Development & Impact Fundraising Engagement Intern

WHO WE ARE| ORGANIZATION & PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) is a pre-eminent member organization for the development of global leaders. Comprised of more than 800 current and former corporate diverse CEOs, board members and senior executives at Fortune 1000 & Global 500 companies, entrepreneurs leading top-tier firms, and recognized thought leaders, we open channels of opportunity for the development of executives to positively impact business and communities.

We are working to create an organization where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combine to further our mission of inclusive leadership. The ELC's ENVISION program does just that, by combining hands-on mentorship, professional development, and real-world projects to help launch your career and gain professional experience as a fundraising & non-profit development professional. The Development & Impact Fundraising Engagement Intern will assist the Development & Impact team in developing, coordinating, and executing high-impact initiatives, strategies, and events. Our ENVISION internship program is 10-weeks of programming where you will receive full-time, On-the-Job training & education (OTJTE) that will prepare you to be real-world professionals. This internship provides an excellent opportunity to learn essential in fundraising & non-profit leadership.

We are currently seeking a detail-oriented Development & Impact Fundraising Engagement Intern to join the team in our Washington, DC office for Summer of 2026. The internship requires the ability to work up to 40 hours per week, at minimum 32 hours per week during the summer with 5 hours per week devoted to professional development with opportunities for shadowing, mentoring, and training with successful professionals within the space. The internship will commence on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 and runs until Friday, August 7th, 2026. This position will report to the Chief Development & Impact Officer in a hybrid environment requiring you to come into the DC office at least 2 days per week, the rest being remote.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN | POSITION OVERVIEW

The Development & Impact Fundraising Engagement Intern will support the development & impact team with a focus on fundraising & development initiatives. This role helps advance ELC's mission by strengthening how we engage members, corporate sponsors, and individuals in terms of our fundraising strategies, deepening our partnerships, fostering relationships, and generating essential fundraising support for the ELC's mission and vision. The intern will contribute to strategic prospecting efforts by researching potential corporate partners, analyzing industry trends and supporting data‑driven decision‑making by reviewing insights to identify strategic contacts within priority companies and individual donors. This internship is ideal for someone who is curious about the intersection of corporate partnerships, nonprofit fundraising, and stakeholder engagement.

In this role, the intern will conduct prospect research for both development & philanthropy, identifying companies that align with ELC's priorities and meet key characteristics of strong potential partners. They will build a shared prospect list that will inform outreach strategies for the upcoming fiscal year and beyond. The intern will also complete a landscape analysis to identify trends in how companies are engaging other environmental NGOs and non-profits to help inform our strategy and approach with a goal of enhancing ELC's work.

Additionally, the intern will support data‑driven strategy development by creating & analyzing ELC's dashboards to surface strategic contacts within priority companies and individuals. These insights will help identify individuals who could champion new giving campaigns and other engagement opportunities. These projects will have opportunities to support day-to-day partnership management and assist with other initiatives that arise throughout the duration of the internship.

Tasks range from donor screenings and prospect research to drafting content for our online community. Interns will gain experience in nonprofit organizational management and fundraising, assist in planning events and trainings, and research current trends in fundraising and donor management, which may include drafting newsletters and learning resources for the Development & Impact team and network, scheduling and assisting in facilitating stakeholder meetings, updating initiative tracking, and other tasks related to keeping initiatives running smoothly.

The ideal candidate should be organized, have excellent written and spoken communication skills, attention to detail, ability to meet tight deadlines, and an affinity for ELC's mission.

Learning Outcomes

• Familiarity with Corporate Philanthropic Topics: You will gain exposure to the corporate philanthropic landscape, with a particular focus on donor and sponsor engagement strategies used across the private sector.
• Analytic Research Skills: You will strengthen their research and analytical abilities by producing comprehensive outputs such as prospect lists, portfolio analyses, and industry landscape mappings that inform team strategy.
• Quantifying Impact Metrics: You will learn how to translate qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights and recommendations that support the development of reportable impact metrics across partnerships.
• New Business Development Experience: You will gain visibility into ELC's partnership development process by supporting industry research and contributing to partner‑facing materials, including outreach language and proposal content.
• Business Analysis: The intern will build analytical and problem-solving skills by reviewing data, identifying trends, and helping translate information into insights and recommendations that support decision-making and business goals.
• Stakeholder Management & Coordination: You will how to effectively engage and build collaboration through coordination skills by working cross-functionally, managing follow-ups, and supporting stakeholder communication in a professional and responsive manner, both internal and external.
• Project Support & Execution: You will gain hands-on experience in project coordination and execution by supporting day-to-day team initiatives & task, timelines, deliverables, and workflows that advance team priorities, operational tasks, and organizational goals.
• Advocating for ELC's Mission: The intern will develop a deeper understanding of how ELC communicates and advances its priorities through corporate partnerships & individual gifting that engage in meaningful action.

