Digital & Design Internship Spring 2026

Foundation for Defense of Democracies • Washington, DC

83d

About The Position

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a nonpartisan policy institute dedicated exclusively to promoting pluralism, defending democratic values, and fighting the ideologies that threaten democracy. The organization was founded shortly after 9/11 by a group of visionary philanthropists and policymakers to engage in the worldwide war of ideas and to support the defense of democratic societies under assault by terrorism and militant Islamism. FDD combines policy research, investigative journalism, strategic communications, and democracy and counterterrorism education. Based in downtown Washington, D.C., the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has a number of internship opportunities available. All FDD interns will have the opportunity to participate in a twice-monthly speaker series, which brings high-level DC officials and senior staff members to engage with interns in an intimate setting. FDD interns will be encouraged to build on their academic skills by working closely with senior staff. FDD is also happy to assist students who wish to earn academic credit for this internship. All internships are unpaid. FDD will move forward with both hybrid and remote internship options for the spring 2026 semester. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is recommended that interested candidates submit applications early. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Requirements

• Must have at least a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
• Relevant course of study completed in fields such as Digital Design, Marketing, Branding, International Relations, Security Studies, History, Communications, Journalism, International Economics, Political Science, Computer Science, or a relevant STEM field.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
• Must be able to commit to a minimum of 22 hours per week, remote or in-office.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Previous knowledge and skills in Adobe Premiere, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, and Canva.
• An interest or background in international affairs.

Responsibilities

• Assist with digital content, graphic design, and social media.
• Support the design of FDD-branded materials across digital/print platforms.
• Edit videos, create graphics, and help prepare multimedia content for online distribution.

Benefits

• Opportunity to participate in a twice-monthly speaker series with high-level DC officials and senior staff members.
• Assistance in earning academic credit for the internship.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees