Samaritan's Feet International

Opportunities

Position: Summer Internships

Position Description:
Internships with Samaritan’s Feet offer the opportunity to explore leadership within the non-profit sector, help with administrative skills, promote and develop relationships within the surrounding community, develop public speaking skills, gain experience with fundraising, development and donor relations skills, and make a significant contribution to furthering the mission of Samaritan’s Feet.

Most of our season intern programs are a 9 to 12 week commitment, unless otherwise noted in the description. Interns must be in college and have housing, a valid driver’s license and access to a car. Part-time internships are unpaid and full-time will receive a small stipend.

Interested? Find out more about the internships here and apply here. 

Position: Samaritan's Feet Development Internship 

Position Description:

About Samaritan’s Feet: Samaritan’s Feet International is a 501(C)3 philanthropy, international organization. Samaritan’s Feet wants to inspire hope through the gift of shoes, the act of washing feet and demonstrating proper foot-care, and encouragement to those who need it most. People without shoes face dangers like laceration, fungus, and insect bites that can lead to infection, disease, and even death. Children with no shoes are often not allowed entrance to education in many countries and can find their way into slavery, or unsafe and inexcusable child labor environments. Since our founding in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have distributed over 6.5 million pairs of shoes in 91 countries and 375 U.S. cities.

The internship is unpaid, but there will be opportunities for networking and professional development.

Samaritan’s Feet is seeking a Grant Writing Intern. Under general supervision, the Intern will assist in researching potential donors, and, writing compelling proposals to make available more funding for SF programs and projects.

Responsibilities

• Research potential donors and partners for funding supporting SF programs and projects. 

• Develop and write grant proposals to foundations and other grant-making organizations, that meet requirements set forth by the funding guidelines, including re-creating editable forms and assembling financial documents, creating program budgets, etc. 

• Identify event specific sponsors and following up with requests. 

• Plan and assist at events and conferences. 

• Maintain and implement funding calendar activities, including cultivation activities. 

• Assist with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and grant tracking and reports. 

Desired Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills 

• Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize

• Outstanding interpersonal and follow-up skills

• Proactive problem solving ability

• Leadership potential 

• Working knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, and Outlook required

• Ability to learn additional software programs 

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Compensation: This is an unpaid internship. We encourage you to use this internship to gain course credit and to seek out grants with your college, if that is an option.

Location: Each intern will be expected to work 30 hours per week (depending on semester, credit hours, university requirements, and required hours), in our Charlotte office.

Learning Goals: Communications and Development 

Position Title: Assistant, Proposal and Grant Writing/Research and Donor Relations

We take great pride in nurturing the up‐and‐coming business leaders of tomorrow. Through our hands‐on, semester and year‐round corporate internship program, students compete for a unique opportunity to work alongside our team that researches and writes grants and develops innovative global programs to help support the organization’s growth, client retention and profitability.

The internship offered provides an opportunity to experience writing, editorial, and networking roles and be part of a team working in a non-profit organization.  An intern is assigned to a manager and during the course of the internship works closely with that manager to gather research, develop creative ideas, write and edit copy as well as proofread grants.  An intern's hours are mutually agreed upon by the interns and his or her supervising editor and should be between 20 and 25 hours per week for the term of the internship.

The primary purpose of this position is grant writing (new government grants and private sources), research, and stewardship of foundation funders to support the programs of Samaritan’s Feet in fulfilling the organization’s mission. The development department coordinates resource development, grant writing, major gifts and planned giving, fundraising, special events, volunteer management, marketing, communications, and public relations to support the programs and staff to acquire and maintain the resources they need to provide quality services.

All positions are expected to meet the agency standards for attendance and punctuality, positive interactions with others, effective work habits, knowledge and skills, judgment and ethics.

Interns can expect to develop confidence and marketable skills by engaging in or assisting with many of the following activities:

• Appreciates and supports the mission and goals of Samaritan’s Feet International.

• Contribute to implement a realistic annual plan for new government and foundation grants program to support the organization’s mission and goals, annual plan and budget.

  • 1. Cultivates positive relationships with contributors and collaborative stakeholders for available grant opportunities.

    2. Reviews and selects qualified and appropriate projects for grant application; preparing grant proposals with input from subject matter experts, managing funding agreements; monitoring, administering and reporting on awarded grants; and performing related duties.

