Data Unpaid Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Database Administration Intern (Unpaid)

Department: Development

Internship Type: Unpaid

Duration: approx. start date Aug 12, 2026 through Dec 11, 2026

Hours: 10-20 per week

Are you ready to make a tangible impact and build an impressive portfolio of real-world database experience? The Sophia Way, a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering women to overcome homelessness, is offering a unique and critical opportunity for an Unpaid Database Intern. This isn't just an internship-it's an opportunity to strengthen the systems that power our mission while gaining hands-on experience in enterprise-level database management. You'll help optimize a recently migrated database through data cleanup, reporting development, process documentation, and long-term maintenance strategies. Your work will directly support data-driven decision-making, fundraising effectiveness, and operational efficiency that benefits the women we serve.

A Foundational Role with Far-Reaching Benefits

For The Sophia Way, this internship is an important investment in our future success. We've recently migrated from a complex and fragmented data landscape to a single, streamlined platform. This internship builds upon that migration by focusing on the quality, organization, and sustainability of the data within the new system.

Your contributions will directly support our ability to achieve strategic goals, strengthen relationships with donors and volunteers, and ensure our mission continues to thrive through reliable and actionable data. You'll play a key role in improving database health through data cleanup, reporting development, process documentation, and long-term maintenance initiatives that will continue benefiting the organization long after the internship concludes.

What's In It For You? A Portfolio That Speaks Volumes

So, what's in it for you? This internship offers an exceptional opportunity to build practical, real-world experience that will accelerate your growth in database administration, data management, and analytics. You won't be a passive observer-you'll be an active contributor, working with a live enterprise-level database that supports fundraising, donor engagement, volunteer management, and community impact.

You'll gain hands-on experience improving data quality, identifying and resolving inconsistencies, refining database structures, and developing reporting solutions that help drive organizational decision-making. You'll work on meaningful projects that strengthen database health and sustainability, including creating archival criteria, documenting maintenance procedures, and developing queries that transform raw data into actionable insights.

Beyond technical skills, you'll engage in valuable cross-functional collaboration, partnering with team members who rely on accurate, accessible information to carry out The Sophia Way's mission. This experience will sharpen your ability to communicate complex ideas, understand stakeholder needs, and translate business requirements into effective data solutions.

By the end of your internship, you'll leave with a portfolio of tangible accomplishments, including process documentation, reporting tools, query development, and database optimization projects. You'll gain a deeper understanding of database architecture, data governance, and enterprise data management practices while building the practical skills employers seek in database administrators, data analysts, and information systems professionals.

Most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to apply your technical knowledge in a meaningful environment where every improvement you make helps strengthen the relationships and resources that support women experiencing homelessness. This is your chance to develop valuable career skills while contributing to a mission that creates lasting impact in our community.

We're seeking students, including those on CPT, who are pursuing a degree in Data Management or a related field, or individuals with an equivalent combination of education and work experience. Ideal candidates will possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, exceptional attention to detail, and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality and accuracy. If you're ready to make a significant difference while building an impressive foundation for your career, we encourage you to apply. Final candidates must successfully complete a background check as a condition of placement. The Sophia Way is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the women we serve, as well as the confidential information of our donors, volunteers, and community partners.

EOE

This internship will work 10-20 hours per week, Monday through Friday. The intern will have the ability to work remotely/from home with occasional required in-person attendance at the main office during business hours for collaboration and team meetings.