While I love meat (I told you about that yesterday), I love the outdoors even more. There are all kinds of ways to enjoy nature, but I think that hunting and fishing are two of the best (they’re also a great way to get protein). It may seem that these sports lead to the depletion of resources, but in reality hunters and fishermen are some of the most ardent conservationists around. Theodore Roosevelt is a perfect example. The guy was a total badass–the Presidency was probably the most boring part of his life (except when he was campaigning, got shot, and finished his speech). While Teddy killed a lot of animals during his lifetime, his conservation work has had an amazingly positive impact on wildlife. That has continued with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. They are a Washington, DC based non-profit that “strengthens laws, policies and practices affecting fish and wildlife conservation by leading partnerships that influence decision makers” to “guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
communications,
conservation,
environmental,
Internships,
non-profit,
policy,
public policy,
unpaid,
Washington DC
While the USA may be the only country with America in its name, it’s not the only country in the Americas. Our region encompasses much of the Western Hemisphere and has an amazing diversity of geographies, cultures, people, and more. While most of us seem to get along pretty well compared to other parts of the world (at least recently we have), it’s still important to foster an even better inter-American relationship. That’s exactly what Americas Society/Council of the Americas does. They are two New York, NY based non-profits in one that aim to improve relations across the Americas. The Americas Society “is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas,” while the Council of the Americas “is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
Florida,
foreign relations,
international affairs,
Internships,
member services,
New York,
non-profit,
paid,
policy,
program development,
public policy,
Washington DC
I’ve been dabbling in social media marketing since social media became a buzzword. I’ve typically been disappointed by the results. I’ve learned that it’s harder than it looks (and that most people don’t want to be social about their job search–which is why we built GIF Me a Job). The prospect of having millions of people telling their friends how awesome you are is pretty tempting, but it’s just not going to happen for most businesses. There are certainly exceptions, and many of them are major brands. When you already have millions of customers, it’s a lot easier (but still really hard) to truly engage them through social channels. SocialCode is a Washington, DC based “social marketing solutions provider” that “builds targeted communities, engages those audiences and converts them to customers and evangelists for leading global brands.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advertising,
analyst,
California,
Illinois,
Internships,
Michigan,
New York,
online marketing,
social media,
Washington,
Washington DC
Transportation is all about turning energy into movement. The problem is that almost every single mode of transportation results in some sort of environmental impact. Even when you’re walking down the street, you’re constantly expelling carbon dioxide. After thinking about it for a while, I’ve come to the conclusion that floating down a river might be the cleanest form of transportation. Unfortunately, that’s not realistic for most of us (even if it is my favorite way to travel). Luckily, we have the International Council on Clean Transportation to help us all move towards cleaner transportation. They are a Washington, DC based non-profit that aims “to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation sectors and fuels, in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
environmental,
fellowship programs,
grant writing,
green,
Internships,
non-profit,
paid,
policy,
public policy,
transportation,
Washington DC
Finding office space is easy for me. It’s anywhere that I can put my laptop, get an Internet connection (which is especially easy with a mobile hotspot), and occasionally find enough quiet to talk on the phone. Most companies need something a bit more formal, and that means leasing space. Finding an appropriate office space can be a grueling process, which is why View The Space is aiming to simplify and expedite it. They are a New York, NY based startup that is “built around streamlining the leasing process through HD video tours, targeted distribution and analytics.” The company’s customers are broker and landlords, but the software saves lessors a lot of time too.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
business development,
California,
Georgia,
Illinois,
Internships,
Massachusetts,
New York,
paid,
post production,
production,
real estate,
Texas,
video,
Washington DC
Yesterday we looked at Institute for Educational Leadership, one of a seemingly endless number of non-profits devoted to improving educational outcomes. Education seems to be one of the most worthy and, as a result, pursued causes, but I think poverty reduction has to come in number one. Project Concern International is a San Diego, CA based international development non-profit that works to “prevent disease, improve community health and promote sustainable development worldwide.” The core idea behind PCI is that they identify areas with the greatest need and then deliver help in a way that can have lasting community impact.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
business development,
California,
communications,
data,
India,
innovation,
international,
international development,
Internships,
Liberia,
marketing,
mobile,
non-profit,
operations,
program development,
public health,
relief,
research,
unpaid,
video,
Washington DC
