The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. (PBP), a nonprofit organization based primarily in New York City and Oakland, is seeking part-time interns for Winter/Spring 2017. Our mission is to empower people to decide together how to spend public money. We work with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups in the US and Canada to set up participatory budgeting (PB) processes that give local people real power over taxpayer money. Through our work in cities such as New York, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and Vallejo (CA), we have engaged over 200,000 people and 500 organizations in deciding how to spend $230 million
The internship is ideal for individuals interested in exploring the field of participatory democracy and gaining experience in the internal operations of a growing nonprofit while furthering their skills in design and technical support. They will also have opportunity to engage with PBNYC, the largest participatory budgeting process in North America.
The position will be based in our Brooklyn, NY office.
Interns may be current or recently graduated students in any relevant degree- or certificate-granting program (2-year or 4-year college, graduate level), or professionals in transition (of any educational level) who are looking to develop new skills.
Responsibilities:
- Prepare content and design (and/or redesign) technical assistance materials for participants and implementers such as guides, toolkits, info sheets, resources, etc.
- Review research on PB and develop accessible educational content
- Assist with PB in NYC, supporting community trainings and Steering Committee meetings with City Council staff and community partners.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong writing skills
- Design experience and familiarity with Google Docs, Word, InDesign, Adobe, etc.
- Coursework on issues related to public policy, municipal finances, local politics, urban planning, or participatory democracy
- Positive interpersonal and communication skills – we have a small office and maintain a friendly, colleagial work environment.
- Ability to translate materials into languages other than English (especially Spanish) a plus
PBP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, strongly committed to building a staff that represents the diversity of communities we work in. Interns will be paid $11/hr. For more information, visit our website at www.participatorybudgeting.org.
To apply, send a cover letter explaining your relevant experience and interest in the position, and resume to jobs@participatorybudgeting.org by September 8, 2017 for priority review. Please indicate in the subject line Fall 2017 NYC Programs Internship. Early applications are encouraged — applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.