About the role#
As a Strategic Partnerships Intern, you will work as a business development generalist to support Kiva’s partnerships pipeline. This role spans the full lifecycle of partnership development, from initial prospect research to the creation of pitch materials. You will gain hands-on experience in business development, storytelling, and partner engagement while contributing to projects that expand Kiva’s reach. A core focus of this position involves testing and piloting AI tools to enhance workflows, documenting your findings, and helping the team scale successful practices.
What you'll do#
- Create and refine pitch decks, proposals, and partner-facing materials for corporate, foundation, and individual donors.
- Draft outreach communications, including emails and meeting follow-ups.
- Perform prospect research to identify potential partners aligned with Kiva’s mission.
- Prepare for conferences by researching attendees and developing briefing documents.
- Help build and maintain the partnerships pipeline by organizing research and engagement history.
- Test AI tools to support business development tasks and share recommendations for team-wide implementation.
- Develop reusable templates for pitches and proposals.
- Provide general support for active partnership opportunities and special projects.
What you'll need#
- Must be 21 years of age or older by January 12, 2027.
- Ability to commit to the full 6-month term from January 12, 2027, to June 30, 2027.
- Strong critical thinking, attention to detail, and a sense of ownership over your work.
- Interest in problem-solving and relationship building.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Proactive mindset with the ability to work independently.
- Highly organized with an aptitude for a start-up environment.
- Intermediate skills in Google Docs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Location & details#
- This is a remote, part-time volunteer position based in the United States.
- The time commitment is 24 to 32 hours per week.
- Kiva provides a monthly stipend of $800 before taxes.
- Participants have access to professional development workshops, Kiva’s alumni network, and employee resource groups.
About Kiva
Kiva is a non-profit organization that provides financial access to underserved communities. Founded in 2005, the group supports individuals including refugees, underbanked women, and people affected by climate change. It operates a crowdfunding platform to facilitate loans for those who lack traditional banking options. The organization maintains a global presence with offices in cities such as San Francisco, Nairobi, Bangkok, and Bogota.
How to get in at Kiva
Securing an internship at Kiva requires speed because their roles attract many applicants. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you apply among the first, as early applicants get seen before the pile grows. This helps you avoid the frustration of submitting an application to a role that has already been filled. You can use this lead time to refine your materials to match their specific focus on financial inclusion. Connecting with the right person often makes the difference in a competitive process. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind Kiva's roles so you can reach out directly to ask about the role or a referral, which materially improves response rates. A brief, professional message to a recruiter is often more effective than waiting for a response from a general portal.
