Marketing Intern

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary — Pickle 4 Paws

Wichita, KS • Ground-floor startup internship • Unpaid (college credit) + sponsor commission

Job Details

Help Us Build Wichita's Newest Community Tradition

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary is a nonprofit animal rescue on a simple mission: every celebration saves a life next door. Pickle 4 Paws is our brand-new community clubhouse in Wichita — a place for birthday parties, memberships, family events, and corporate gatherings where 100% of profits fund rescue: food, medical care, housing, transport, and second chances for the animals waiting for a home.

We're not looking for someone to market Pickle 4 Paws. We're looking for someone to help build it.

This Is a Startup — and You're Getting In Early

Pickle 4 Paws isn't an established program you're stepping into — it's a brand-new venture we're building from the ground up, and this internship puts you in on the ground floor. You won't just help run it. You'll help create it:

• Build a brand people in Wichita recognize and love.
• Build partnerships with schools, businesses, and community leaders.
• Build traditions families come back for year after year.
• Build recurring events that fill the calendar and the room.
• Build a business that funds rescue — and proves a model that can grow.

If "helping build something from nothing" excites you more than "joining something that already runs itself," you're our person.

Why This Role Exists

The Role

Think of this as a mission-driven growth role — part junior entrepreneur, part fundraiser, part community connector — who happens to do marketing. You will report to and work alongside our Marketing & Events Coordinator. And to be clear: we are not looking for someone to maintain an existing program. We're looking for someone excited to help build something new.

What You'll Do

• Grow revenue & secure sponsors: identify and approach local businesses as sponsors and corporate-event clients, and help sell memberships, parties, and events — this is where you can earn commission and directly fund rescue.
• Community outreach & partnerships: visit schools, PTOs, daycares, churches, pediatric offices, and local businesses to build partnerships and book tours.
• Lead response & follow-up: respond quickly to birthday, membership, and event inquiries, and follow every lead to a next step in our CRM — no lead left behind.
• Events support: help run birthday parties, Parents Night Out, and signature events — capture photos, gather reviews, and make return offers.
• Content & social media: create posts, flyers, reels, and simple graphics (Canva) that lead with people, animals, and joy.
• Reporting: keep the CRM current and send a one-page weekly update to the Coordinator.

What You'll Own

You won't simply market Pickle 4 Paws — you'll help build it. You'll have the opportunity to develop new community partnerships, launch new traditions, create memorable events, identify sponsorship opportunities, test creative marketing ideas, and help shape the future of Wichita's Community Clubhouse.

If you see a great idea, we want to hear it. If you can execute it, even better.

We Want Your Ideas

We don't expect you to simply execute someone else's vision. If you discover a better event, a stronger partnership, a creative marketing campaign, or a new way to serve the community, we want to hear it. Innovation is encouraged.

We Are Not Looking for Average

We are not looking for someone who wants to complete assignments. We're looking for:

• Someone who sees opportunities everywhere.
• Someone who walks into a room and naturally starts conversations.
• Someone who isn't intimidated by business owners, community leaders, sponsors, or decision makers.
• Someone who gets excited by turning ideas into reality.
• Someone who believes fundraising is simply connecting people to a mission worth supporting.
• Someone who wants to make a measurable impact — not just gain experience.

The Right Person Will...

• Start conversations with strangers.
• Follow up relentlessly.
• Ask for meetings, sponsorships, referrals, and partnerships.
• Keep going after hearing "no" — because the next "yes" is coming.

This Role Is Probably for You If...

• You introduce yourself before someone introduces you.
• You'd rather meet people than sit behind a computer all day.
• You naturally see opportunities where others see obstacles.
• You enjoy creating something from nothing.
• You get excited when someone says, "That's a great idea."
• You aren't afraid to hear "no," because you know the next "yes" is coming.
• You leave places better than you found them.

Helpful to Have (We'll Teach the Rest)

• Interest in marketing, sales, events, nonprofit, or business (current students welcome; college credit available).
• Comfort with social media and basic design tools like Canva.
• A love of animals, kids, and community — and belief in the mission.
• Reliable transportation for community outreach around Wichita.

What Success Looks Like

The role is also measurable by design. In six months, a successful intern will have helped:

• Grow memberships toward our community goal
• Book birthday parties and fill signature events
• Secure corporate sponsors and corporate-event clients
• Build community partnerships across Wichita
• Increase Google reviews and email subscribers
• Generate meaningful revenue that directly supports rescue operations

You'll always know how you're doing — we track these numbers together, and your wins are the animals' wins.

You Won't Build This Alone

You will never be expected to build this alone. As the program grows, volunteers, interns, instructors, community partners, and additional staff will help expand the vision. We believe in building teams, not expecting superheroes.

Compensation

This is an unpaid, for-credit internship designed to build your portfolio and experience. The real earning opportunity is commission on every corporate sponsorship or corporate-event deal you bring in and help close — paid on the first-year value the sponsor actually pays.

Commission is earned on sponsors you personally source, once their payment clears; in-kind sponsorships are calculated at half the cash rate. Final commission terms are confirmed in a short written agreement. This is the part of the role with no ceiling — the more value you create for the animals, the more you earn.

An Internship for Future Leaders

We are looking for someone who wants to grow with us. This is a foot in the door, not a coffee-runner role. Top performers may have opportunities to move into paid marketing, events, partnerships, sponsorship, business development, or leadership roles as Pickle 4 Paws expands. If you're building a career, this is a place to prove what you can do — and grow into it.

How to Apply

Apply directly, or email your resume and a short note about why you'd be great for this role to

info@alwaysandfurever.org

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary is an equal opportunity organization. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds.