Institutional Development Intern

Institutional Development Intern, Spring 2025

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which shared in the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, is a U.S.-based international advocacy organization working at the intersection of medicine, science, and law. With a global network of thousands of medical, scientific, and legal experts, PHR uses the power of medical and scientific evidence to document human rights and humanitarian law violations and prevent abuses, protect survivors, and promote justice and universal human rights for all.

Building upon its highly respected niche in the field, and supported by a committed and talented team, PHR seeks an Institutional Development Intern.

Location: New York, New York (hybrid) or Remote

Reports to: Senior Institutional Development Manager

Organizational Overview

PHR’s approach includes extensive documentation of the use of illegal and inhumane weapons in armed conflicts, attacks on civilians, and the physical and psychological impacts of torture and sexual violence as a weapon of war. Other core activities include protecting the rights of those seeking asylum in the United States, the human rights implications of abortion bans, and halting attacks on medical facilities and frontline health professionals.

Internship Description

PHR’s institutional development internship is ideal for a student who is interested in nonprofit fundraising, philanthropy, and cultivation of organizational supporters. The institutional development intern will be given insight into the day-to-day operations of an international human rights organization’s development team, including research on institutional funders, such as governments and foundations; creation of fundraising materials; and database management. 

The Institutional Development intern will also attend departmental and staff meetings, as well as have other opportunities to work with other interns and staff across departments.

PHR offers stipends to student interns. The specific stipend amount will be determined by the average number of hours worked by the intern per week. Further details will be provided during the interview process.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Assist in research to identify new funding opportunities from governments and foundations and prepare thorough, well-written briefings on prospective funders.
• Support institutional development through Salesforce database management. 
• Help assess new funding opportunities for the institutional development team.
• Work with the writing team to help review and edit fundraising materials, such as proposals and reports, and create other materials to be shared with donors as needed.

Qualifications and Experience 

• Current enrollment in a graduate program of study.
• Strong analytical, writing, and verbal skills and superior research skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and professionally.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, commitment to data accuracy, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.

Location and Hours 

• The internship can follow a hybrid work model, with some work conducted remotely and some in our office located in Midtown, Manhattan, or work can be done fully remotely for applicants not located in or around New York City.
• We welcome applications from candidates located outside of New York.
• Hours can be flexible to accommodate different types of schedules.
• The internship will commence in February 2025 and requires at least a 12-week commitment.

How to Apply 

Please send a cover letter, resume, and short writing sample to resumes@phr.org and include “Institutional Development Intern, Spring 2025” in the subject line. Please include in your cover letter the number of weekly hours you would be able to commit to the internship.