Development Intern

HEARTSHARE HUMAN SERVICES OF NEW YORK•New York, NY

3h•$17 - $17•Hybrid

About The Position

For over 150 years, Heartshare has been championing dignity, and opportunity for New Yorkers society has too often overlooked and underestimated. We believe that every single New Yorker, no matter what their circumstance, deserves to be heard, respected, and supported in building a full and meaningful life. This belief guides everything we do across our programs, partnerships, and advocacy. Heartshare serves thousands of New Yorkers through two divisions: St. Vincent’s Family Services supports over 8,000 children, youth, and families dealing with trauma from family separation, poverty, and mental illness; Developmental Disability Services provides programs for 2,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Heartshare’s External Affairs team, including Development, Events, Communications, and Partnerships, raises the funds and awareness to sustain these programs. The Development Intern will join this team and help advance Heartshare’s mission to support the overlooked and underestimated people of New York. This hands-on internship is designed as a learning-focused introduction to nonprofit fundraising and external affairs and is suitable for undergraduate or graduate students. The role will primarily focus on prospect research and donor engagement, while also offering broad exposure to the day-to-day work of a development team Under the supervision of the VP of Development and External Affairs leadership, the intern will support a wide range of development activities, including researching potential donors and foundations, maintaining donor data, and assisting with donor communications and events. Through this work, the intern will gain exposure to the full donor lifecycle (often referred to as “moves management”), learning how prospects move from identification to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This is a hybrid internship (approximately 10–20 hours per week, flexible around academic schedules). Academic credit and/or a stipend may be available, depending on institutional requirements and organizational capacity.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED

Nice To Haves

Associate's degree or equivalent

Responsibilities

Conduct internet and database research on individuals, corporations, and foundations to identify potential funding prospects.
Use tools such as Candid’s Foundation Directory, iWave, LinkedIn, and other online resources.
Compile and synthesize background information (e.g., giving history, philanthropic interests, affiliations) into clear prospect profiles or summaries.
Learn how prospect research informs fundraising strategy, prioritization, and moves management.
Support prospecting for housing and supportive housing funding opportunities related to Heartshare’s 245 Clarkson Avenue development, including researching foundations, public-private initiatives, and philanthropic partners aligned with affordable housing, supportive housing, and homelessness prevention.
Update and maintain donor and prospect records in the database/CRM with accurate contact information, research findings, and interaction notes.
Track outreach and engagement activity (calls, emails, meetings) to support effective follow-up and stewardship.
Assist with drafting donor-facing materials, including thank-you letters, emails, newsletters, and talking points, under staff guidance.
Assist with donor communications at various stages of the donor journey, including acknowledgments, cultivation touchpoints, and stewardship follow-up. Through this work, the intern will learn how timely, personalized communication supports long-term donor relationships and retention.
Help personalize communications by incorporating program impact data and organizational storytelling.
Support planning and logistics for fundraising events and campaigns (e.g., preparing attendee lists, gathering sponsor information, organizing materials).
Assist with grant and proposal preparation by conducting background research, gathering data, and supporting draft materials as needed.
Gain exposure to current fundraising trends, including digital fundraising, monthly giving, and donor-advised funds.
Provide general administrative support to the External Affairs team, including scheduling meetings, preparing brief summaries or reports, and organizing files.
Serve as a flexible team member, ready to assist across development, communications, events, or partnerships as capacity is needed.