The Athens Area Community Foundation helps passionate donors leave permanent legacies, serves as a well-informed grant-maker, and shapes effective responses to community needs through collaboration with local stakeholders. We are rooted in the trusted leadership and focus of community members committed to mobilizing resources for the greater good. Established in 2008, we have over a decade of remarkable development and growth. With more than $19 million in assets under our umbrella, we are focused on expanding our ability to serve as a public grantmaking foundation partnering with donors, nonprofits, and institutions to grow, preserve, and share philanthropic assets.

Position: Community Foundation Fellow Student Intern

Location: In-person in downtown Athens office location

Hours: Flexible; Recommended 15-20 hour per week minimum

Supervisor: Donor Services Manager

Application Window: We accept applications for Fall Fellowships through the end of February each year and for Spring Fellowships through the end of September each year.

 

Position Summary

The student intern will work to support the philanthropic and community-based goals and initiatives of the Athens Area Community Foundation, collaborating on projects and tasks related to the foundation’s grantmaking and community leadership.

 

Position Overview: Essential responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:

 

Signature Project(s):

• Each fellow will be assigned a signature project to complete with specific deliverables. These projects will be designed based on the needs of the community foundation as well as the interests of each student to provide a meaningful experience throughout the semester.
• Projects have included:
• Planning, coordinating, and communicating for our Nonprofit of the Year Award,
• Researching Impact Investing and Community Foundation partnerships, benchmarking other examples, and developing a one-pager and video presentation for the board of directors.
• Project management of special events for nonprofit partners, community foundation fundholders, and community stakeholders.
• Topical one-pagers researching local data and philanthropic suggestions to connect donors with local impact.
• Supporting grantmaking and grant cycles from the lens of the funder, learning key components of applications, rubrics, and evaluation methods.

 

Outreach and Communications:

• Engage in proactive and creative planning for messaging and branding.
• Support the management of social media accounts.
• Act as an ambassador for the community foundation, prepared to share about philanthropic initiatives and projects when asked.
• Join staff at one community or partner meeting per month (4 meetings per month), and attend one standing community meeting per month of your choice.

Research:

• Conduct research using timely, relevant, and reliable sources.
• Create reports and graphics after conducting literature reviews.

 

Data-Driven:

• Work with the Athens Wellbeing Project (AWP) team to gather relevant data points to be used for press releases, external communications, infographics, and grant activities.
• Assisting the AACF staff with the management of statistical data and creation of reports, presentations, and communications.

 

Other Responsibilities

• Attend staff, board and committee meetings as requested, prioritizing availability of Monday morning staff meetings each week.
• Partner with staff to create and execute project goals, working together to prioritize, plan and implement the key programs, policies and procedures that are vital to grant-making work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Students interested in this position should be:

• Curious about community development, grant work, and communications
• Value a collaborative spirit and an openness to diversity
• Flexible and adaptive to change, responding to actively updated requests
• Comfortable with working independently and with some autonomy
• Willing and quickly able to learn new programs, platforms, and skills as needed
• Able to pass a background check

 

Ideal Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree IP in relevant field (example: public health, communications)
• Interest and/or experience in project management, evaluation, delivery
• Openness and willingness to learn
• Proficient in Microsoft applications and Zoom
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to present to and effectively work with various stakeholders
• Social networking and communication software skills (examples: Canva, MailChimp, WordPress)

 

Benefits of Internship:

• We think we are fun and think you will have fun too.
• Opportunity to work hard, see results, and be a contributing member of our staff.
• Awesome addition to your resume when finished.
• Networking with local nonprofits, board members, and donors.
• Real work experience on community issues, ideas, wants, and needs.

Foundation Overview

 

Our Mission: The Athens Area Community Foundation helps passionate donors leave permanent legacies, serves as a well-informed grant-maker, and shapes effective responses to community needs through collaboration with local stakeholders.

 

Our Vision: We envision a community with sufficient philanthropic resources, harnessed to enhance civic engagement, a vibrant regional economy, a nimble workforce, effective schools, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, efficient public transportation, supportive services for the most vulnerable, strong cultural amenities, and environmental sustainability.

 

Our Why: We grow giving for the community you love.

 

Our History: We are rooted in the trusted leadership and focus of community members committed to mobilizing resources for the greater good. Established in 2008, we have over a decade of remarkable development and growth. With more than $35 million in assets under our umbrella, we are focused on expanding our ability to serve as a public grantmaking foundation partnering with donors, nonprofits, and institutions to grow, preserve, and share philanthropic assets.