WHAT YOU WILL DO | ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS & KEY OUTCOMES

Our interns are encouraged to bring fresh ideas to the table and are quickly entrusted with foundational responsibilities such as:

Stewardship, Communications & Donor Experience

• Enhance efficiency, storytelling, and research, and approach both stewardship and pipeline development with curiosity, ownership, and initiative.
• Function as a collaborative and supportive member of the Development team in the implementation of team- and agency-wide goals.
• Assist with the planning, thematic, and logistical aspects of the annual, capital, and legacy campaigns.
• Support stewardship campaigns and "big idea" engagement strategies throughout the program.
• Draft proposals, documentation of commitments, and other communications in partnership with the Chief Development Officer, as needed.
• Produce high-quality donor communications and stewardship materials (impact updates, acknowledgements, briefing memos, etc.)
• Support integrated, collaborative development activity that maximizes fundraising results.

Donor & Sponsorship Pipeline Development

• Conduct proactive prospect research and qualification of members, new donors, and corporate sponsor opportunities; identify alignment, assess fit, and recommend next steps for cultivation
• Continuously monitor funder news and trends, and share insights with the team to strengthen funder engagement
• Regularly analyze program data (with support from the Data & Finance team) to identify funder-relevant insights that strengthen reporting, stewardship, and strategic positioning.
• Support the recruitment of corporate and community partners and steward relationships with these constituents that will encourage giving and support the ELC's mission.
• Collaborate with the Development Team to identify partnership opportunities that enhance revenue.

Data Management & Project Administration

• Organize project plans and tasks utilizing project management tools (i.e. Asana, Monday.com, or equivalent tools) to monitor progress against KPIs and assist in preparing status reports for executive review
• Assist the department head and project & program managers in organizing and coordinating various project, initiatives, and programs while monitoring and maintaining detailed project plans to track progress, milestones, and deliverables
• Maintain accurate donor records, and support continuous improvement of tracking and reporting systems
• Responsible for administrative duties such as data entry, donor communications and scheduling meetings
• Organize post-donor/sponsorship meetings and communicate funder data requirements internally
• Monitor progress toward funder deliverables and flag risks early to internal teams when appropriate
• Help centralize and clarify communications to ensure alignment among internal teams

General Duties

• Contribute to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adhere to department policies, procedures, quality standards, and safety standards.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced office environment, demonstrating a flexible approach with short deadlines.
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality improvement.
• Ability to maintain high project organization, multitask, and a focus on quality of results with attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Support a seamless information sharing workflow within the Development & Impact Department and the overall organization.
• Perform other duties as needed.

WHO YOU ARE | EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS

• Must be a Undergraduate Senior, Graduate student or Recent Graduate enrolled in an accredited College or University with a GPA of 3.00 or above. The student should be pursuing/have pursued a degree in Business Administration, Communications, Non-Profit Leadership or a relevant academic field. Graduate Students are preferred.
• Prior professional or internship experience in business development, communications, fundraising, and/or nonprofits are preferred.
• Must be willing to commit at least 32 hours per week during business hours for the 10-week program. Work schedules can be flexed to accommodate classwork and other academic commitments.
• Must be available to work on-site at our downtown D.C. office 2x per week at minimum.
• Passionate about non-profit leadership, fundraising, and organizational growth.
• Proficiency with Excel and other programs in Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint). Experience with CRM databases is strongly preferred, but not required.
• Proficiency with Project Management tools such as Asana, Microsoft Project, Monday.com, Trello, etc.
• Demonstrates initiative, motivation, and solution-oriented mindset who is resourceful and organized.
• Ability to effectively interact with various levels of leadership is necessary.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a professional demeanor and strong editorial & narrative judgment and grammar.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks across multiple projects while navigating constantly changing priorities.
• Ability to make decisions and resolve problems effectively - seek out information and data to evaluate, prioritize, and formulate the best solution or practice.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision with strong follow-through and follow-up.
• Comfortable working with data and translating it into compelling insights.
• Strong analytical mindset that is data and deadline driven, with attention to detail.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively within a hybrid team environment with a variety of personalities and work styles.
• Comfort working in a startup-like environment (i.e. ability to work well under pressure) where it is fast-pace and roles ever evolving and able to embrace the learning process through mistakes.
• Ability to craft persuasive narratives grounded in quantitative and qualitative data.
• Ability to demonstrate professional, positive, and approachable attitude, and discretion, and sensitivity in handling confidential and highly sensitive information.
• Shows a profound desire for continuous learning and improvement.

