Developing an internship program to increase office capacity
Abstract
Habitat for Humanity San Francisco needed more staff to complete projects and office duties but did not have the resources to hire more people. An internship program was started to increase productivity in the office and provide local university students with work experience in a nonprofit setting. This effective practice was shared at the AmeriCorps*VISTA Faith-Based and Community Organization Conference at the University of Indianapolis, August 20-22, 2001.Issue
Many small nonprofits have few staff members with limited time to complete office tasks, let alone expand the organization's capacity for service. Because of this, many nonprofit offices fall behind project deadlines and often struggle to complete tasks.Action
To deal with a lack of staff time and staff members to complete projects, Habitat for Humanity San Fransisco (HHSF) has developed an internship program. Utilizing area university students who volunteer to complete internships for school credit or for work experience, the internship program creates a win-win situation. The students gain valuable experience and the HHSF office accomplishes more tasks using little resources.
Steps to creating an internship program include:
- Decide which areas within the organization need the most additional support and which areas would be most suitable for an intern. Create specific tasks to be accomplished.
- Develop perimeters of the program like required length of internship (HHSF's internships are 8 weeks;10 hr/week minimum), who will manage intern(s), and what you can offer interns in exchange for their time and energy. (HHSF offers a free T-shirt, letter of recommendation, and a lively work environment).
- Create written materials. Design an informational sheet and/or detailed internship description for potential interns, an application, and possible interview questions.
- Recruit potential interns. Utilizing whatever resources available (e.g., area universities, high schools, community organizations, churches), fax, email, and post the internship description(s) with the office contact information and applications. As you receive responses, have potential applicants fill out applications and schedule interviews as you see fit.
- Manage interns. Upon selection, it is helpful for the intern to have one supervisor who guides them through projects and answers questions.
- Evaluate interns. When interns complete their internships, it is helpful to administer an evaluation form or questionnaire to judge the effectiveness of your program and help you make changes for the future.
Context
Habitat for Humanity San Francisco operates in the city of San Francisco, an urban setting with access to many Bay Area universities.
Outcome
HHSF's internship program has allowed the office to function more productively, university students to develop new skills in a nonprofit environment, and partnerships to develop between HHSF and area universities.Evidence
Substantiation that the internship program has been successful includes:- HHSF's increased office productivity. The office has completed projects, designed presentations, and attained research/information that the staff members could not have completed on their own.
- Intern's positive feedback. HHSF interns have commented on the positive experiences they have had in the office and have enjoyed the work and tasks they completed during their internships.
Posted On
August 14, 2001For More Information
Katy Popp
Habitat for Humanity San Francisco's Development Office
Phone: (415)406-1555, ext.1
Email: katie@habitatsf.org