Internship Announcement

POSITION:                        Development and Communications Intern

REPORTS TO:                    Development Director and Communications Manager

LOCATION:                       Bend, OR

CLASSIFICATION:              FLSA Non-Exempt, Part-time (up to 18 hours per week)

DURATION:                       15 weeks, approximately March 9 to June 19, 2026

Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) is a nonprofit conservation organization with a mission to protect, defend and restore Oregon's high desert. With offices in Bend and Portland, Oregon, we represent more than 25,000 members and supporters around the state and across the country advocating for conservation and restoration of more than 12 million acres of high desert public lands in central and eastern Oregon. This includes iconic regions like the Owyhee Canyonlands, Steens Mountain, the John Day River and the Greater Hart-Sheldon. Read more at www.ONDA.org.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Development and Communications Intern will undertake a range projects. The Intern will gain valuable nonprofit fundraising and database management experience by supporting gift entry and donor acknowledgement operations. The Intern will also play a key role in the production of ONDA’s Wild Desert Calendar including photo selection, publication support, and promotions. The Intern will also participate in organizational communications work including social media content creation, editorial writing, website management, and graphic design.

The Intern will work alongside a four-person Development and Communications team and the position will require collaboration and a desire to learn. The Intern will have the opportunity to be creative, hands-on, and build practical skills that will assist them throughout their career.

The preferred start date for this position is the week of Monday, March 9, 2026 with limited flexibility for the right candidate. This position requires that the Intern work in-person at ONDA’s Bend office.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will have a professional interest in the conservation field, nonprofit work, fundraising and communications. Initial applicant screening will select for those candidates who meet the following qualifications:

• Strong writer and communicator
• Database management or data entry experience
• Social media content creation experience
• Highly organized with attention to detail
• Microsoft Office experience is required, with knowledge of Salesforce, WordPress, Canva, and/or Adobe Suite a plus
• Experience working in an office environment, with nonprofit work experience a plus

ELIGIBILITY

The Development and Communications Internship is open to individuals with a demonstrated interest in ONDA’s conservation mission and is well suited to early career individuals looking to build their professional experience in nonprofit management, development and fundraising, and donor communications.

COMPENSATION

This internship is approximately 18 hours per week, preferably 3 days a week, and is paid at $20/hour for a duration of 15 weeks.