Community Development Internship Jobs in St Louis, MO

ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a holistic legal advocacy organization that combats the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color. ACD’s foundation of civil and criminal legal representation, social services, impact litigation, policy and media advocacy, and community collaboration achieves and inspires justice and equitable outcomes for people throughout the St. Louis region and beyond.

ArchCity Defenders envisions a society liberated from systems of oppression where the promise of justice and racial equity is realized; communities where our approach to public safety prioritizes investment in well-being, health, and transformation without relying on criminalization and incarceration; and people living freely in their communities, thriving regardless of their race or income.

ArchCity Defenders is working on broad-based change to the St. Louis region’s criminal legal system. One way we advance this agenda is through the use of impact litigation. In order to effectively file and argue civil rights impact cases, it is necessary to have extensive knowledge of legal precedents, state and federal statutes, and county and municipal ordinances. Although impact litigation has become one effective tool for change, ArchCity Defenders remains dedicated to representing our clients and changing the lives of our clients on an individual basis. To this end, we provide direct representation in housing, elder, consumer, family, criminal, and other areas of the law.

ACD’s Development team educates the community and donors about the organization's mission,initiatives, and services; advocates for issues important to our client community; supports the work of ACD’s staff by providing monetary, in kind, and volunteer resources; coordinates with local, national, and international funders; and supports the work of ACD’s Communication’s team.

ArchCity Defenders is looking for a development intern to join its dynamic and innovative development team. The intern will research, nurture, and develop relationships with funders and donors in support of the development team, enter information into our databases, and assist with planning and executing events to support our funding efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Spark Creativity: Unleash your innovative spirit by brainstorming fresh and exciting communication ideas.
• Craft Captivating Content: Write engaging stories and materials for our events and marketing efforts.
• Master of Data: Dive into the world of data as you update our development database using Blackbaud.
• Champion of Grants: Research and create compelling materials for grant applications and funding opportunities.
• Connect with Donors: Discover and nurture relationships with potential individual and corporate donors.
• Storytelling Guru: Summarize our weekly achievements and progress for our Director of Development.
• Explorer Extraordinaire: Embark on missions to find potential donor sources, small business partners, mission-aligned celebrities, and corporate champions.
• Team Player: Attend development update meetings to collaborate and share your insights.
• Mission Ambassador: Support the mission of ACD and collaborate with our fantastic team to achieve it.
• Adventurous Spirit: Embrace any challenge that comes your way, all in the name of helping our Development team thrive.
• Any other duties as assigned to help the Development team do its best work.

Qualifications:

• Word Wizard: Harness your impressive written and verbal communication skills to make an impact.
• Tech Trailblazer: Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM is a plus, and we love a good tech explorer willing to learn new systems.
• Relationship Builder: Whether you have experience or just a burning interest, you'll get the chance to develop valuable connections with businesses and individuals.
• Social Butterfly: Your outgoing personality will shine as you interact with diverse stakeholders.
• Admin Prodigy: Basic administrative skills will come in handy, but you'll also have the chance to expand your skill set.
• Event Enthusiast: If you've got event or fundraiser experience, great! If not, you'll have the opportunity to learn and grow.
• Problem-Solving Champion: Tackle challenges head-on, work independently within deadlines, and make an impact.
• Adaptable Dynamo: Flexibility is your middle name, and you'll always be ready to meet ACD's evolving needs.
• Champion of Justice: Commit to our mission of racial and economic justice and drive systems change.
• Embrace Diversity: Show cultural awareness and sensitivity toward diverse populations and understand the structures of power, privilege, and oppression.

Important Information:

• We plan to host Fall 2026 interns and practicum students in person and they are required to work in-person at our new office at 5939 Goodfellow. However, that plan is subject to change to remote work at any time due to public health requirements, work locations and expectations, and school-related policies and procedures.
• Fall 2026 interns and practicum students must be able to work part-time for 8-12 weeks, this may vary to meet the needs of the students and ACD staff.
• Due to the potential for conflicts of interest (among other reasons), we are not able to accept interns or practicum students who seek to simultaneously engage in more than one internship while working with ACD.
• ArchCity Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQIA+, and gender non-conforming applicants.

Cover Letter & Writing Sample Submission Instructions:

• Please submit your cover letter as a single PDF file that includes your cover letter followed by a writing sample.
• Your writing sample should illustrate your professional writing ability. While we're not looking for a specific “type” of sample or number of pages, it is ideal to submit a sample that is relevant to the role you are applying for. You may attach an existing piece of work or something newly drafted to the end of your cover letter.