The Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR) is the part of Penn State tasked with managing the university’s relationship with its donors, friends, alumni, and other constituents. Our staff of 600+ world-class professionals work in communications, law, event planning, stewardship, grant writing, donor relations, and more. We have over 150 frontline fundraisers out on the road working with alumni and donors to facilitate their philanthropic giving to Penn State – and to great success! Our last fundraising campaign, from 2016-2022, raised over $2.2 billion for scholarships, endowed academic programs, research, and more.

Mondays-Thursdays, you’ll be embedded as a member of the team in one of our DDAR units. Your work will be substantive, meaningful, and educational; at the end of the program, you’ll have significant accomplishments to put on your resume.

Fridays are spent as a cohort (of about 14 interns), in a variety of workshops around career development, leadership development, and education about working in the nonprofit sector and higher education philanthropy. The philanthropic sector is a diverse, interesting, and growing field – we can help you learn more about it and get the tools necessary to succeed in this career path!

Interns are paid an hourly wage for up to 40 hours of work each week, including our Friday cohort sessions. 

The short answer is – you. We are building a cohort that represents the breadth and diversity of the Penn State student body. Students from all majors are welcome and there aren’t any key “prerequisites” that we are looking for. We recognize that everyone comes into development from somewhere else and our cohort is better when it has many different skillsets, lived experiences, academic expertise, etc.

You can intern at any point in your college career, including the summer after you graduate. Some preference is given to more experienced applicants, but our goal is to build a cohort with a variety of experience. If you are interested in exploring a career working in philanthropy, higher education, or any other fields where the work we do intersects, we could be the program for you!

First – submit a cover letter and resume to our application on the PSU Jobs site by January 2nd. We will review all completed applications and select candidates for first-round interviews, which are in-person with the selection committee. A further subset will be invited to second-round interviews with host units. You may be selected to interview with multiple units or a single unit. (Note: you are not guaranteed placement at this stage.) After second-round interviews are complete, we will make a final decision about the cohort and extend offers in mid-March.

Be passionate, excited, and team-oriented. Care about your causes. Do your homework, and know who we are and what we do. Tell us who you are and what you’ve made of your time at Penn State. We’re looking for demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and service combined with a love for both Penn State and philanthropy. We want you to bring what makes you unique to our team. 

A “host unit” is a term to describe the different business groups within the Division of Development & Alumni Relations who are hosting an intern for the summer. These units can be academic colleges or campuses (e.g. Smeal College of Business, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State Altoona), university-wide offices (e.g. Intercollegiate Athletics, the Arboretum), development central offices (e.g. Development Communications, Corporate Engagement, Foundation Relations), or the Penn State Alumni Association. These are the homes for our interns during their internship.

This internship can be used for academic credit, depending on the requirements of your college or program. If possible, we will work with you to fulfill your academic requirements. Let’s get in touch!

About 40% of our interns go on to work in development, about half of whom are still at Penn State! Others work in private industry (e.g. Deloitte, Google, KPMG), public service (e.g. Fulbright, municipal government), or elsewhere in the nonprofit sector. Some are pursing advanced degrees in master’s and PhD programs. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do after the internship. We can help you figure it out – and give you the skills to be successful.

Oh, it’s the greatest – come see for yourself!