The Aspen Institute Microenterprise Internship

KEY DETAILS

Position Title: Aspen Microenterprise Intern

Position Location: Students will be hosted by leading microenterprise organizations located throughout the country.

Reports To: Host microenterprise program

Internship Dates: June 1 – August 10, 2011 (if available, intern may possibly start earlier and/or end later)

Compensation: A $3,000 stipend to cover housing and living expenses

Milestone	Date
Application Deadline	February 21, 2011
Interviews with host programs start	February 28, 2011
Offer made by	March 11, 2011
Internship starts	June 1, 2011

About FIELD

The Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination's (FIELD) mission is to identify, develop and disseminate best practices, and to broadly educate policymakers, funders and others about microenterprise as an anti-poverty intervention in the United States. FIELD has conducted research on student-powered microenterprise programs, and advises the Campus Microfinance Alliance, an association of student-powered microenterprise organizations. FIELD, in partnership with the Campus Microfinance Alliance now seeks to provide internship opportunities for students actively working in organizations like these, committed to providing services to U.S. microentrepreneurs.

About the Internship

The Aspen Student Intern Program is an 8- 10 week internship program sponsored by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. It will place student interns in leading microenterprise programs located around the country. The internship program serves two purposes:

• To nurture new student leaders through leadership development internships with professional microenterprise development organizations and
• To provide skills and gain experience that will prove useful for students as they return to their university program.

Each host microenterprise program has provided a specific work plan and area of focus for the summer intern's work. Those areas of focus include:

• lending operations (includes screening, processing and marketing to small business clients)
• technical assistance and training programming (includes access to markets activities or specific industry focused work with small business owners)
• lending operations coupled with strong financial literacy programming, including basic credit counseling for business owners
• research and impact evaluation of microloan and/or IDA participants

Students will be provided with a $3,000 stipend to cover housing and living expenses, in addition to travel expenses to/from host site and a kick-off meeting at the Aspen Institute offices in Washington DC. (Tentative dates: June 1-2, 2011)

Selection criteria for Internship

• Completed application.
• Undergraduate student currently working with a student-run microenterprise organization that delivers services to U.S. microentrepreneurs.
• Proven leadership ability as demonstrated by school or volunteer activities.
• Strong interest in U.S. microenterprise and an interest in pursuing a career that addresses domestic poverty.
• Excellent communication skills; strong written skills, including ability to compose accurate and professional correspondence.
• Experience in and/or coursework in research methods, both qualitative and quantitative analysis helpful.
• Outstanding organizational skills, with emphasis on time-management, attention to detail and the ability to plan, organize and carry out multiple activities.
• Excellent computer skills including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Internship Sites and Descriptions

NOTE: The Aspen Institute cannot guarantee a particular program or location. Final hiring decisions will be made by the host program.

ACCION Chicago (Chicago, IL): Lending Focus

“On a day to day level the lending intern will be working with the lending team supporting them in the key areas of marketing and lending. The lending intern will assist loan officers in processing applications for prospective borrowers and support the organization in other business development and marketing initiatives, such as representing the organization at events and seminars.”

Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (San Francisco, CA): Training and Technical Assistance Focus

“In partnership with a local Kitchen Incubator for low-income women, the organization is establishing a Start Your Own Food Business program, modeled after our highly successful Start Your Own Business and Business Planning classes. Start Your Own Food Business will include the fundamentals of business planning and launch, augmented by industry specific training in the food industry. The intern would assist in preparing the curriculum, identifying outreach partners, and marketing the program through print, web and in person meetings.”

Justine Petersen (St. Louis, MO): Lending and Financial Literacy Focus

“The intern will be assigned to the microenterprise department. Primary responsibilities will be to:

• Reach out to current micro-borrowers to inform them of Justine PETERSEN's Micro-Mentor group and assist them to enroll and identify a mentoring need
• Produce client success story videos and incorporate into a presentation geared to the staff of financial institutions and civic groups seeking volunteer opportunities

The intern will also participate in basic credit counseling, conduct client intake and package loan applications for prospective micro-loan borrowers.”

Opportunity Fund (San Jose, CA): Research and Impact Evaluation Focus

“The Aspen intern will assist a graduate intern, with the supervision of the Development and Evaluation Manager, in interviewing microenterprise clients about their experience utilizing the MicroTest Outcomes workbook and protocol. The intern will receive MicroTest training, conduct phone interviews, document and record responses into the MicroTest outcomes workbook, and assist with quality control and follow-up activities. This project provides the organization with invaluable information about the economic outcomes achieved by our small business borrowers. The data also provides critical information to refine the program's products and services where needed.”

ACCION USA (New York, NY): Lending Focus

“The intern will be partner with and be managed by an ACCION USA loan consultant, as well as work closely with the entire ACCION USA lending team to grow and strengthen our lending portfolio. From the beginning of the micro lending process, an intern will help provide outreach and intake while assisting in the stages of document collection and final disbursal. Interns gain valuable knowledge about US microfinance, as well as an in-depth understanding of small business credit, and the successes and challenges of microenterprises in the New York area.”

Mercy Corps Northwest (Portland, OR): Research and Impact Evaluation Focus

“The intern would help manage the data collection process (additional interns may be recruited for surveying), coordinate with each program, and build a platform for efficient and meaningful outcomes tracking into the future. Marketing, outreach and development will be involved with this project throughout the summer as well. Beyond exposing the intern to a spectrum of microenterprise development programs, they would see first hand how data informs organizational strategy and decision-making.”

WESST (Albuquerque, NM): Access to Markets Focus

“The scope of work for the intern would be to lead a client promotional program that would enable WESST to better market, advertise and promote our clients' businesses as well as to promote WESST within our community of supporters and funders. The intern would support the WESST Marketing Department in these efforts.”