Strategic Partnerships Intern

Overview

Play Like a Girl is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to leveling the playing field for girls. Our mission is to provide young women with the tools, mentorship, and resources to succeed in competitive careers in male-dominated fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). By leveraging skills gained through sport, we help girls build confidence, leadership skills, and teamwork to achieve their dreams.

For more than 20 years, Play Like a Girl has empowered thousands of girls nationwide. As our programs and partnerships continue to grow, we are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented intern to support our corporate partnerships, donor engagement, and event execution efforts.

This internship offers hands-on experience in nonprofit development, corporate social impact, and partnership management. The intern will play a key role in supporting revenue-generating activities and strengthening relationships that make our programs possible.

Strategic Priorities

As Play Like a Girl continues to expand its national impact, this role will support key organizational priorities:

Strengthen Corporate Partnerships: Build a strong pipeline of mission-aligned corporate partners to support sustainable funding and program growth.

Enhance Donor Engagement and Stewardship: Improve donor communication, recognition, and follow-up to strengthen long-term relationships.

Support Revenue-Generating Events and Activations: Ensure seamless execution of sponsorship deliverables and partner experiences, especially around key events like Honors.

Improve Systems and Data Management: Maintain accurate records and tracking to support strategic outreach, reporting, and decision-making.

Role and Responsibilities

The Corporate Partnerships & Development Intern will support the Director of Partnerships, Strategy & Operations by owning high-impact administrative and coordination tasks that drive fundraising and partnership success.

Corporate Sponsorship Support (Primary Focus)

• Research prospective corporate partners, including CSR priorities, giving history, and DEI or community initiatives
• Build and maintain a corporate prospect tracker
• Draft first-pass outreach emails for potential sponsors (for staff review and approval)
• Customize sponsorship decks using approved templates
• Track outreach activity, follow-ups, and responses
• Prepare briefing documents and background research for partnership meetings
• Support sponsor onboarding

Donor Engagement & Stewardship

• Maintain and update donor records in the CRM
• Draft thank-you emails and impact updates for donors and partners
• Support donor recognition efforts (lists, social mentions, event signage)
• Coordinate post-event follow-up communications and surveys
• Pull basic engagement reports (email opens, attendance, giving touchpoints)

Event & Partnership Activation Support

• Track sponsor deliverables, including logos and recognition placements
• Manage RSVP lists for corporate partners and VIP guests
• Assist with run-of-show preparation and event materials
• Coordinate sponsor gifting or swag fulfillment
• Support onsite logistics and post-event follow-up when applicable

Communications Support (Optional, Based on Skillset)

• Draft LinkedIn copy or partner spotlight content
• Pull quotes and highlights from events or impact stories
• Format partner newsletters or updates using approved templates
• Repurpose approved messaging for different audiences

Required Skills and Experience

This role is best suited for a junior or senior undergraduate student or a graduate student pursuing a degree in marketing, nonprofit management, communications, business, public relations, or a related field.

Ideal candidates will demonstrate:

• Strong research and organizational skills
• Clear, professional written communication
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks
• Interest in corporate social responsibility, fundraising, partnerships, or nonprofit development
• Proficiency with Google Workspace; CRM or project management experience is a plus
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines in a remote environment
• Comfortable being on camera and participating in video-based content creation.
• Interest in mentorship, community building, and mission-driven work.

Expectations

• Work closely with the Director of Partnerships, Strategy & Operations, to support fundraising and partnership initiatives
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling donor and partner information
• Communicate progress and updates regularly
• Demonstrate strong attention to deadlines and follow-through
• Serve as a professional representative of Play Like a Girl

Time Commitment

• Compensation: Paid internship with stipend.
• 10 hours per week (flexible based on academic schedule)
• Internship term: Semester-based, with the possibility of extension
• Remote, with occasional opportunities to support virtual or in-person events when available

How to Apply

If you are interested in gaining hands-on experience in corporate partnerships, fundraising, and nonprofit operations, we encourage you to apply.

Submit a single PDF to [email protected] with subject line: Strategic Partnerships Intern – [Your Name], including:

• Cover Letter: Explaining your interest in corporate social impact, partnerships, or nonprofit fundraising, and sharing how your skills and experience would help you support relationship-building, research, and donor or sponsor engagement in a growing organization.
• Resume: Detailing your qualifications relevant to this role.
• Assessment (one, single-spaced page): Play Like a Girl is preparing for its annual Honors event and ongoing corporate outreach. In one page, outline how you would: Research and identify five strong corporate sponsor prospects aligned with our mission, organize and track outreach and follow-ups, and support sponsor preparation and stewardship before and after an event. Your response should demonstrate your approach to research, organization, and communication.

Applications will close on Friday, March 6th.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Play Like a Girl is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We encourage applications from rural residents, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others from historically marginalized groups.