Mentored Internships for Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs)
For students, internships provide invaluable experience, but corporate internship openings (including RDI's paid internships) can be very competitive to win, especially when the student doesn’t already have relevant work or internship experience. In partnership with SDSU, the Red Door Ground Floor is a program that identifies the marketing needs of non-profits, connects them with student interns passionate about their cause, pairs a volunteer agency subject matter expert with each intern, and provides the guidance and mentorship required for shared success. This program solves the chicken-and-egg problem faced by students vying for competitive internships and job openings. It also mitigates the lack of available resources that non-profits are plagued by when trying to make effective use of interns. And, it provides Red Door mentors with a way to engage with their community in a meaningful way and fulfill their desires for purpose-driven work.
Who is it For?
Currently, the Red Door Ground Floor program is open to SDSU Marketing majors in their Junior or Senior year, looking for mentorship from a seasoned marketing agency professional, and ready to jump into a purpose-driven internship with a local non-profit organization (NPO). You should be a critical thinker capable of contributing insights, ideas and strategy, as well as executing at a tactical level. You should have an eye for design, impeccable attention to detail, and a talent for writing dynamic communications pieces.
Spring 2020 Requirements and Logistics
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Participating Non-Profit Organizations
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Applications will be accepted in January 2020
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NPO internships start February 3, 2020
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Intern commits to 10-15 hours per week for 12 weeks (2/3/20 – 5/7/20)
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For course credit only (unpaid)
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Currently available only for San Diego State University students enrolled/enrolling in the MKTG 496 Internship course.
How it Works
Once selected, each intern will be assigned a mentor from Red Door Interactive, and placed at the non-profit. Your assigned mentor will train you on conducting a proper marketing discovery briefing, and help you learn how to plan impactful strategies that you’ll implement during your internship. They’ll shadow and support you in an initial briefing and workshop with the NPO, and help you develop the “Learning Contract” that will guide your internship responsibilities. Once the internship is in full swing, the mentor will meet with you weekly to work through challenges and opportunities, as you execute your internship responsibilities. You’ll also work with your mentor and SDSU faculty sponsor to identify and participate in relevant trainings. At the conclusion of your internship, you’ll get a chance to take part in a mock interview to practice speaking to prospective employers about the value that you could bring to their organization, given your internship experience.
How to Apply
If you plan to enroll in MKTG 496 at SDSU in the Spring Semester, send your resumes to groundfloor@reddoor.biz for consideration!