(Hybrid) June 2025 - May 2026 Community Impact Internship - (Community Wealth and Policy Change)

Job Description

Internship Title: Community Impact Internship (Policy Change and Community Wealth Track)

Description: This is a yearlong hybrid internship (June 2025 - May 2026) in which students will be closely integrated within our two Community Impact strategies of Policy Change and Community Wealth.

Community Wealth Strategy

After decades of underinvestment in majority Black and Latine communities in Chicago, there is a growing recognition that traditional approaches to economic development are insufficient. Community wealth building is gaining traction as an approach to economic development that creates local amenities and promotes shared ownership and control of community assets.

Policy Change Strategy

The Policy Change strategies supports and engages in policy and advocacy to realize the systemic reforms necessary to achieve our strategic goals. We work to support the landscape of organizations and coalitions working to reform inequitable laws and policies that created and perpetuated the racial and ethnic wealth gap. Most notably, the Trust has supported and participated in activities that led to expanding the earned income credit at the state level, reforming the property tax sale system, and promoting equitable transit-oriented development through the citys Connected Communities Ordinance.

Background

The Trust envisions a future where community assetsbusinesses, land, homes, and commercial real estatedrive well-being, cohesion, and prosperity in majority Black and Latine communities, ultimately building household wealth and fostering a thriving Chicago region. Achieving this vision requires strategic brick-and-mortar development that acts as a key driver of economic activity and promotes homeownership, asset appreciation, and higher, more stable incomes. To achieve that vision, we are focusing on South and West side communities that are underinvested or at risk for gentrification with active commercial corridors, community-driven investment opportunities, and where philanthropic investment in brick-and-mortar building projects leverages other private, public and philanthropic investment in commercial real estate, infrastructure and housing.

The Opportunity

Chicago is one of the most segregated metropolitan areas, resulting in disparate investment and differences in community wealth and wellbeing. Because of this, addressing the systemic, local and technical barriers that prevent investment at a community level is a particularly effective approach to closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap.

When it comes to helping individuals, families, and communities build wealth, neighborhood investment is a force multiplier. Neighborhood development projects create businesses and jobs, bring in new services and amenities that make life better for residents, and increase the flow of dollars to and within the community.

Our Approach

To create an environment where investment can take place the Trust supports on-the-ground partners to help shift the tide of investment in our underinvested and gentrifying neighborhoods. With our support neighborhood stakeholders will have the ability to lead and coordinate development, community engagement and strategic planning efforts, and capital solutions aimed at increasing development.

Expected Assignments

• Review existing impact frameworks for funding programs to determine alignment with Community Wealth priorities; make recommendations based on past grantmaking.
• Track, document, and assess opportunities to increase access to capital aligned with Community Wealth priorities.
• Participate in meetings with potential grant applicants, document important information, providing feedback on alignment with strategic priorities.
• Research and provide background memos on key policy issues and policy reform proposals to inform potential Trust engagement, examples of which may include property appraisal systems, access to capital, post-secondary education completion, and vacant land and blighted properties, zoning reforms, government grantmaking and contracting reforms, and other topics as assigned.
• Support the Trusts Equitable and Inclusive Economic Recovery Strategy by compiling, cleaning, and analyzing American Rescue Plan Act expenditure data
• Participate in grantmaking processes by reviewing and scoring proposals, participating in site visits, and drafting grant recommendations
• Support and coordinate key projects and events aimed at advancing the Trusts strategic goals.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Salary: $20.00/hour

Hours Per Week

Internship Timeframe: June 2024 - May 2025

Application Materials

• Interested candidates should submit the following:
• Resume
• Cover Letter
  

Application Timeline

• Applications will be accepted until March 31st, 2025.
• Due to the high volume of applicants, the Trust will only contact students directly if selected to proceed to our phone interviews and in-person recruitment event held on April 28th, 2025.
  
  

Required Experience

Ideal majors: Rising Junior - Graduate level Public Policy; Political Science; Public Administration; Urban Planning; Sustainable Urban Development; Community Development; Social Science, Economics; Business; Social Work; Law; or other related fields.

Position Competencies

• Passionate about building a strong Chicago where equity is central, and opportunity and prosperity are within reach for all
• Ability to convey information and ideas through a variety of media (email, web chat, in-person, etc.).
• Active listening skills to understand and respond appropriately to others.
• Ability to work effectively with others to achieve common goals.
• Willingness to share information, support colleagues, and contribute to a positive team dynamic.
• Ability to identify problems, analyze situations, and develop effective solutions.
• Creative thinking to approach challenges from new angles.
• Openness to change and ability to manage multiple tasks or projects.
• Willingness to learn new skills and adapt to new situations.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage time efficiently to meet deadlines.
• Organizational skills to keep track of multiple responsibilities.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Ability to focus on the finer points of a task or project to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Thoroughness in completing tasks and checking work.
  
  

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel (creating pivot tables, data cleaning, conditional formatting, and data visualizations)
• Ability to conduct legislative/policy research
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize, manage multiple tasks, and work independently
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Must have reliable technology to access the Internet and proficiency with Zoom, Teams and other remote workspace tools
• Experience using Salesforce preferred, but not required
  
  

Requirements

• Microsoft Excel
• Critical thinking
• Data visualization
• Presentation skills
• Writing skills
• Complex problem-solving skills
• Must have reliable technology to access the Internet and proficiency with Miro, Zoom and other remote workspace tools
  
  

Keyword: (Hybrid) June 2025 - May 2026 Community Impact Internship - (Community Wealth and Policy Change)