Research & Writing Internship
Check with your internship coordinator BEFORE accepting to determine how you might do this internship for credit.
Research and Writing Internship
Overview
The Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to renewing and advancing the values of liberal democracy in the U.S. and around the world. We promote intellectual humility and an empathetic approach to disagreement.
We have a small, tight-knit executive team, so interns will have the unique opportunity to learn all aspects of how to run an organization and make a personal impact on America’s democratic landscape. Because we are a start-up organization, interns should also be ready to play multiple roles as we have an “all hands on deck” mentality. All roles will have a mix of substantive and administrative responsibilities.
Interns will have nearly unprecedented access to our Board of Directors—including renowned chess champion Garry Kasparov, Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Senator Bob Kerrey, Pulitzer Prize winner Bret Stephens, former head of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, and many others. Check out our website for more info!
About the role
Responsibilities will include a number of the following. Candidates should have interest in some of these, but do not necessarily have to have experience in all of them. Please be sure to review examples of our work including our newsletters, Defining Democracy narratives, & videos prior to applying!
- Drafting RDI’s weekly newsletter and other materials;
- Developing concepts and writing scripts for RDI video content;
- Writing creative narratives to illustrate democratic and constitutional principles;
- Creating engaging online content and writing pithy captions that effectively summarize key ideas;
- Authoring high-quality articles and reports targeting RDI's audience;
- Sitting in on meetings and producing accurate, professional notes and takeaways;
- Writing clear & concise memos for consumption by staff members and the Board of Directors;
- Supporting RDI stakeholders in writing Op-Eds for mass consumption.
Qualifications of an ideal candidate:
- Exceptional undergraduate, graduate, and recently-graduated writers are encouraged to apply;
- Detail-oriented to a fault;
- In full support of RDI’s mission and values;
- An exceptionally strong, concise, and effective writing style with an ability to communicate complex ideas simply;
- Significant research experience
- Politically well-informed & interested in promoting liberal democracy;
- Experience on Capitol Hill, a political campaign, or a non-profit working on issues related to current affairs a plus;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
- Open-minded and willing to interact with a broad range of often-conflicting political points of view;
- Social, articulate, and a self-starter unafraid to take initiative;
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) a plus.
Logistics & Benefits
- An ability to work remotely due to the current crisis and, if/when it’s safe to return to the office, an opportunity to work at an exciting start-up with unlimited snacks, coffee, and other perks.
- Our internships last 3-6 months. Interns can either work full time (40 hours/week) or part time (15-25 hours/week);
- Hours are flexible and we are willing to work around your academic schedule;
- An opportunity to work closely with senior organizational leadership, including the Executive Director, as well as access to members of the Board of Directors, and other individuals from RDI’s extended network;
- This is an unpaid internship;
- A typical day could include spending a few hours researching a topic for RDI’s weekly newsletter,, a lunch-and-learn with a prominent political figure, a world champion poker player, or a business leader, time writing a script for a video, and a team meeting to iterate on a previously outlined piece.
We are recruiting on a rolling basis. Please send a resume, brief cover letter, and short (<500 words) well-written writing sample on a social, political, historical, or educational topic that offers a strong coherent argument to info@rdi.org. Please also indicate your desired hours per week and start date in your cover letter. Only complete applications will be reviewed.