One of the most important areas that non-profits do work in is education. I have no doubt that education can be the solution to many of society’s biggest problems; however, improving educational outcomes for any group of people is never easy. There are organizations working on nearly every facet of education, so one would hope that we’ll eventually start seeing some significant gains. The Institute for Educational Leadership is a Washington, DC based non-profit that brings “together leaders across the various sectors of education (P-20), workforce development and child- and youth-serving systems” to build “partnerships across institutional boundaries, helping individuals and institutions tackle leadership challenges and leverage the resources of multiple partners to foster reform.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
education,
Internships,
non-profit,
policy,
program development,
public policy,
research,
unpaid,
Washington DC
When I think about the environment, I usually think about water quality. That’s because I’m a fisherman, and the ecosystems that I practice my sport in are particularly sensitive. Air quality issues are much easier to ignore because they’re usually not as immediately apparent (until you run into a 100 degree day with an air quality advisory and can’t breathe). Yet the fight for clean air may be the environmental cause that is most important during our lifetime. That’s certainly what the people at the Center for Clean Air Policy think. The CCAP is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “a recognized world leader in climate and air quality policy and is the only independent, nonprofit think tank working exclusively on those issues at the local, U.S. national and international levels.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
communications,
conservation,
environmental,
foreign relations,
international,
international affairs,
Internships,
non-profit,
paid,
policy,
public policy,
research,
Washington DC
For me Father’s Day is all about wildlife. I’ve spent every one for the past 20 years in woods of Michigan on a fishing trip with my Dad. It used to mark the end of the trip, but this year it’s the beginning. Every year we get to reap the benefits of the work done by conservation organizations. Up there a lot of the work is done by non-profits with a sporting focus, but I’ve come to realize that there quite a few organizations that protect wildlife just because it’s something that should be done. One of these is Defenders of Wildlife. They’re based in Washington, DC, and they aim to “protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and promoting innovative solutions.” The organization was founded in 1947 and operates at both a national and local level.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
accounting,
administrative,
animals,
California,
conservation,
data,
development,
environmental,
finance,
Internships,
marketing,
New Mexico,
non-profit,
organizing,
policy,
production,
program development,
public policy,
unpaid,
Washington,
Washington DC
A week in the desert has reminded me just how live-giving water is. Even a tiny trickle of a river can completely change the landscape out there. Seeing that reminds me how vital our oceans are to our planet’s health. While 12% of the earth’s land is protected in one way or another, only 1% of its oceans are protected. Marine Conservation Institute is a Seattle, WA based non-profit that is trying to change that. They “use the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their protection, for us and future generations.” Because of the nature of oceans and the fact that they cover more than two thirds of the earth’s surface, it’s easy to overlook how fragile and important they are. Marine Conservation Institute exists to remind us.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
California,
conservation,
development,
environmental,
Internships,
non-profit,
paid,
policy,
public policy,
Washington,
Washington DC
Latin America is a region with amazing economic potential. I haven’t spent a ton of time there, but I’ve spent enough to know that the business climate is very different from the U.S., and can vary significantly from country to country. Still, the economies of Latin American countries are very closely tied to each other, and that makes it extremely important that there is cooperation and communication amongst the business community. The Group of Fifty is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is made up of select “business leaders who head some of the most significant and forward-looking enterprises in Latin America.” The organization provides “a forum for the leaders of the region’s most important companies to address changes as they appear in different sectors and markets, to hear from their peers in other countries about alternative business strategies, and to compare experiences and exchange ideas about the future of the hemisphere, its economies and its politics.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
bilingual,
economics,
foreign relations,
international affairs,
Internships,
non-profit,
policy,
program development,
public policy,
unpaid,
Washington DC
I come from an extremely artistic family. My Dad is an architect, my mom is a graphic designer, and my sister is a painter, yet I have almost no artistic ability. Still, I realize how important it is for every person to engage in some form of creative expression. For me it’s building websites and cooking, but for many people it’s some type of art. Art Enables is a Washington, DC based non-profit that has found that “often people with developmental disabilities are better able to express themselves in images than in words.” The organization fosters this creativity by providing a group of about thirty people (the program is open to those “18 and over from throughout the Washington metropolitan area who are diagnosed with developmental disabilities and who have the desire and the discipline to work at becoming professional visual artists”) with “the resources and supports they need to become visual artists.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
arts,
Internships,
outreach,
program development,
unpaid,
Washington DC
