Summer 2027 Principal Gifts Intern

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.•New York, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

NRDC’s Development (Fundraising) Department is seeking a graduate intern to support ongoing projects and priorities for its Principal & Major Gifts Division. The intern reports to the Senior Donor Engagement Manager. The position is based in NRDC’s New York City office and follows a hybrid work model, with interns expected to work onsite three days per week. The intern will support donor engagement and operational projects, including meeting preparation, donor research, and database management. Work includes gathering materials and drafting engagement summaries for internal briefings, taking notes during internal discussions, tracking follow-ups, maintaining donor information in Salesforce and SharePoint, and leading a special project to clean up SharePoint and align it with Salesforce records. The intern will also conduct topline donor research, draft outreach emails and meeting follow-ups, and collaborate with the operations team to coordinate information flow across teams. Deliverables may include short donor profiles, engagement summaries, formatted templates for donor-facing and internal preparation materials, and a reorganized SharePoint system aligned with Salesforce. This is a paid, 10-week internship requiring 35 hours per week. The stipend is equivalent to $10,000, paid biweekly over the assignment. Three summer session date ranges are listed: May 24–July 30, 2027; June 7–August 13, 2027; and June 21–August 27, 2027. NRDC cannot offer summer relocation assistance. The incumbent will not qualify as an NRDC employee, fellow, volunteer, or independent contractor and is not guaranteed employment at the end of the internship.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in a graduate program.
Able to collaborate within a team.
Initiative, proactiveness, and creativity.
Research and/or data analysis skills.
Project management and/or problem-solving skills.
Strong attention to detail.
Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Salesforce or another CRM is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Support the Principal Gifts team with donor engagement and operational projects.
Prepare for meetings, gather materials, and draft engagement summaries for internal briefings.
Take notes during internal discussions and track follow-ups across donor engagement workflows.
Maintain donor information in Salesforce and SharePoint.
Lead a project to clean up SharePoint and align it with Salesforce records.
Conduct topline donor research and draft outreach emails and meeting follow-ups.
Collaborate with the operations team to coordinate information flow across teams.
Produce deliverables such as donor profiles, engagement summaries, formatted donor-facing and internal preparation templates, and an organized SharePoint system aligned with Salesforce.