Strategy & Special Projects Intern

Community Economic Defense Project • Denver, CO

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit launched in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project. Our mission is to partner with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth. We utilize a comprehensive approach involving legal, economic, and advocacy tools to challenge unjust systems. Our team serves over 1,000 people monthly, comprising housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy experts, organizers, and technologists. We have assisted over 68,000 low-income Coloradans across 54 counties, distributing more than $280 million in emergency assistance, and have influenced major legislation. CEDP's model has been recognized as a best practice by the White House and HUD. Building on our eviction prevention work, CEDP has expanded its integrated services to include disaster response, predatory towing, debt collection, benefit access, long-term rental assistance, and homelessness response, offering a continuum of care that includes navigation, legal support, and advocacy. The Strategy & Special Projects Intern will support CEDP in scaling emerging initiatives, making data-driven decisions, and raising funds for critical programming. This role will focus on short-term, high-impact analyses and business development projects, emphasizing program outcome measurement and the identification and implementation of new revenue opportunities. The intern will manage, plan, and execute key initiatives aligned with the organization's mission, potentially including building scorecards, drafting communications for new loan programs, or preparing federal grant applications. These projects will require analytical, technological, interpersonal, and presentation skills. The intern will collaborate closely with the leadership team, attend leadership meetings, and work with the CEO, VP of New Ventures, and VP of Program Operations on revenue opportunities, data analysis, and programs. The CEO and VP of New Ventures, with backgrounds in management consulting, are committed to the intern's professional development and maximizing their impact.

Requirements

• 2+ years professional experience in management consulting, BizOps, corporate strategy, or equivalent roles
• Be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program
• Be eligible to receive academic credit or participate in a school-sponsored internship program
• A background working with diverse communities and a diverse set of stakeholders
• Passion for social impact and mission-oriented work
• A bias towards building and a comfort with strengthening a minimum viable product
• Comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced, all-hands-on-deck environment
• Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills and facility with numbers and data
• Strong oral communications skills and the ability to influence leaders through logic, data, and presentation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage complex stakeholder environments
• Exceptional analytical ability in Excel and data science skills are a plus
• Proficiency and/or experience with CRMs such as HubSpot or Salesforce is preferred

Responsibilities

• Help scale new, innovative programs that focus on economic justice, housing, and community wealth-building for low-income and working people
• Build and execute on roadmaps for New Ventures initiatives, including proprietary software tools, contract services for government agencies, and lending activities
• Support administrative activities such as contract review, grant reporting, and other communication needs
• Facilitate fundraising efforts to finance the development and growth of New Ventures
• Author proposals, review contracts, assess pricing, and provide negotiation support for emerging opportunities
• Build pitch decks and demo materials for investors, funders, and external stakeholders
• Source new contracts and sales opportunities (e.g., government bids) and perform supporting analysis to shape pricing structures and other commercial terms
• Author drafts of grant applications, including research on the housing landscape, legal aid for renters, and the effectiveness of public human services programs
• Conduct market research to help us understand the fundraising ecosystem, target high-priority funders, and inform our organization’s development strategy
• Build data pipelines and dashboards to monitor key program metrics and outcomes (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthly call center performance dashboards)
• Perform analyses in service of strengthening fundraising narratives and compiling grant reports requested by funders
• Analyze the efficacy of CEDP’s work to measure short-term efficacy and longitudinal progress (e.g., housing stabilization after 12+ months) for our clients
• Support program, policy, and other internal analytics needs on an ad hoc basis
• Contribute directly to CEDP’s policymaking agenda by researching and drafting proposed bills related to eviction and foreclosure prevention
• Attend legislative sessions at the State Capitol and shadow CEDP courthouse clinics when opportunities are available

Benefits

• Unlimited growth potential within the organization
• The opportunity to step into a new organization six years after its founding and play a substantial role in its growth

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed