It is Firelight’s mission to mentor our interns and give them the skills and experience to be the next generation of film, media, and arts administration professionals. Our internship program will give dedicated and driven participants the opportunity to assist our Firelight Media and Firelight Films teams with a variety of projects depending on their area of interest. Opportunities include the production and development of documentary film projects; graphic design and social video production; fundraising and arts administration, and more.
Firelight is two separate organizations with one mission: to support communities of color in front of and behind the camera. We seek interns in several departments: Production, Communication, Operations, Development.
Overall Intern Tasks and Activities
- Orientation – All interns will be invited to attend a group orientation session to learn about Firelight’s work and meet staff and fellow interns across all departments.
- Weekly Check-ins – Interns will be supported via weekly check-ins with department staff.
- Evaluations – Interns will be provided with a mid-term evaluation as well as a final evaluation from their direct supervisor(s) upon request.
- Lunch and Learn – Interns will participate in a series of lunches/meetings about different topics related to documentary production and arts administration.
- Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson – Interns will be invited to attend a series of Masterclasses with Stanley Nelson and other leading documentary filmmakers to gain insight into the field of documentary filmmaking and humanities scholarship.
Development Associate Intern
The Development Associate will support the Development team in all fundraising efforts directed towards expanding and diversifying the organization’s support base. Intern will assist in developing and carrying out the implementation of fund development activities including: writing grant proposals, research institutional and individual funding trends and opportunities. Interested candidates should email giving@firelightmedia.org with “Firelight Internship” in the subject line.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Assist in the drafting and assembly of institutional funder communications, including proposals and reports.
- Assist in the production of donor-focused events
- Aid Director of Development and Development Manager in drafting internal and external email communications to donors and Firelight leadership, and staff.
- Maintain the accurate and timely filing departmental files and documents, including grant agreements, solicitation proposals, and funder reports.
- Assist in the maintenance of donor records for prospective and current donors.
- Aid in the research and assembly of profiles on current and prospective donors
Skills and Abilities
- Strong interest in non-profit fundraising
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong research skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Interest and commitment to Firelight’s core tenants of diversity and inclusion
- Experience working with data management
- Proficient in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Slides) and Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- Experience with mailing platforms like Mailchimp a plus
- Discretion when dealing with sensitive issues and information