Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers - Organizational Development & Fundraising Intern (Lawrence-Funded Internship)

The Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers


Project Title: Organizational Development and Fundraising Intern
Direct Supervisor(s): Development Manager, Steven Snyder
Duration: June – August (Monday-Friday, Flexible)
Weekly Time Commitment: Est. 30 hours weekly

About the Coalition:
The Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand mental health services to all residents of Chicago, regardless of an individual’s insurance-status, immigration-status, or ability to pay. In 2010-11, the Coalition worked with a broad bi-partisan group of state legislators to pass the Community Expanded Mental Health Services Act (405 ILCS 22/). This Act gives any community in Chicago the ability to create an Expanded Mental Health Services Program (EMHSP) that will result in a new, sustainably funded, and community-led mental health center to directly address the mental health needs of residents. Our efforts have resulted in the creation of eight EMHSPs. Three centers are currently open and providing services to residents, while the other five should all have centers open by 2028, with at least one opening as soon as 2025.

Internship Description:
This summer, the Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers wishes to hire a single Organizational Development Intern to work under our Development Manager and assist him in enhancing organizational fundraising efforts. The intern in this role will complete many different tasks including – but not limited to – producing donor communications, conducting prospective foundation and corporation research, donor database up-keep, instituting an in-office fundraising filing system, and the creation of fundraising materials that will be utilized by the Coalition’s Development Manager and Executive Director in prospective funder meetings. Applicants will be granted flexibility regarding program start and end dates, however, priority will be granted to those whose availability best suits the needs of the Coalition.

Prospect Research/Report Filing (15 hours/weekly):
This intern will create prospect research reports on local, national, and international foundations and corporations that could be viable options for funding for the Coalition. These reports will need to be clear, concise, and comprehensive. The intern will also assist the Coalition’s Development Manager in the creation of a fundraising filing system in the office to house these reports and any other key fundraising documents.

Communications/Creating Fundraising Materials (10 hours/weekly):
This intern will assist the Coalition’s Development Manager in the planning and producing of communications to donors that will be disseminated via physical mailing and the Coalition’s email database. These communications will provide key programmatic updates to low, mid, and high-level donors of the Coalition. This intern will also create weekly social media posts on Coalition social media accounts and create fundraising documents for prospective funder meetings.

Fundraising Database Up-keep (2-3 hours/weekly):
This intern will assist the Development Manager in managing and routine up-keep of the Coalition’s donor database.

Meetings/Tasks with Development Manager (2-3 hours/weekly):
This intern will join the Coalition’s Development Manager for meetings and tasks to be determined.

Compensation:
This internship is part of the Lawrence-Funded internship program. The student selected for this internship will receive a $5k stipend to help cover housing and transportation costs and living expenses. For additional details and to see other Lawrence-Funded opportunities, please visit this webpage. 

Before applying, you must meet with a Career Center staff Ty Collins for a resume review, or your resume must achieve green status in VMOCK.  If your resume does not meet professional expectations, you may be asked to resubmit your resume.  Please make an appointment with the Career Center here on Handshake.

• Once your resume is approved, you will then apply directly in Handshake by March 27th, 2026.

Please ask Michelle Buchinger for more details about how funding works Michelle.m.buchinger@lawrence.edu