Two internships: Global Foundations Team and Institutional Donor Unit (Spring 2027)

DRC is engaged in humanitarian work in 28 different countries across the globe. The Global Foundations (GF) team and the Institutional Donor Unit (IDU) are part of the same unit within the Partnerships, Advocacy, Engagement and Resource Mobilization (PAER) Department. This coming Spring we are looking for two interns, one joining the GF team and one joining the IDU. Here you will be supporting our joint efforts to strengthen DRC’s capacity, expand, deepen, and diversify partnerships and fundraising activities with either institutional donors or foundations.

About the job

You will join a dynamic unit with colleagues based in Copenhagen, Brussels, Geneva, London, Kyiv and Berlin and furthermore actively collaborating with other units across the organization. In this role, you will work individually on your own tasks while also supporting the team with various support tasks.

Internship in the Global Foundations team:

The GF team leads engagement with foundations that align with DRC's strategic priorities and organizational principles. Our main responsibility is to establish, maintain, and grow strategic partnerships with foundations across DRC. We are looking for an intern interested in supporting this work with tasks that may include:

• Support research and analysis on trends in philanthropy.
• Assist in the research and mapping of foundations engaged in DRC areas of work.
• Provide support in the due diligence of new potential foundation donors.
• Contribute to the creation of communication material.
• Track DRC’s global engagement with foundations.
• Coordinate input for internal quarterly foundations updates.
• Support Partnership Advisors with partnership development and maintenance activities.
• Help maintain internal communication sites and develop structures on internal workspaces.
• Support internal coordination by preparing agendas, notes, and follow‑up actions for team meetings and workshops.
• Support various ad hoc fundraising activities, such as assisting with proposal development and donor reporting, and providing practical support for meetings, workshops, and other events.

Internship in IDU:
The IDU ensures that DRC takes a rigorous and strategic approach to engaging with donors and managing donor relationships, including the European Commission, UN agencies, and bilateral humanitarian and development donors from major donor countries, while also staying abreast of new funding opportunities. We are looking for an intern interested in supporting us in this work with tasks that may include:

• Support record keeping, archiving, and systematic updating of internal working documents, trackers, and templates.

• Create, update, and maintain IDU Insite pages (DRC Intranet) to help allow for accessible, accurate, and user-friendly knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to the creation of external materials, such as donor presentations, briefing notes, and advocacy documents.
• Contribute to knowledge management by collecting lessons learned, success stories, and case studies for internal and external use.
• Support internal coordination by preparing agendas, notes, and follow‑up actions for team meetings and workshops.
• Provide logistical support for donor visits, workshops, and events, including preparation of materials and coordination of schedules.
• Support various ad hoc fundraising activities, such as assisting with proposal development and donor reporting, and providing practical support for meetings, workshops, and other events
  

About you

To be successful in either of these roles we expect you to be eager to learn and proactive. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required:

• Full professional proficiency in English (mandatory). Proficiency in Arabic, French, and/or other languages is an advantage. For candidates interested in joining the GF team, Danish is an advantage, but not requirement, given our engagement with Danish foundations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft clear and professional content for diverse audiences.
• Have an interest in donor relations, fundraising, donor engagement, donor compliance and/or how NGOs fund their operations.
• Be able to work independently and systematically, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Be effective in the use of MS Office 365.
• Enrolled in a relevant university degree, such as International Relations, Political Science, Development Studies or other relevant degree.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with design tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe Suite, or similar) and the ability to produce visually compelling materials such as presentations, infographics, and donor-facing documents is an advantage.
• Experience using AI tools to enhance workflows, conduct research, and support effective decision-making is an advantage.
• People with a migration or refugee background are highly encouraged to apply.

It is a requirement that you are enrolled in a university during the whole duration of the internship period in order to be considered for the internship.

All employees and interns are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 4-6 months subject to study requirements and further dialogue.

Work location: Lyngbyvej 100, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, just by Ryparken station.

Start date: February 2027. We can be flexible on the start date.

Working hours: Approximately 30 hours per week, subject to study requirements and further dialogue. We offer flexibility when you have study obligations next to the internship.

The internship is not paid but we offer:

• 2,08 (unpaid) vacation days per month. The days can either be spent as you earn them or be accumulated.

• Free lunch in our canteen (subject to our canteen being open).

• Free participation in our year-end party.

Please note that if you do not have the right to work in Denmark (through nationality or existing work visa), you will need to apply for it should you be selected for the internship. DRC will support with the process, but please note it can take up to three months from initiating the process. You can read more here.

Application process
All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English (no longer than four pages) as well as documentation that you are enrolled in a university. If you are applying for more than one internship with DRC, please indicate so in your cover letter. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 11 October 2026. We expect to conduct interviews 19-21 October 2026 (to be confirmed).

Further information

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Meriam Abdi: Meriam.abdi@drc.ngo. We will do our best to respond to as many inquiries as possible.

For more information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website drc.ngo.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment regardless of personal characteristics or attributes.