The Illinois Policy Institute is seeking an Outreach Intern to support our grassroots engagement efforts across the state. This role is highly public-facing, with approximately half of the internship spent representing the Institute at fairs, festivals, and other public events working alongside full-time staff.
As an Outreach Intern, you’ll serve as an ambassador for Illinois Policy Institute, engaging with Illinois residents, sharing our mission, and helping grow our supporter network.
Key Responsibilities:
- Representing Illinois Policy Institute at public events and community fairs with staff members.
- Engaging attendees in conversation about the Institute’s mission and policy work.
- Collecting contact information and feedback from the public.
- Assisting with event setup, breakdown, and logistics.
- Supporting outreach projects, data entry, and follow-up between events.
Qualifications:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Comfortable initiating conversations with new people in public settings.
- Sales, fundraising, canvassing, or customer-facing experience preferred.
- Interest in public policy, outreach, or civic engagement.
- Reliable, professional, and adaptable.
- Willingness to travel statewide and work some evenings and weekends.
What you’ll gain:
- Hands-on experience in grassroots outreach and public engagement.
- Mentorship from experienced outreach professionals.
- Insight into the day-to-day work of a statewide policy organization.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a temporary, full-time internship position lasting 10 weeks, with an expected schedule of approximately 40 hours per week during the internship period.
Compensation is $18.00 per hour.
As a temporary internship position, this role is not eligible for employer-sponsored benefits, including but not limited to health insurance, dental or vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, or other fringe benefits.