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Stipends for Change can help.
Funding an internship can be costly, but it shouldn't be a barrier.
The High Cost of Entry
Each year, thousands of individuals from all over the world apply to intern at international organizations such as the United Nations. Many of these individuals fit all of the requirements for employment, but are unable to accept an offer due to the restrictive costs associated with working an unpaid internship. The Intern's Foundation is seeking to change that.
Stipends for Change is a fund created
by former unpaid interns dedicated
to providing opportunities to those without the means to work for free at international organizations.
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Open to applicants from all
corners of the globe. Join over 100+ pre-registered candidates for a chance to get funding for your internship through Stipends for Change.
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92¢ of every dollar goes directly to unpaid interns working in IOs.
The Problem
Completing an internship in your desired field is one of the best ways to gain work experience and excel professionally, and this is no different for those who want to follow a career in international organizations. However, many individuals that aspire to work at one of several branches of the UN — along with a host of similar International Organizations (IOs) — are confronted with an uncomfortable truth. These positions are often unpaid, and the intern must find a way to support themselves over the course of several months while working full time.
The result is that only a small percentage of affluent (or occasionally fortunate) individuals are able to afford an internship.
Failing to compensate interns creates an inherent diversity and equality problem within IOs. It biases the pipeline of future policy officers, ambassadors, and administrators. IOs aim to represent the global census and respect all world views to the best of their ability, but how can they reach that goal if the inequality starts at the foundation of the organization: the interns?
Many will argue that the solution is simple: IOs must change their internal policies to compensate interns. Unfortunately, most IOs are donation-driven with unstable income streams and would rather dedicate resources to their mission and charter activities.
While our overarching goal is to eradicate the practice of unpaid internships amongst International Organizations entirely, the path to internal policy change may come after a prolonged wait. In the meantime, TIF hopes that by creating a stipend for unpaid interns, we can achieve the following:
The Solution
1. Directly address the injustice interns are subjected to today;
2. Unequivocally demonstrate that it is possible to pay your interns;
3. Support an ongoing dialogue around fair pay, and why it should be an absolute priority for International Organizations.
Eligibility
​Stipends for Change welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, fields of study and levels of experience. To ensure that our efforts have the greatest impact on equalizing the playing field for underprivileged candidates, preference will be given to the following:
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Applicants applying to in person internships, and require funding for travel, room and board.
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Applicants who have a demonstrated financial need and are unlikely to be able to afford an unpaid internship without additional support.
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Applicants who are interested in becoming TIF ambassadors, advocating for the fight against unpaid internships and sharing their story on behalf of Stipends for Change.
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