.