Intern - Advancement

TITLE: Intern - Advancement Intern

LOCATION: History Center - 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

COMPENSATION: Typical starting salary $16.50 hourly 

HOURS: This is a part-time, temporary position from approximately September 14, 2026 to December 20, 2026. A part-time intern must be available to work 15 hours per week. This position offers a flexible work schedule, coordinated with the intern’s school schedule and operational needs. Preferred working hours are 5 hour shifts between 9-4 M-F. 

POSTING DATE: June 26, 2026

DEADLINE DATE: July 14, 2026

SEMINAR EVENTS: Interns are required to participate in three, in-person seminars focused on professional development, learning how cultural organizations operate, and building a network of industry professionals. At the end of the semester, interns complete a final presentation to share their work.

           Please ensure you are available for these dates when applying:

• Thursday, September 24 from 11:30am-1:00pm

• Thursday, October 15 

• Thursday, November 12 from 2:00pm-4:00pm

• Final Presentations: Thursday, December 17 from 11:00am-1:00pm

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a cover letter, resume, and any required additional materials by the application deadline date.  

DESCRIPTION:  The Advancement Intern works closely with Development Officers and the Operations and Research Manager. The Advancement Department exists to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward individuals, companies, and foundations interested in supporting the Minnesota Historical Society. As an intern, you will be assisting the core teams of the Advancement and Membership Department—Major Gifts, Research and Prospect Management, Corporation Sponsorships, Foundations, Legacy Giving, Gifts Processing, Membership and Events. The internship will provide substantial experience in nonprofit development and advancement, while providing valuable experience working in one of the nation's leading historical societies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:  1) Assist with the annual endowment acknowledgement process; 2) Research individual, foundation, and corporate donors and identify potential sources for funding support; 3) Write and provide editing support for donor and prospect communications - for documents that will be provided to MNHS donors; 4) Assist with membership phone coverage; 5) Gather information and data to submit into the CRM database, ensure all information and data is accurate before submission; 6) Provide assistance with in-person and virtual fundraising and membership events; 7) Give support for processing mailings; 8) Help out at donor events as needed (occasional evenings and weekends); 9) Other duties as assigned by the Advancement team.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Currently enrolled as a junior or senior level undergraduate, or graduate student, or have graduated within the past 12 months at the time of application.

• Ideal candidates might be currently pursuing, or a graduate with a degree in the following areas: Communications, journalism, writing, public or nonprofit administration, library and information science.

• Experience with research and the tenacity to uncover hard-to-find information.

• Familiarity with or willingness to learn a variety of CRM and research-related databases.

• Ability to write and communicate clearly and accurately. And a passion for professional writing 

• Comfort level with taking on multiple tasks and working as part of a team and independently.

• A background in customer service with the potential to communicate with donors and members.

• Project management skills along with being detail-oriented.

• Interest in a potential career in the nonprofit industry, especially in fundraising/advancement.

• Working knowledge of the Google Drive suite, including Google Docs, Calendar, Mail, and Spreadsheets. 

Should you have questions with the application process, email internships@mnhs.org or call 651-259-3191.   

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, interns, volunteers, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.