Internship Overview:

Genesis is seeking an adaptable self-starter interested in exploring the various facets of marketing and communications at an established and well-respected nonprofit. Intern must exhibit excellent written communication skills, a strong desire to learn and a passionate, team-oriented attitude. Intern will be a part of the Fund Development team working alongside a passionate group to plan and execute fundraising campaigns for Genesis throughout the year. These activities contribute to the annual fundraising goals of the agency and further the mission of the organization, and may require interaction with volunteers, donors or clients.

Internships last between three and twelve months, depending on academic calendar and student needs. Schedule can be flexible to accommodate the student’s class schedule, within the range of Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Internship supervisor (director of communications) will work with academic professor as needed to complete the internship for course credit. In lieu of pay, intern will receive class credit, marketing/communication experience for resume building and a deep understanding of communications within the nonprofit setting.

 

Location:

Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support Outreach Office
4411 Lemmon Avenue, Suite 201
Dallas, Texas 75219
(Ability to work remotely is available)

 

Internship Supervisor Contact Information:

Janelle Gettmann
Director of Communications
jgettmann@genesisshelter.org
214.389.7702

 

Intern Duties:

Duties listed below will adjust based on the intern’s bandwidth, desired area of focus, strengths and interests, and areas where the student may need additional practice or guidance. Intern is not initially expected to be able to perform all tasks independently, but rather, will be taught through the duration of the internship and gain real-life, applicable experience.

  • Content
    • Blog – intern will manage weekly blog. This includes managing the blog content calendar, suggesting blog topics, ghostwriting blogs from the perspective of counselors or other subject matter experts, editing blogs, posting blogs to the website, etc. Intern will gain experience in WordPress through weekly management of blogs.
    • Monthly eblasts – Genesis sends out a monthly e-newsletter to 17,000 volunteers, donors and prospects. Intern will be encouraged to create the monthly content, taking into consideration both call-to-actions and nurturing/educational content. Intern will also learn the differing email database marketing platforms used at Genesis.
    • Quarterly publication – Three to four times a year, Genesis produces a printed journal to send to volunteers, donors and prospects. Intern will be encouraged to create the quarterly content, taking into consideration both call-to-actions and nurturing/educational content. Through this process, intern will learn about direct mailing and nonprofit database management.
  • Social media
    • Genesis has nearly a dozen social media accounts between Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. Intern will be responsible for creating and scheduling/posting social media content proactively, as well as responding reactively to comments and messages.
  • Public relations
    • Earned media – intern will be involved in handling inbound media requests. This includes creating media backgrounders to prepare CEO for interviews, sitting in on media interviews and working directly with reporters to coordinate requests. Intern will also be encouraged to proactively reach out to reporters to pitch story ideas for additional media coverage.
    • Press releases and media alerts – intern will be responsible for creating press releases and media alerts ranging from events to organizational updates. Intern will be involved in all steps of the process, including communicating with reporters in response to press releases and media advisories.
    • Op-eds – as societal shifts and events related to violence against women take place in the news (#MeToo movement, Bill Cosby trials, etc.), intern will be encouraged to interview Genesis CEO and ghostwrite opinion pieces as a result. Intern will be involved in all steps of the process, including communicating with outlets to place op-eds.
    • Industry trends – intern will be expected to keep a pulse on the news to notice any industry disruptions or trends of note. News articles may result in social media posts, blog articles, opinion pieces, etc.
  • Integrated marketing campaigns
    • Intern will participate in creating integrated marketing fundraising campaigns, from concepting and strategy through execution. Through this process, intern will learn how to combine all facets (content, social media, public relations, digital) to best achieve desired results.
  • Analytics and reporting
    • Intern will be involved in monthly reporting, including analyzing social media metrics, email marketing, website analytics, success of fundraising campaigns, etc.
  • Special projects
    • Genesis fosters new ideas and innovative thinking; if intern is interested in creating a new project not outlined above (for resume-building, additional experience, etc.) that would mutually benefit the agency and intern, the intern is encouraged to do so! The intern supervisor will allow for autonomy, providing guidance and support when needed.
    • Examples may include, but are not limited to: creating an annual report, building out a new page on the website, making a new piece of collateral that may benefit the agency, etc.

Contributions to Student(s):

Real-life work experience provides students a competitive edge upon graduation. In particular, the Genesis Women’s Shelter internship program offers a rich, immersive internship that will broaden the students’ horizons while providing the opportunity to work for a good cause:

  • Because Genesis relies on the entire team to be successful, interns will be responsible for activities that support the organization’s overarching mission and goals rather than trivial tasks.
  • Due to the all-hands-on-deck team attitude at Genesis, interns will work closely with all members of the Fund Development team, allowing the intern the chance to partake in grant writing, event planning and other roles as needed.
  • The Genesis communications internship also allows students the opportunity to interact directly with the CEO, the media, subject matter experts and other influential community partners.
  • Interns will gain invaluable experience to build their resume and expand their portfolio through content creation of blogs, newsletters, publications, op-eds, social media posts, etc.
  • Genesis appreciates innovation and empowers all members of the team, including interns, to share ideas and suggestions. This encourages interns to practice idea sharing and grow confident with speaking up as a vital member of a team.
  • The internship program allows students to gain experience in all areas (content, social media, public relations, digital), and then works to combine all fields to achieve the best results possible.
  • Genesis relies on metrics and analytics, so interns will be gain the instrumental experience of reporting out to gauge and measure results.

How to Apply

Please send resume, portfolio and sample writing to Janelle Gettmann, director of communications, at jgettmann@genesisshelter.org using the subject line “Internship Application (Communications)”