Intern – Advocacy & Government Affairs

North Texas Food Bank•Plano, TX

15h

About The Position

The Advocacy Intern supports the North Texas Food Bank’s public policy priorities, relationships with community partners and public officials, and advocate engagement. This part-time internship offers hands-on experience in policy research, legislative tracking, advocacy communications, coalition engagement, and event coordination. The intern collaborates with the Government Relations Officer and gains practical experience in nonprofit advocacy, government relations, and the legislative process. The role includes outreach, drafting and editing advocacy materials, coordinating events and meetings, maintaining stakeholder information and advocacy resources, creating digital and social media content, and providing administrative and project support. The intern also has opportunities to develop practical skills, build a portfolio, receive mentorship and feedback, and participate in professional development activities. The position involves adapting to competing priorities, deadlines, sensitive information, and interactions with varied stakeholders. The work environment is described as a business office with moderate noise. Telecommuting may be permitted at the supervisor’s discretion. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requirements

Be a current undergraduate or graduate student, recent graduate, or have equivalent education or experience in public policy, political science, nonprofit management, social work, public administration, or a related field.
Demonstrate interest in advocacy, public policy, civic engagement, government relations, or the organization’s mission.
Have strong research, writing, editing, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
Be able to explain complex information clearly and concisely to varied audiences.
Have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
Be able to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate effectively with diverse populations and teams.
Use professional judgment when handling sensitive or confidential information.
Be proficient with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with JotForm and Canva.

Responsibilities

Support outreach to advocates, coalition partners, community organizations, and public officials.
Draft and edit policy briefs, fact sheets, talking points, advocacy alerts, presentations, letters, and other materials.
Assist with planning advocacy events, legislative visits, briefings, trainings, and community engagement activities.
Prepare meeting materials, capture notes, document action items, and support timely follow-up.
Maintain contact lists, stakeholder records, shared files, and other advocacy resources.
Help create digital and social media content that encourages civic participation and advances advocacy campaigns.
Attend relevant meetings, hearings, webinars, and coalition calls as assigned.
Provide administrative and project support to the Advocacy and Government Relations team.
Perform other tasks and duties as assigned.