Position: Chicago Commitment Intern - Summer 2026
Reports To: Program Officer, Chicago Commitment
Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)
Duration: June 9 - August 12, 2026
Compensation: Paid Internship (Hourly rates will start at $22.00/hour)
About the Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. We work on a few big bets that strive toward transformative change in areas of profound concern, including the existential threats of climate change, the challenges of criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., and corruption in Nigeria.
In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives.
We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change. For more information, please visit our website at www.macfound.org.
About Chicago Commitment
The Chicago Commitment team invests in people, places, and partnerships to advance racial equity and build a more inclusive Chicago. The team makes grants on Civic Partnerships; Culture, Equity, and the Arts; and Vital Communities. Within these areas of focus, we seek to promote and advance diverse leaders whose influence will inform and improve decision-making across the city.
About the Internship
Conduct research on the anticipated impact of changes to federal law and policy on the nonprofit sector in the Chicago metropolitan area. These will include nonprofit organizations that receive support under the Chicago Commitment’s current grantmaking strategies (linked above) as well as a wider array of issues, such as social and human services
Catalogue the data currently collected and analyzed by Chicago Commitment Vital Communities grant recipients in order to educate the Chicago Commitment team and its partners of the scope of data available to inform the nonprofit sector’s work
Explore models of civic participation in grantmaking to inform future practices of the Chicago Commitment team
Collect information on resources that exist at the local and national level to support the wellbeing and resilience of nonprofit staff members
Additional Duties
Prepare for virtual or in-person site visits and join Program Officers on some of those visits
Assist with short-term research or planning projects as they arise
Attend staff meetings and internal learning opportunities at the MacArthur Foundation
Qualifications
The ideal candidate is an undergraduate or graduate student in public policy, the social sciences, nonprofit management, and/or humanities. The successful applicant will have strong research and writing skills, internet and social media fluency, and flexibility to flourish with multiple assignments. Familiarity with Chicago is required, and some prior interaction with nonprofit organizations (as a volunteer, intern, or employee) is desired.
This internship is based in Chicago, Illinois. Our work environment is hybrid with designated in-office days and virtual days. Interns will be required to reside in the Chicagoland area for the duration of the program. Housing assistance for non-local students may be available and will be discussed during the interview process.
Application Process
The application deadline is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2025 AT 11:59 PM CST. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume. As a requirement, students “must be returning back to school” to be eligible. Students meeting the minimum requirements should apply through the MacArthur Foundation website (www.macfound.org/jobs).
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
The work environment is an office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable a person with disabilities to perform the job. Reasonable accommodations are also available during the interview process.