Strategic Philanthropy & Social Impact Internship

Strategic Philanthropy & Social Impact Internship

The Cal Alumni Association (CAA) provides all Cal graduates with rewarding connections to the university, to fellow alums, and to current students. Founded in 1872, the CAA represents more than half a million alums worldwide. Our mission is to cultivate a lifelong relationship with our alma mater by connecting and inspiring alums, students, and the campus community through meaningful and inclusive opportunities.

We foster a culture that celebrates diversity, creates a sense of belonging, and advances equity.

The Cal Alumni Association (CAA) is the official alumni organization of UC Berkeley, serving a global network of more than 600,000 alumni. Founded in 1872, CAA advances lifelong connections between alumni, students, and the university through programs, scholarships, career development, philanthropy, and community engagement initiatives that support UC Berkeley’s mission of excellence, equity, and public impact.

The CAA, in collaboration with the Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP), invites UC Berkeley students to apply for an internship within the Office of Development. This role focuses on strategic philanthropy, donor engagement, grant research, and mission‑driven initiatives that strengthen alumni connections and advance university impact. Guided by GSPP’s values of public service, innovation, equity, and evidence‑based leadership, interns will gain experience developing inclusive, data‑driven philanthropic strategies that support UC Berkeley’s mission of access, excellence, and social impact.

Interns will support the Office of Development by identifying, researching, and advancing opportunities for grants, major gifts, corporate sponsor ships, and creative philanthropic partnerships. Work will blend rigorous policy‑style analysis with innovative, creative execution to expand funding streams that sustain alumni programs, student scholarships, and campus priorities. You will operate in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment that mirrors GSPP’s emphasis on turning ideas into actionable results under real‑world constraints, while upholding principles of transparency, equity, and long‑term societal benefit.

The intern will be expected to complete 1–3 strategic deliverables during the internship, focused on philanthropy, grant development, research, and innovation initiatives that support the mission of the Cal Alumni Association and UC Berkeley.

• Strategic Grant Proposal or Philanthropic Initiative:
  Design and develop one major professional deliverable such as a full grant proposal or Letter of Inquiry for a foundation, corporate, or public‑sector funding opportunity; or a concept paper and pitch deck for a new alumni engagement, scholarship, equity, or social impact initiative. Incorporate stakeholder research, data analysis, measurable outcomes, and evidence‑based recommendations aligned with the values of the Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP).
  
  Target outcome:
  Produce a polished, implementation‑ready document or presentation suitable for direct use by the development team.
• Foundation & Institutional Grants Research Portfolio:
  Conduct comprehensive research on foundations, corporate giving programs, government grants, and mission‑aligned institutional funders. Develop a professional grants pipeline portfolio that includes funder profiles, funding priorities, eligibility analysis, historical giving patterns, strategic alignment with CAA and UC Berkeley initiatives, and recommended cultivation or submission strategies. Target outcome:
  Identify and prioritize funding opportunities with a combined potential value of $500K+ in prospective or renewable support, with several opportunities advanced to proposal‑ready stage.
• Alumni & Major Donor Opportunity Pipeline:
  Research and evaluate high‑capacity alumni, philanthropic partners, and strategic donor prospects aligned with university advancement priorities. Assist in creating donor engagement materials, stewardship concepts, and prospect strategy recommendations that support long‑term relationship development. Contribute to…