Communications & Development Intern | Kakenya's Dream

Job Description Development & Communications Intern Position Description THE ORGANIZATION Kakenya’s Dream exists to invest in girls and young women from rural communities as agents of change through education, health, and skills development, thereby breaking the cycle of destructive cultural practices in Kenya, such as female genital mutilation and early forced marriage. We believe that girls and young women who are given proper tools, information, and education are empowered to become their own advocates and can break down the barriers that keep them from realizing their full potential - in school and beyond. Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya is a leading advocate for girls’ rights. Surviving female genital mutilation and avoiding an arranged marriage as a child, Dr. Ntaiya went on to become the first woman from her community to go to college in the US. She founded Kakenya’s Dream to continue paving the way for the next generation of women leaders in her community. THE POSITION Kakenya’s Dream is seeking a paid development & communications intern to support external communications and fundraising and ensure that in-house operations run efficiently and effectively by supporting the administrative staff as needed. This person will contribute as an active member of cross-organization teams, working collaboratively with other staff to advance program and organizational goals. This person must be extremely detail-oriented, creative, an excellent writer, and should be interested in working in a fast-paced environment in a mission-focused organization. This position will help tell and share the story of our work, the girls we serve, and the wider community in Kenya with our global audience. Responsibilities Development Support (50%) Conduct prospect research on individual and institutional funders. Work with the development team to support individual giving fundraising efforts, including developing content for fundraising or awareness campaigns; helping draft donor reports; conducting phone or email outreach to prospective donors. Assist development team with fundraising campaign mailings. Conduct relevant research to bolster grant applications and for compelling communications and grant narratives. Assist with donor stewardship, including updating donor info and mailing thank you cards. Support outreach and travel logistics for upcoming fundraising events or trips as needed. Assist in back filling donor information from archival documents into the organization’s CRM database as needed. Other development and fundraising tasks as requested. Communications Support (40%) Draft 1-2 blogs each month for the website. Assist with day-to-day social media content creation Create regular round-ups of relevant global news and issue reports for staff. Support content creation (drafting copy, video editing, designing graphics), planning, and execution for fundraising and awareness campaigns as needed. Other communications tasks as requested. General Admin (10%) Sorting files, data entry and quality control, etc. Requirements Qualifications Required: Current juniors, seniors, recently graduated undergraduates, or incoming/current graduate students. Excellent writer with a clear grasp of voice, tone, narrative flow, and writing for different mediums to create engaging, mission-driven content that resonates with diverse audiences. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Self-starter with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and take ownership of certain projects. Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple priorities, and a high attention to detail. Sense of humor and ability to work in an ever-changing and fast-paced environment. Additional Desired Qualifications: Cultural sensitivity and basic understanding of child protection mechanisms and standards as it relates to external communications. Experience managing and/or contributing content to business/organizational social media accounts Nonprofit and/or fundraising background. Video editing and graphic design experience. Penchant for storytelling International experience or knowledge, especially related to East Africa, education, violence against women/girls, and/or empowering girls preferred. Benefits Position Details This internship will be hybrid in-office and remote. Must be able to commute to our office in Arlington, VA, U.S. Approximately 19 hours per week. The schedule can be flexible pending supervisor approval, but must be during regular business hours and consistent week to week. Start and end dates are flexible, roughly mid-January to mid-May with the opportunity to extend if it’s a good fit on both sides. $18.00/hr compensation. Please include resume, cover letter, and a creative writing or blog sample Priority will be given to applications submitted by October 31, 2025. By submitting your application, you confirm that you meet requirements for US work authorization and can complete a time commitment of 15-19 hours/week. Kakenya’s Dream is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age (40 or older), military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, citizenship status, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law . For more information, please visit us at www.kakenyasdream.org .