Even if you don't meet all of the highlighted qualifications, please still apply. This internship is here for you to learn and grow within a professional setting as well as preparing you to take that next step into your career.

WHAT WE STRIVE FOR | CORE COMPETENCIES

• Mission Alignment & Awareness: Has a passion for and commitment to opening channels of opportunity for the development of Black professionals to positively impact business and local communities; contributes to the organization by understanding and aligning actions with the organization's goals, core functions, and values.

• Planning & Results Orientation: Organizes and executes work to meet organizational goals and objectives while meeting quality standards and following organizational processes; ensures individual performance does not negatively impact the performance of others; recommends additional resources that would improve effectiveness and helps others access required resources; identifies opportunities to improve work processes and efficiency; contributes to setting work priorities and direction; identifies in advance when intended results may not be achieved; takes initiative; is not satisfied with the status quo.

• Teamwork & Collaboration: Works well cross functionally and with others on the team to achieve personal goals, team goals, and organizational goals; takes responsibility for individual actions in order to achieve consistent results; fosters team camaraderie, collaboration, and cohesion; understands the impact of one's actions on the ability of their team members to do their jobs; respects the differences other team members bring to the table by openly seeking others' opinions; makes suggestions to improve team engagement and effectiveness; supports implementation of team decisions; professionally gives and seeks feedback in order to achieve common goals.

• Problem Solving & Decision-Making: Identifies problems and uses logical analysis to find information, understand causes, and evaluate and select best possible courses of action; seeks information and input to fully understand the cause of problems; takes action to remove obstacles and address problems before they impact performance and results; initiates the evaluation of possible solutions to problems; assesses risks before making a decision; does not take unnecessary risks; effectively navigates through ambiguity, using multiple data points to analyze issues and identify trends.

• Creativity & Innovation: Thinks beyond the confines of traditional models to recognize opportunities and find new and better ways of doing things; questions common practice and contributes to improvement of processes and outputs; proposes novel ideas; utilizes appropriate brainstorming techniques to generate ideas; researches current thinking and shares ideas; explores different alternatives that would achieve a similar output, with the goal of achieving process simplification or efficiencies.

• Resilience & Managing Uncertainty: Adjusts thinking and behavior in order to adapt to changes in the job and work environment with limited stress; is able to work effectively in an unstructured environment; actively promotes and advocates the advantages of changes when new and credible information emerges; acknowledges uncertainty and shares constructive coping strategies with team members.

• Communication & Interpersonal Effectiveness: Effectively and appropriately interacts and communicates with others to build positive, constructive, professional relationships; tailors communication style and messages based on the audience; seeks to understand others' points of view, observes verbal and non-verbal cues to encourage open and honest discussions; uses clear, precise, and error-free language; invites and encourages others to participate in discussions; identifies and helps to resolve interpersonal conflict between team members; does not jump to conclusions or act on assumptions.

• Customer Focus: Identifies, considers, prioritizes, and takes action on the needs of both internal and external customers; uses knowledge about the customer to inform decision making and problem solving; strives to provide additional value to the customer experience; actively solicits internal and customer feedback in order to improve the relationship; suggests ways to improve the customer experience.

• Technology:Proficient with Microsoft productivity suite, project management software, Learning & Development software, and other functional software relevant to area of responsibility.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Work is performed in an interior office setting which has no adverse environmental conditions expected.
• Hybrid Role requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in office with travel up to 10% of the time in the field and/or for meetings, trainings, or organizational events based on organizational needs.
• Work involves frequently sitting for extended periods of time, frequently talking or hearing, frequently operating a computer, and occasional light physical effort (lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, etc.) objects weighing up to 25 lbs.
• Work requires frequent ability to comprehend direction and adhere to policies or established procedures, ability to use logic to make sound decisions, ability to interpret and analyze data, ability to gather and organize information for a wide variety of audiences, ability to read and write a variety of materials, and ability to adapt well in the face of workplace stress.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

Please note that at this time, The Executive Leadership Council does not provide financial sponsorship for visas or work permits. You must have documentation of work authorization for the U.S. AND a U.S. Social Security number, as of the start date of the internship, to be employed with the organization.

The Executive Leadership Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on an individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as defined by federal, state, and local law