About AFC: Internship Program

The Internship Program at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is designed to provide selected applicants with rewarding educational opportunities in one of several critical work areas. AFC has placed a high commitment to recruit, retain, and assist qualified interns in order to promote professional careers fighting HIV/AIDS and to help prepare skilled individuals for possible work in the field. Working closely with staff, AFC interns acquire knowledge and skills in specific areas, learn about HIV/AIDS issues, work on critical assignments and projects, receive exposure to various professions, and gain first-hand experience working in a non-profit setting.

Other benefits include:

• Course credit (when available)
• Individual supervision
• Conference training opportunities
• Access to AFC special events
• Experience within HIV/AIDS field
• Future references

In order to ensure rewarding learning experiences, AFC has established six separate internship positions focused on core areas of AFC's work:

• Communications - Interns assist with newsletter and website development, media cultivation, photojournalism, and public relations.
• Fundraising - Interns assist with fundraising events planning, community outreach, grantwriting, and corporate and individual donor cultivation.
• Network/Database - Interns assist with special projects involving Small Business Server or one of four databases
• Policy - Interns assist with grassroots education and mobilization campaigns, public policy research and analysis, and government relations.
• Programs (Research and Training internships) - Interns assist in conducting research related to service planning and coordination, grant funding opportunities, needs assessments, consumer surveys, and service utilization reviews.

Requirements: AFC requires a minimum commitment of eight consecutive weeks consisting of at least 15 hours per week. Longer than minimum commitments are available and encouraged. In addition, each internship position has specific and separate qualification requirements. Please see the six separate position announcements for more information.

Stipends: Individuals selected for internships of 2 months or longer, consisting of 15 hours per week, may receive a nominal stipend of $200 per month. Additional information is available during the interview process.

Placement Calendar: AFC recruits and retains up to six interns per semester. Individuals accepted as interns may structure multi-semester internships. AFC's semesters are as follows:

The 2009 schedule will be made available by November 1, 2008.

Application Process: Individuals interested in AFC's Internship Program should carefully review all guidelines and materials, including position announcements. Interested individuals must download and submit a completed application form and current resume to the AFC Administrative Director. While AFC accepts internship applications year-round, internship positions may be filled before the application deadline. Applications received after the deadline can be considered for future semesters.

As part of the selection process, AFC will schedule interviews with certain applicants and check references.

Alumni: In order to continually evaluate and improve AFC's Internship Program, interns will be asked to complete a confidential questionnaire at the end of their internship. AFC offers assistance to interns who, at the completion of their internship, wish to pursue work opportunities fighting HIV/AIDS.

Questions: For more information, please contact AFC's Director of Operations at (312) 922-2322 or at interns@aidschicago.org.