One of my favorite episodes of The Office is when Michael Scott tells his employees to pack a swimsuit for a leadership training trip, and then takes them on a “booze cruise” on Lake Wallenpaupack in January. The staff are obviously pissed at Michael, but for the most part end up having a good time. I’ve been on a few evening cruises, and I’ve always had a great time. I guess that is why Entertainment Cruises is doing so well. They’re a company with “26 vessels serving eight cities with six unique cruise products.” Entertainment Cruises’ offerings range from fine dining and dancing to speedboat tours, with a lot in between. They currently operate fleets in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
accounting,
culinary,
customer service,
entertainment,
events,
food,
hospitality management,
Internships,
marketing,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
New Jersey,
New York,
operations,
paid,
Pennsylvania,
recruiting,
restaurants,
sales,
training,
transportation,
travel,
Virginia,
Washington DC
Our country was built on railroads. Rail travel changed the way that nearly every entity did business in the 19th and early 20th centuries, much like the Internet has done during our lifetimes. The similarities don’t end there. The railroad system was subject to multiple boom and bust cycles, and that led to far more rail being laid than could ever be used. Chances are that you have abandoned rails somewhere near you. Rails-to-Trails is an organization that wants to put them to use. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is aiming “to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been around for more than 25 years now, and in that time they’ve helped the number of rail-trails grow by more than 700%.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
administrative,
California,
conservation,
development,
environmental,
green,
non-profit,
policy,
program development,
public policy,
transportation,
unpaid,
Washington DC
I’m not sure how I came up with the idea to feature non-profit jobs on weekends, but it has worked out well. Most of the “non-profits” that we cover are 501(c)3 charitable organizations, but occasionally we feature a trade association or lobbying organization. Today’s “company” is as close as you’ll get to a non-profit while still being for profit (and that’s why I’m writing about them on a Saturday). Community Wealth Ventures is a management consulting firm that helps “leaders innovate, grow and sustain social change organizations that build a better world.” They’re based in Washington, DC and only seem to serve non-profit and foundations. What adds to Community Wealth Ventures’ non-profit street cred is that they’re a wholly owned subsidiary of Share Our Strength (featured in 2011), which is an anti-hunger non-profit. That means that all of Community Wealth Ventures’ profits go towards Share Our Strength’s mission.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
consulting,
Internships,
non-profit,
social venture,
unpaid,
Washington DC
One Day One Job is hiring! Learn more here.
Personal finance and the job search go hand in hand. There’s plenty that you can do to get your financial life in order before you start working, but you can’t really start taking control until the paychecks start hitting your bank account (even though that’s probably the most tempting time to lose control). As I’ve learned from Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, personal financial success is about behavioral change, and changing your behavior is hard. That’s why I was intrigued to learn about a “financial wellness” tool that was designed with the help of behavioral economists. The company behind it is called HelloWallet, and they’re based in Washington, DC. Their goal is to “boost the wealth of workers by democratizing access to honest financial guidance – something only 20 percent of Americans have access to today.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
business development,
community management,
data,
Internships,
mobile,
paid,
personal finance,
product management,
research,
sales,
software development,
statistics,
Washington DC,
web development
While it seems to me that most of the debate about healthcare policy happens at the national level, states actually bear a lot of the responsibility on that front. It makes sense in that they’re closer to the people they’re serving, but it also means that there are a lot of separate organizations doing the same things just in different places. The National Academy for State Health Policy is a non-profit that helps “states achieve excellence in health policy and practice” by working with each other. The organization is based in Portland, ME and Washington, DC, and they provide a “forum for constructive work across branches and agencies of state government on critical health issues.” While most functions will be duplicated across states, they’ll each have a slightly different take on health policy. The National Academy for State Health Policy allows these organizations to learn from how other are approaching the same issues.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
events,
health care,
Internships,
Maine,
non-profit,
paid,
policy,
public health,
public policy,
research,
Washington DC
I love cooking for friends and family. There’s something extremely rewarding about feeding people and helping to fulfill one of their most basic needs. But there’s more to it than that. Sharing a meal creates a connection and brings people together. That’s why Food & Friends exists. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that fosters “a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling.” The organization started in a church basement in 1988, and has continued to grow since. They are now able to serve 5,300 square miles surrounding the DC area.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
communications,
community development,
development,
events,
food,
Internships,
non-profit,
outreach,
program development,
unpaid,
Washington DC
