Institute of Politics

Overview of the Organization:

For over 30 years, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago has worked to bring together the Asian American community and empower them to create change in their communities. In 2017 we adopted a new racial equity mission that allows us to extend beyond our community, forge new relationships, and win on issues that affect all marginalized communities. Advancing Justice Chicago is an affiliate of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Our national affiliation allows us to raise a more powerful voice to better serve our communities and become more effective in addressing the civil rights issues faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other vulnerable and underserved communities. Other Advancing Justice affiliates are located in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

Internship Summary:

Join the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago team as a Development, Poll Monitoring Program, and Legislative Support Intern and contribute to impactful initiatives that drive positive change in Asian American communities. This internship offers you the opportunity to work closely with passionate professionals on a range of projects aimed at critical fundraising, voter protection, and legislative support contributing to our organizational mission focusing on immigrant justice, policy implementation, community engagement, and advocacy efforts.

Development responsibilities include:

Individual Giving Support -Support development manager in donor acknowledgement and stewardship. -Support development manager in procuring in-kind donations through outreach. -Support development manager with donation tracking and data entry via our CRM (Salesforce). -Support development manager with donation and donor reports via our CRM (Salesforce). -Cultivate individual donors through phone calls (thank you, securing donations, etc.) Development Campaign Content Creation -Ideate themes and create visual and written content for fundraising campaigns to support the development manager

Municipal Election Poll Monitoring Support:

During each local election, Advancing Justice | Chicago runs a nonpartisan poll monitoring program that is focused on language accessibility and compliance with voting rights laws. As part of this role, you will support the Advocacy Director in planning and executing the poll monitoring program. Duties and Responsibilities: -Conduct volunteer recruitment and train volunteers on poll monitoring;  -Assist Advocacy Director in updating materials, assigning volunteers to polling places, and coordinating logistics;  -Monitor 10-12 polling places in Chicago during the Municipal Election on February 23, 2027;  -Identify and help resolve issues during Election Days;  -Assist in data analysis to inform recommendations for local election authorities.;  -Assist with voter education and outreach 

Co-Governance and Government Affairs Support:

In this position, you will support the Government Affairs team in researching Illinois state government and legislation, tracking legislative developments, and strengthening the organization’s relationships with elected officials and community partners. You will gain hands-on experience with the Illinois General Assembly, legislative processes, governmental affairs, and co-governance, the practice of communities and elected officials working together to shape, implement, and hold government accountable for public policy. -Assist with tracking legislation, hearings, committee activity, votes, and other developments relevant to the organization’s policy priorities;
-Research state agencies, programs, budgets, and implementation of legislation relevant to the organization’s policy priorities;
-Assist in identifying opportunities to build and strengthen relationships between community leaders, elected officials, and government agencies;
-Help identify opportunities for community voices to shape policy before, during, and after the legislative process;

Preferred Qualifications:

-Interest in Illinois government, public policy, legislative affairs, community organizing, or civic engagement;
-Interest in understanding how communities can participate in government and shape policy beyond traditional advocacy;
-Strong research, writing, communication, and information-organizing skills;
-Strong commitment to social justice, racial equity, and civil rights;  -Self-directed, detailed-oriented, and comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification;  -Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines or renegotiate deadlines with advance notice;  -Proficiency in Canva, Google Maps, and Microsoft Office Suite -Experience with data visualization, mapping tools, databases/CRMs, or legislative research is a plus, but not required.

About the Supervisor:

Your supervisor will be Sylvia Tamashiro.

Location, Modality, and Commute

Please note, this is an academic year commitment. The internship will take place in a hybrid setting with both remote and in-person work for 160 hours or about ~8 hrs. a week for 20 weeks, between January and May 2027. When in-person, the location of our office is 4716 N. Broadway St., Chicago IL 60640.  

Start and End Date:

The Academic Year internships will take place according to the IOP’s timeline, with specific dates and weekly hours to be determined by the employer partner and intern during the interview process:

• Onboarding: November – December 2026
• Intern Work Period: January – May 2027