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Grant Writing & Research Spring Internship (Virtual)

This internship is offered through our unique, first-of-its-kind Amish Cultural Literacy Internship Program, comprised of a cohort of 12 students who want to acquire Amish cultural literacy through PR, blog writing, or grant writing, so they can become empowered advocates for Amish women and girls — as well as similar educationally deprived and disadvantaged groups. Interns also have the opportunity to participate in professional development programming alongside their internship.

Grant Writing & Research Spring Internship (Virtual)

Spring 2023

Location: Virtual
Start Date: Between January 18 and 23 (your choice)
End Date: April 28

Hours: 8-12 hours per week. Must be available on Fridays for weekly team meetings.

Candidates must be eligible to participate via their school’s internship program or requirements for interning or fulfilling a field placement.

Application Deadline: ASAP. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Candidates will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Check with your school's Internship Coordinator BEFORE accepting the hiring offer to determine if this position satisfies the criteria for receiving academic credit.


About The Amish Heritage Foundation and Founder Torah Bontrager:

The Amish Heritage Foundation is a history-making 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to 1) making it possible for Amish women and girls to attend school past the 8th grade, so they can exercise their rights, participate in civic engagement, and contribute to the global community, and 2) raising awareness about the crises hidden in Amish society.

The Amish are an insular, underserved minority population of ~350,000 throughout ~30 states in rural America who speak English as a second language. Their religion requires members to attend Amish-only schools and to stop their education after 8 years; and they are prohibited from learning STEM, politics, current affairs, law, civics, music, and the fine arts. The average adult has a 5th grade level of literacy and English fluency and 3rd/4th grade numeracy, the religion forbids health insurance and integration with mainstream society, and women are prohibited from exercising their rights as American citizens.

Founder Torah Bontrager, Columbia University ’07GS, was born and raised Amish and literally escaped in the middle of the night at age 15, in order to have the opportunity to go to high school and college. She’s the author of the memoir Amish Girl in Manhattan, and her story and work have appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio, Tim Ferriss’ blog, Forbes.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tablet, The Federalist, USA TODAY, and the Tamron Hall Show, among others.

About the Internship Program:

The Amish Heritage Foundation (AHF) is looking for undergrad and grad students who are interested in a grant writing internship as part of its Amish Cultural Literacy Internship Program. You’ll work directly with the Founder & Executive Director to deliver on timely objectives. 

This internship is designed to give you hands-on experience with real-time grant writing and help you gain an appreciation for the overall process of grantmaking.

In particular, you'll learn how to or assist with the following:

  • Identify active and future grant opportunities via a database of 120,000+ foundations
  • Assist with writing grants for our educational initiatives, e.g., a prep program that fills the gap from Amish 8th grade to college readiness
  • Draft letters of inquiry to start the grant proposal process
  • Develop an understanding of the grant lifecycle
  • Discover the dynamics of donor relationship building and the realities of asking for money
  • Conduct research on Amish issues and acquire Amish cultural literacy to give you the data and skills needed to complete various aspects of our grant applications

We hope that your time with us will turn out to be one of your favorite memories — perhaps even a major turning point — when you look back on your life years from now. You’ll be considered a vital part of our team and your ideas will be welcomed. You’ll also receive personal mentoring throughout the program to help you achieve your career goals.

At the end of your time with us, you’ll have acquired marketable and lucrative transferable skills in grant writing that you can use in your personal, professional, or academic journey.

What Former Interns Said:
"Two years later, I'm still using the skills and knowledge taught from this amazing grant writing internship. I know the skills I developed helped me successfully apply for and receive grants for recent projects. My professors and advisors were impressed." - Stanford University undergrad

"AHF's internship provides an opportunity to understand nonprofit organizational development, grant writing, and management, while learning about the unique culture and barriers to care that the Amish community faces." - Master of Social Work (MSW) grad

Who We’re Looking For:

  1. Enthusiastic initiative, strong work ethic, and commitment to the position. You must be able to make these 8-12 weekly hours a priority.
  2. Quick Learner. Eager to learn new skills and broaden knowledge.
  3. Creativity. Strong writing and strategic thinking skills.

**If you have experience with and access to the following software, please indicate so in your cover letter:

  • Adobe Creative Suite (Premier, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.)
  • Asana, Trello, Basecamp, or similar application
  • Slack, or similar application

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit via Handshake or email [intern at AmishHeritage .org] with the following:

  1. Your resume (PDF format)
  2. A cover letter addressed to Torah (PDF format) explaining what interests you about the internship, how you’d be a great fit, and whether an internship is a requirement as part of your degree program or credit is given through your school
  3. Your transcript (unofficial or official) (PDF format)
  4. Two to three (2-3) examples of papers that you've written––whatever you consider your best work; if applicable, we're especially interested in seeing a proposal you submitted that got you funded (PDF format)
  5. Email subject line: AHF Internship: [YOUR NAME]

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to complete our free online Introduction to Amish Culture course (2.5 hours total) in order to decide whether interning with AHF is your first choice. Email [intern at AmishHeritage .org] with AHF Internship Course: [YOUR NAME] in the subject line for the link.


I look forward to receiving your application! - Torah

Candidates must be eligible to participate via their school’s internship program or requirements for interning. Check with your Advisor or Internship Coordinator for details.