Government Relations & Advocacy Intern

Boys & Girls Clubs of America named "One of the Best Nonprofits to Work for in 2017, 2018 and 2019" Indeed.com

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the nation's premier youth development organization. Our programs, training and services impact nearly 4 million children and teens every year. We are always looking for qualified professionals with a passion for improving young lives, as a member of our national staff.  We have strong values, embrace diversity and offer great benefits to allow our employees to maintain work/life balance.

Start/End Date: January 2025 through May 2025

Work Requirement: Part-time/ Approximately 20 hrs week.

Location- Washington, DC. Hybrid model: 3 days remote/ 2 days in office. 

Pay: $17.50/hr

The Role:

Reporting to the Director of Government Relations, Policy & Advocacy, the Government Relations & Advocacy Intern will support the Federal Government Relations and Advocacy departments including research, planning and execution of events and campaigns, and other core team responsibilities related to the organization and its mission.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Understand the inner workings of the DC nonprofit government relations, public policy, and advocacy systems.
• How to execute and manage advocacy strategies
• How to build and manage meaningful relationships with key stakeholders to the benefit of the program and mission
• How to use essential advocacy tools and software
• How to meet challenges, overcome obstacles, and work in a dynamic team environment
• How to develop stewardship communication skills

• Coordinate and track visits Members of Congress and state officials conduct and/or interact with Boys & Girls Clubs
• Research legislation and regulatory comments important to Boys & Girls Clubs at a national, state, and local level; Conduct web-based and other research as needed on BGCA legislative issues.
• Attend coalition meetings, Capitol Hill visits, and Congressional hearings on behalf of BGCA
• Create and update critical biographical and background information on Members of Congress and stakeholders.
• Assist with planning and support of BGCA’s National Advocacy Conference, local leader fly-ins, and other Government Relations events.
• Support distribution of weekly press clips and other thought leadership opportunities.
• Support drafting and execution of action alerts, social media, and other advocacy or communications strategies.
• Assist with production and editing of government relations & advocacy materials and internal documents.
• Support collection of relevant Club and youth stories related to BGCA priority issues to further enhance BGCA advocacy efforts.
• Prepare blogs for BGCA.org advocacy page around Club advocacy actions.
• Perform basic clerical tasks, including word processing, copying, mailing, filing, managing routine office business, and provide other program, administrative, and organization-wide support as needed/assigned.
• Other related/comparable duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Currently enrolled at an undergraduate 2 or 4 year college/university or equivalent work experience
• Basic understanding and interest in advocacy, government relations, public policy & legislative procedure strongly encouraged
• Interest in nonprofit and youth development
• Strong interest in project management in nonprofit environments

Skill-set

• Strong computer skills and proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, SharePoint, etc.).
• Strong verbal and written communications skills including proofreading, copy editing, writing, and oral communication skills
• An ability to manage time appropriately.
• Demonstrated professionalism and maturity and a tolerance for rapid pace and shifting assignments and priorities
• Flexibility, good judgement, attention to detail
• A demonstrated commitment and interest in the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• An ability to adhere to organizational policies and procedures as described in BGCA's Intern Policy, Ethics Policy and elsewhere.

Personal Qualifications

The individual should also demonstrate BGCA’s values of integrity, collaboration, accountability, respect, and excellence (ICARE) and integrate them into your work environment, model them in the way that you work, and uphold those same values in others.

A successful candidate will demonstrate a track record of reliability, independent work, and creativity and is self-motivated. work both independently and collaboratively as well as an eagerness to learn.