The United States’ foreign policy these days seems to have a pretty heavy focus on countries that are about as far away as geographically possible. Our relationships with China, India, and much of the Middle East tend to get more attention (especially in the press) than our relationships with our closest neighbors. Technology has made the world a much smaller place, but it’s still important to keep an eye on our own backyard. That’s what Inter-American Dialogue does. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “the leading U.S. center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
accounting,
bilingual,
blogging,
communications,
education,
foreign relations,
international affairs,
international development,
Internships,
journalism,
non-profit,
public policy,
social media,
Washington DC,
writing
It used to be that brands communicated, and you listened. There was always the 1-800 number on the back of the product for you to share your thoughts, but I’ll bet that .1% of consumer made 99.9% of those calls. Today communications is like one of those place where six highways come together and people are merging all over the place. Brands can no longer control the conversation–they can only hope to guide and influence it. WCG is a San Francisco, CA based “independent strategic communications firm” that is embracing “the positive future of communications.” The company also has offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, Los Angeles and London, and they specialize in “branding, design, digital, interactive, social media, traditional marketing, corporate and product public relations, media relations, investor and advocacy relations, clinical trial recruitment, location based marketing, and grassroots direct-to-patient consumer campaigns.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
analyst,
analytics,
California,
communications,
consumer products,
creative,
design,
health care,
international,
Internships,
New York,
pharmaceuticals,
public relations,
Texas,
united kingdom,
user experience,
Washington DC
When you’re in school, you get a distorted view of what principals do. You see them deal with troublesome students and institute new rules, so you kind of assume that discipline is their main role. As you get older you realize that the job goes much deeper. They’re the CEOs for their schools. They have to manager a team of teachers, work with school boards, communicate with parents, and much more. A good school is often the product of good administrators, which is why a non-profit called New Leaders “develops transformational school leaders and designs effective leadership policies and practices for school systems across the country.” The organization is based in New York, NY and also has locations in 12 urban areas.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
California,
education,
Illinois,
Internships,
Louisiana,
Maryland,
New Jersey,
New York,
non-profit,
North Carolina,
program development,
Tennessee,
Washington DC,
Wisconsin
When you’re looking for a job, it’s hard to remember that it’s not a zero-sum game. Jobs aren’t a fixed resource, so your chance of getting a job actually increases as other people land jobs (though it’s not quite as true for internships). The mechanics behind this aren’t obvious, and that’s a big part of the reason that immigration has become such a divisive issue in our country (and lots of other ones too). The “they took our jobs” mentality satirized by South Park is unfortunately still petty common. The National Immigration Forum is working to change that. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization founded in 1982 that “advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to our nation.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
business development,
California,
communications,
Internships,
non-profit,
organizing,
policy,
public policy,
unpaid,
Washington DC
I haven’t had someone read a book to me in years. The last time that I can remember was my Senior year in high school. We had our annual K-12 holiday assembly, and one of the school’s most beloved teachers read us ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. That’s a great story to be read no matter how old you are. In fact, “reading aloud with children is the single most important activity for helping them become successful readers.” That’s why when you read with a child… Everybody Wins!. Everybody Wins! is a Wellesley, MA based non-profit (with affiliates all across the country) that is aiming to “help bridge the literacy gap.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
accounting,
administrative,
California,
Connecticut,
education,
events,
finance,
Georgia,
Internships,
Iowa,
Massachusetts,
Minnesota,
New York,
non-profit,
paid,
Pennsylvania,
photography,
public relations,
recruiting,
tutoring,
unpaid,
Vermont,
video,
Washington DC,
web development,
writing
When I moved to Chicago I joined the board of a startup non-profit. We were a group of twenty somethings with little idea of how to run a non-profit or what being on a board actually meant. Not surprisingly, the non-profit no longer exists. Our board did its best, but we were never really prepared to succeed. We probably could have used the help of Boardsource, a Washington, DC based non-profit that “supports, trains, and educates more than 60,000 nonprofit board leaders from across the country each year.” You can’t just Google “how to be a non-profit board member” and pick it up. Boardsource provides a wide array of resources that help board members serve their organizations more effectively.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
business development,
development,
education,
member services,
non-profit,
research,
social media,
training,
Washington DC
Most of you will end up in jobs where what you wear to work is based on looking appropriate. Comfort and style may also be considerations, but in most jobs it’s about looking like you fit in. In most jobs what you wear to work probably won’t affect your performance or safety, but it will if you’re a firefighter, law enforcement officer, first responder, or military service member. Those are jobs where what you wear matters–really matters. LION is a Dayton, OH based company that designs, manufactures, markets, and delivers products “to ensure the health, safety and performance of the first responders who serve our communities and our country.” LION has been owned and operated by the same family since 1898, and I have to imagine that they’ve come a long way over the past 100+ years.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analytics,
