Grants Intern (Volunteer)

Grants Intern (Volunteer)

PromiseGiving | Grants, Institutional Giving & Fundraising Operations

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseGiving

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Internship Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Director of Grants & Institutional Giving

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a NYC-based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

Funding plays a vital role in helping MAP expand programs, develop new initiatives, strengthen services, and increase opportunities for children and families experiencing housing instability.

About PromiseFinance

PromiseFinance is MAP's finance, grants, fundraising strategy, institutional giving, and organizational sustainability division.

The division works to secure and steward resources that support mission growth, program innovation, organizational excellence, and long-term sustainability.

Role Overview

The Grants Intern serves as a learning-focused member of MAP's grants and institutional giving team.

This role provides hands-on exposure to the full grant lifecycle, helping interns gain experience in grant research, funding prospecting, proposal development, grants administration, deadline management, and institutional fundraising operations.

Working closely with grants leadership and team members, the Grants Intern develops practical nonprofit fundraising skills while contributing to efforts that help secure resources supporting children and families experiencing housing instability.

This role is ideal for students, emerging professionals, career changers, and individuals interested in nonprofit development, philanthropy, public policy, fundraising, communications, or social impact work.

Key Responsibilities

Prospect Research

• Research grant opportunities at the city, state, federal, corporate, and foundation levels
• Identify funding opportunities aligned with MAP's mission and programs
• Monitor funding announcements and grant databases
• Assist with prospect tracking and pipeline development
• Support institutional giving research initiatives

Proposal Development Support

• Assist in drafting, editing, and organizing grant proposal materials
• Support development of letters of inquiry and application documents
• Help compile organizational information and supporting materials
• Review funding guidelines and application requirements
• Assist with proposal preparation and submission processes

Grants Administration

• Support organization and maintenance of grant files and records
• Assist with grant tracking and documentation
• Maintain accurate records of opportunities, deadlines, and submissions
• Help organize institutional knowledge and fundraising materials
• Support overall grants operations

Schedule & Deadline Management

• Maintain the grants calendar and tracking systems
• Monitor application deadlines and reporting schedules
• Support deadline reminders and follow-up activities
• Assist with scheduling grant-related activities and meetings
• Help ensure timely completion of grant processes

Grants Learning & Professional Development

• Learn the complete grant lifecycle from research through reporting
• Gain exposure to nonprofit fundraising and institutional giving
• Develop research, writing, and analytical skills
• Learn grant strategy and funding evaluation practices
• Participate in team meetings and fundraising discussions

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Support collaboration between grants, programs, finance, and leadership teams
• Assist with gathering information needed for funding opportunities
• Contribute to special projects and organizational fundraising initiatives
• Support mission-driven growth and sustainability efforts

Learning Outcomes

Through this internship, participants will gain experience in:

• Grant prospect research
• Foundation and government funding analysis
• Grant proposal development
• Institutional fundraising operations
• Nonprofit communications
• Deadline and project management
• Philanthropic landscape research
• Funding strategy and grant lifecycle management

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in nonprofit management, fundraising, philanthropy, communications, public policy, education, social work, business, or related fields
• Strong research and organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Attention to detail and willingness to learn
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Passion for mission-driven work and community impact

Why This Role Matters

Every successful grant begins with strong research, thoughtful preparation, and attention to detail.

The Grants Intern helps support the work that makes funding possible while gaining valuable experience in one of the nonprofit sector's most important functions.

This role contributes directly to expanding opportunities and resources for children and families experiencing housing instability.

Success Measures

• Quality and accuracy of grant research
• Timeliness of assigned projects and deadlines
• Growth of funding opportunity pipeline
• Contribution to proposal preparation efforts
• Accuracy of grant tracking systems
• Professional growth and skill development
• Support provided to grants and fundraising initiatives

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Participate in grants team meetings and learning opportunities
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support confidentiality and organizational standards

What You'll Gain

• Hands-on experience across the grant lifecycle
• Training and mentorship from nonprofit leaders
• Exposure to fundraising, philanthropy, and institutional giving
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Resume-building nonprofit experience
• Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter.

Please highlight any academic, volunteer, research, writing, fundraising, nonprofit, communications, or administrative experience.

Help secure the resources that make opportunity possible for children and families across Mentor A Promise.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.