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National Organization For Women (NOW)

With over 500,000 contributing members, NOW is the largest feminist organization in the United States. Since NOW was founded in 1966, we have struggled to end the injustice and inequality women face daily. As an intern with the National NOW Action Center you will be on the front lines of the women’s rights movement.

An important element of their program is comprehensive leadership training. They hold a series of workshops to empower young feminists and give you the tools and knowledge to become leaders on your campuses and in your communities. You will learn the organizing skills from leaders of the most prestigious feminist organization in the world. Becoming a NOW intern is a commitment to apply the skills learned during the internship and to become, or continue to be, an activist leader.

Each semester NOW interns participate in a wide range of activities which distinguishes them from other Washington, D.C. based programs. These are just a few of the activities provided for interns each semester:

• First-hand observation of how a sexist, racist, and classist political system impacts women in this country.
• Frequent opportunities to organize and attend Congressional and U.S. Supreme Court hearings, press conferences, demonstrations and rallies.
• Intern Lobby Day which includes a “how to lobby” workshop.
• Training in their successful, time-honored grassroots organizing including workshops on campus organizing, coalition building and networking.
• Weekly intern discussion groups and field trips on a wide range of feminist issues which are led by National NOW staff and officers.

Intern Information:

  • NOW offers volunteer, unpaid internship opportunities, both full and part time, throughout the year.
  • College credit can be arranged.
  • A minimum of 3 days/week is required. Full time interns are preferred.
  • Prospective interns should be hard working, enthusiastic and flexible individuals who possess or seek a working knowledge of women’s issues and feminist organizing. Interns should also be committed to continuing to struggle for equality and justice once they leave the internship program and return to their campuses and communities.

Interns will work with one of the following teams:

  • Government Relations/Public Policy Team: Characterized by lobbying, legislative research and writing, and political campaign work.
  • Field Organizing Team: Get involved in the nuts and bolts of grassroots organizing for NOW’s broad range of priority issues. Work on pickets, campaigns, conferences/summits, speaking tours and materials development.
  • Membership Team: Excellent opportunity in information science, using large membership database and meeting extensive information needs for all other teams.
  • Direct Mail and Fundraising Team: If you’re interested in working in the non-profit world, an internship with the fundraising team will provide you with highly marketable skills. Learn the secrets of writing copy and working with printers and mailshops to send out 5,000,000 fund raising letters per year.
  • Communications Team: Research and write articles for the National NOW Times, assist in maintaining press clips, draft press releases and field press calls.
  • Web Team: Be part of the team that maintains NOW’s web site. Research, write and edit stories about women’s issues, design graphics and build web pages.
  • Political Action Committee: Assist with NOW/PAC organizing, including meeting with candidates, processing endorsement requests, and managing Federal Election Commission materials.

Projects and assignments in these areas vary based on the changing political and social climate in Washington and the nation.

Application Information:

Interested interns should send the following:

  1. A completed application form
  2. A cover letter
  3. A current resume
  4. Two letters of recommendation
  5. A writing sample (1-3 pages)

• Deadline for Spring Internship: November 1
• Deadline for Summer Internship: March 15
• Deadline for Fall Internship: June 30

Please visit their website for more information including housing resources.

Contact: Kourtney Kleine Temple, Intern/Volunteer Coordinator
National Organization for Women
1100 H Street NW, Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 202-628-8669, ext. 103

Email: volunteer@now.org

Website: http://www.now.org/organization/intern.html

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