apparel,
copywriting,
defense,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
military,
New York,
Ohio,
online marketing,
project management,
sales,
sem,
Washington DC
Our society is on an endless quest for growth. From the largest corporations to the smallest non-profits, there’s a shared goal of improving the status quo (though the definition of what that means varies widely). But for every problem that growth solves, it seems to unearth a new challenge. There is a constant tradeoff between the speed of growth and control–the faster something grows, the less control you have over it. Sometimes it’s easier to grow fast and clean up the mess later, but that’s rarely the case when it comes to infrastructure. Smart Growth America is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that believes “smart growth solutions support thriving businesses and jobs, provide more options for how people get around and make it more affordable to live near work and the grocery store.” They’re willing to sacrifice a little speed for more control because they see the long-term benefits of well planned communities.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
communications,
community development,
fellowship programs,
Internships,
paid,
policy,
public policy,
research,
sustainability,
transportation,
Washington DC
Do you know what baseball managers and presidents have in common? People think that they have way more control over what happens than they actually do. It’s easy to give someone all of the blame or credit, but it’s almost never that simple. If you’d like to learn more about just how important the President (either the office or any one of the individuals who has held the office) is, you’ll want to read up on the research put out by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. They’re a Washington, DC based nonpartisan non-profit “organization that systematically examines past successes and failures of the Presidency and relates its findings to present challenges and opportunities.” They organization started in 1965 as the Library of the Presidential Papers, and took on its current name in 1969.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
Internships,
non-profit,
public policy,
research,
unpaid,
Washington DC
Some may describe the non-profit world as slow moving. It’s funny to think that a world filled with progressives isn’t really all that progressive when it comes to its own practices. Things are changing, and more and more organizations being run like startups, but there are bigger picture issues that need to be addressed to help the non-profit world move forward. That’s what the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy does and has been doing for more than 35 years. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that serves “as the country’s independent watchdog of foundations.” In other words, they promote “philanthropy that serves the public good, is responsive to people and communities with the least wealth and opportunity, and is held accountable to the highest standards of integrity and openness.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
communications,
development,
Internships,
non-profit,
paid,
research,
Washington DC
This morning I got an e-mail from Amazon.com. As part of a settlement with book publishers, I will receive an automatic credit to my account “that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that [I] purchased between April 2010 and May 2012.” That’s good news, but it’s indicative problem. We live in a time when intellectual property is becoming a massive economic issue. The patent stuff between Apple, Samsung, Google and dozens of other players is getting ridiculous, and our government is trying to pass legislation that significantly inhibits our ability to share information. As someone who has built a business based on intellectual property, I understand why rightsholders are being defensive, but I also think that they’re hurting their businesses by limiting use of their content. We need some sanity, and that’s exactly what Public Knowledge is aiming to restore. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that “preserves the openness of the Internet and the public’s access to knowledge, promotes creativity through balanced copyright, and upholds and protects the rights of consumers to use innovative technology lawfully.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
Internships,
law,
non-profit,
public policy,
rights management,
unpaid,
Washington DC
Chances are that where you live has some sort of historical society. It’s an organization that is devoted to preserving and researching the local history. They almost certainly have some sort of an archive, and they may have a museum. There are all kinds of historical societies out there, but I was still surprised that The Capitol building has its own historical society called… wait for it… the United States Capitol Historical Society. The non-profit organization is quite obviously based in Washington, DC, and it was founded in 1962 and “chartered by Congress to educate the public on the history and heritage of the U.S. Capitol building, its institutions and the people who have served therein.” The organization is not publicly funded, so they get their money from “individual and corporate memberships, gifts, grants and the sale of educational items such as the book, We, the People: The Story of the U.S. Capitol, calendars, tourist memorabilia, videos and books of general interest and academic research.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
development,
education,
historic preservation,
history,
Internships,
non-profit,
research,
Washington DC
