Fundraising (refugees)
LOCATION
SCHEDULE OPTIONS
Semester availability
FallSpring
Summer
Service hours
MorningAfternoon
Evening
Weekend
Available days/hours
The student intern will be responsible for her or his own schedule and can manage time to include independent research and in-person meetings at the office. The student must be available for weekly meetings to be scheduled between the hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM M-F. The student should be reachable by phone and/or email while working on projects. There will be some weeks, depending on the tasks associated with the project where the intern will spend the majority of time in meetings at the office for collaboration.
REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS
- Knowledge of or interest in learning about grant writing and fund raising.
- Ability to research opportunities online that are eligible to LSS-SW Refugee and Immigration Services .
- Ability to connect with the community to learn about opportunities for funding and in-kind resources.
- Excellent attention to detail, written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as collaborate with a team.
- A self-motivated individual who is results driven and shows compassion and understanding for refugee populations. The student intern should have a high level of dependability and the ability to report regularly to appropriate staff.
CATEGORIES
FundraisingGovernment
Public Relations
Refugees
Social Services
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Refugee & Immigration Services
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Duties
The position of Fundraising Assistant will be responsible for researching fundraising and grant opportunities for the LSS-SW Adult Skill Building, Women's Empowerment and Child Services programs. The student intern will collaborate with the Adult Skill Builder and Church Sponsorship Developer in applying for appropriate funding opportunities and carrying out the requirements for respective opportunities. The fundraising Assistant will be required to work independently and regularly report to the staff through email and in-person meetings.
Population served
Lutheran Social Services Refugee and Immigration Services provides resettlement services to clients from countries that include: Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Cuba and more. LSS-SW Refugee and Immigration Services serves approximately 1,000 newly arrived refugees each year. The student intern will not work directly with clients but assist in securing funding to support refugee skill training to improve job skills, knowledge of American culture and the Phoenix community, children's literacy and cultural orientation as well as the Women's Empowerment program that provides leadership training and socialization to refugee clients.
Community need/impact
LSS-SW Refugee and Immigration Services requires financial support to maintain programs outside of federal government requirements. Recently some private grant funds that have regularly been available to support our programs have been cut. Consequently, to maintain funding for programs such as Adult Skill Building, Women's Empowerment and Child Services, additional funds must be secured. Financial support lends itself to purchasing curriculum supplies for classes that help clients to learn skills for employment, provide knowledge regarding health and nutrition, banking and budgeting finances, parenting and child safety, children's cultural orientation, English language learning and literacy, women's leadership and more. The student intern will dedicate her or his time to finding suitable funding opportunities and helping with the requirements for the application process.
Intern students will positively impact the clients served by assisting in securing funding that will continue to address their skill needs, which are beyond the scope of what refugee resettlement funding provides. Adults will receive skills training for employment and those that help with the process of settling in a new culture where there is no shared language. The need for socialization through classes under the Women's Leadership Program that help women learn how to help their communities will continue by providing activities and opportunities to engage with the community. Children will gain exposure to the English language through books and classes designed especially for their resettlement needs. Depending on the types of funding acquired, money can also be provided to refugees who can translate and instruct skill classes to supplement their income while providing a necessary connection to the language and culture of the clients served.