    3. Ensures grant applications are completed within deadlines to ensure sufficient internal editing prior to timely submissions.

• Creates realistic grant proposals that can be effectively implemented with the funding requested.

• Develops interesting and compelling ways to communicate the agency’s impact through narrative, infographics and external research.

• Attends/Facilitates meetings with program staff to acquire sufficient and accurate information to write successful grants.

• Collaborates on research and data-driven new program development; current program improvements, changes and expansion; and agency capacity-building in partnership with program directors and managers, and in accordance with organizational goals and community needs.

• Develops and maintains relationships with foundation and corporate funders, in partnership with the Grant Manager.

• Creates and implements analysis protocols and regular reporting to the Grant Manager and other key leaders regarding upcoming funding opportunities, current activities and rates of success for grants program.

• Backs up Grants & Contracts Manager as needed to assist with existing government grants.

• Contributes content to the Annual Report, agency newsletter and other development communications.

• Provides regular updates on progress and activities to the Manager.

• Other duties as assigned.

Learning Objectives or Other Goals: 

The 4 primary goals toward which the intern's efforts are directed are as follows:

1. The intern will learn firsthand about the steps involved in the creation of a grant.

2. Intern will learn firsthand how to research, write, edit copy for private foundation and government grants.

3. Intern will learn firsthand how to research and apply/submit grants.

4. Student will learn about the inner-workings of a non-profit and how they differ from a for-profit business.

5. Intern will learn the process of grant writing and why it is important to the organization.

6. Intern will network with Samaritan's Feet staff and learn how to expand his professional circles.

7. Intern will participate in writing and editing outgoing copy to maintain Samaritan's Feet's branding and image.

Professional Objectives with Activities/Resources, and Evidence

Objective: Conduct research on trademark search process and prepare paperwork as needed

Activities/Resources:

• View past grant search spreadsheets

• Learn and use Sharepoint for sharing and working on files with the team

• Save links to databases used for searches

• Do real grant searches and create spreadsheets for tracking

• Ask questions as they arise

• Ask co‐workers for feedback

Evidence: Include in portfolio copies of spreadsheet intern has created

Objective: Create a mock copy document 

Activities/Resources:

• Receive input and instructions from co‐worker

• Proofread existing copy‐documents

• Save a copy document template for reference

• Create forward planning documents to set timelines for due dates

• Create copy documents

• Ask co‐workers to proofread and offer to proofread for them

Evidence:

• Legally unable to disclose actual works

• Compile a list of Projects worked on (not actual name)

Internship Evaluation Methods: 

The Grant Manager will evaluate the intern. According to the manager, an intern must:

• Have good attendance

• Communicate regularly with the team via email and in person

• Complete tasks assigned

• Stay busy and be proactive about finding projects to work on

• Check email frequently

• Track and Log hours worked

• Completion of any university required evaluation forms

Internship workdays/hours:

• Days and Hours are flexible

• Complete 20 - 25 hours per week for term of internship during summer semester

• In office work to be determined by supervisor

Interested? Apply at https://samaritansfeet.org/about-us/careers/internship-application/ and email your resume to Davida Serrani at dserrani@samaritansfeet.org, Meka Turner at mturner@samaritansfeet.org and Human Resources at humanresources@samaritansfeet.org.

Position(s): Various

Position Description: From volunteering at the warehouse to hosting a sneaker drive, Samaritan's Feet offers a variety of short-term and long-term ways to get involved. 

Our main focus tends to be the processing of shoes to be packed and shipped to fill orders. We ship shoes to 109 countries all over the world and 44 states here in the U.S. Volunteers may also pack Hope Totes, hygiene kits or fill out Hope Notes to be distributed with shoes. Currently, volunteer sessions are on Tuesdays - Saturdays, by reservation only. 

Groups smaller than 30 are welcome to just sign up for a shift directly at Samaritan's Feet (volunteerhub.com), for groups 30+, please reach out to us at volunteer@samaritansfeet.org.

Long-term volunteer positions include Logistics Coordinator, Marketing Assistant, Events Assistant, Receptionists & Tour Guide, Facilities Assistant, and Inventory Assistant.

Interested? Visit https://samaritansfeet.org/get-involved/.