Internships for Non Profits

Definition: Doing an internship for a non profit organization is usually quite different than working in an organization for profit. In a non profit organization, there are no stockholders and no one shares in the annual profits or losses that are determined by the organization each year. Non profit organizations include charities, universities, government agencies, religious organizations, and some hospitals. Since the purpose of these organizations is not to make money, instead they focus more on providing a service. Interns generally do not get paid when interning at a non profit. Even though there is no pay per say, completing an internship in a non profit organization provides some very useful skills required by employers when seeking to hire entry-level employees in the field. Non profit organizations tend to hire those who have had experience doing some type of similar work. This experience lets the employer know that the applicant is really interested in this type of work and that they have had some exposure which they feel will increase the likelihood that the new person hired will not leave within a short period of time.