Freedom House seeks an intern to support the Dignity for All: LGBTQI+ Assistance Fund. Dignity provides emergency assistance; security, opportunity, and advocacy rapid response grants (SOAR grants); and security assessment and training to human rights defenders and civil society organizations under threat or attack due to their work for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex human rights. Freedom House manages the global fund through a consortium of 8 international human rights organizations. Dignity has supported over 935 HRDS, CSOs, and survivors of severe state prosecution in over 95 countries with support for temporary relocation, trial monitoring, medical expenses, and other types of emergency assistance, in addition to support for efforts to mobilize communities to seize on emerging opportunities.
Position Summary
The intern will have the opportunity to provide administrative, logistical, and programmatic support for Dignity’s work in providing grants to front line defenders and human rights CSOs in a worldwide effort to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights. They will be well-integrated into the team and work in a highly dynamic, multicultural office environment.
Anticipated learning outcomes include understanding threats to civil society worldwide; how to design programs in restrictive environments; how digital security techniques can be utilized in the human rights field; practical administrative, logistical, and programmatic skills to help implement a large-scale grant and sub-grant program; understanding of financial and budgetary oversight; and qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation techniques.
This position is based in Washington, DC and reports to the Program Officer for the Dignity Program.
Minimum Qualifications
- Currently enrolled college or graduate student
- Strong ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing
- Demonstrated knowledge and interest in human rights
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite, specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Ability to work both independently from and collaboratively with program team
- Excellent research, analytical, writing, and organizational skills
- Experience with preparing financial documents preferred
- Experience handling sensitive information in a secure and confidential manner preferred
- Language skills including Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish preferred
- Provide support for the administrative, logistical, and programmatic aspects of project implementation
- Provide research assistance for discrete projects
- Prepare daily news update that highlights country-specific and regional developments related to LGBTQI+ rights
- Assist with developing and writing reports, press releases, briefing books, and other communications materials
- Prepare grant agreements, payment requests, and other financial documents as needed
- Assist with emergency assistance case processing as needed
- Contribute to work streams related to donor reporting
- Assist in tracking qualitative and quantitative progress on subgrants
- Monitor and develop Dignity-related updates on mainstream news sites, blogs, and social media sites
- Assist with organizing events and meetings in DC and abroad related to FH programs
- Other related duties as assigned
Qualified and Interested Applicants
- We invite qualified candidates to complete an online application and submit a resume and cover letter.
- Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.
- Only candidates authorized to work in the U.S. without any restrictions need apply.
- The internship is unpaid.
- A fixed stipend for travel cost will be available.
For best consideration, apply by March 12.
