PROJECT SUMMARY

The intern will work closely with two important, national level programs of the National Trust: the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF), which provides grants to Black historic sites and organizations to preserve, recognize and celebrate African American historic and cultural sites nationwide; and the Government Relations department, which coordinates advocacy to gain Congressional support and funding for the preservation movement. The intern will conduct research on past grants given by the Action Fund as well as historic preservation subgrants from within the national Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to provide in-depth case studies of select projects funded by the AACHAF and the National Park Service. The intern will engage in community interface and interviews with grant recipients to document the results and impacts of the grants and develop advocacy briefs on specific projects and sponsors.

National Trust internships are temporary experiential learning opportunities with no expectation of employment at the conclusion of the internship.

For this internship, the National Trust is offering a stipend of $4,000 to help offset expenses. The period of the internship would be from approximately June 10 – August 2, for approximately 28 hours per week (some flexibility of end dates may be available).

DUTIES

• Work with AACHAF and Government Relations staff to develop a list of projects for research.

• Create a calendar and schedule for outreach community sponsor(s) and participant interviews, and develop documentation of individual project histories.

• Administer a survey of past grantees to determine the impact of their grant. including how the support was leveraged to receive additional funding beyond the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

• Develop a template for summarizing research findings as well as a template for creating one-page advocacy briefs on individuals & projects that may be used to lobby members of Congress on funding of key subgrant programs (HBCUs, African-American and Civil Rights history).

• Work with National Trust marketing and social media staff to publish case studies on individual grantee awards/projects, which will help raise awareness of the projects and the work of the Action Fund and the HPF.

• Help manage and input historical grant information into grants database

• Attend regular Government Relations and Action Fund staff meetings and interact with team staff.

• Be available for consultations with intern supervisors.

EDUCATIONAL VALUE TO THE INTERN

The intern will gain experience under the mentorship of respected preservation, museum and civic professionals, in an educational setting at one of the nation’s leading arts & cultural and non-profit advocacy organizations. The intern will also have the opportunity to participate in educational programming offered via the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s organization-wide internship program. Students may also be eligible for college or graduate school academic credit at the discretion of their institution.

Specifically, the intern will gain knowledge in the following areas:

• Non-profit grants management

• Conducting surveys as a research method and choosing a data analysis methods based on the type of data that is acquired: quantitative or qualitative.

• Federal funding for historic preservation

• Congressional appropriations and authorization processes, especially relating to the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant programs and reauthorization history

• Role of diversity in expanding outreach of HPF funding and subgrant programs

• Document the impact of public/private investment in African American preservation projects

• Document the impact of historic preservation on community input and place-based heritage in culturally diverse communities

At the end of the project the intern will have produced a Grantee Engagement Survey Template and a written report on their findings, as well as numerous advocacy one-page briefs which can be added to their professional portfolio in support of their future career pursuits.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong writing and editing skills, especially with some experience in writing for outreach, public engagement and social media

• Basic analytical and problem solving skills, including issue identification and prioritization. Basic project-organization skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Ability to collaborate and achieve results with supervision, including ability to interact professionally with key internal and external stakeholders as needed. Public contact and ability to work successfully in close proximity to others required.

• Strong organizational skills required, with ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently, and meet deadlines in a timely fashion

• Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment. Ability to work effectively with frequent interruptions required. Able to handle frequently changing and/or unscheduled tasks with accuracy.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Friendly and professional demeanor on the phone and in writing, with ability to speak and write clearly in English. Bi-lingual language skills a plus.

• Ability to work effectively with culturally diverse colleagues; connections to or experience helping to engage culturally diverse audiences and partners a plus.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products required, including Outlook, Word and Excel. Familiarity with Monday.com and/or Foundant is a plus, as is familiarity with ARC-GIS environment and mapping tools.

• Ability work effectively in a remote environment, maintaining productivity and communications to meet deadlines and goals, is required.

• Bachelor’s level studies (or equivalent years of experience) required; current or rising juniors, seniors or graduate students preferred. Studies or demonstrated interest in African American history, architectural history and place-based heritage surrounding African-American communities preferred.

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