Development - Summer Intern 2026

About Cabrini Green Legal Aid

Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) was established in 1973 to serve the legal needs arising from the lack of opportunity, criminalization of poverty, and racial inequity experienced within Chicago's Cabrini Green public housing community. Since then, CGLA has grown beyond a single neighborhood to become a citywide, countywide, and statewide leader in proactively filling the void of legal representation, wraparound services, legal information and resources, and advocacy exclusively for low-income individuals negatively impacted by the criminal legal system. Any engagement with the criminal legal system can greatly disrupt an individual, family, and community's quality of life.

CGLA is distinguished among legal aid service providers locally, throughout Illinois, and nationally as having expertise in legal matters related to the direct and collateral consequences of the criminal legal system. Since 2014, we have been the sole legal aid services provider serving Cook County with the distinction of focusing exclusively on individuals and families who have been adversely impacted by the criminal legal system in all legal program areas: criminal records, emerging adults, criminal defense, housing law, and family law. We provide direct legal services, advocate for policy reforms, and provide legal information and resources to other legal aid organizations, pro bono attorneys, and the general public. We also support our clients holistically with wraparound social services from our social workers. Our policy and advocacy work is not performed as a separate entity; rather it is informed by our legal services and the lived experiences of our Leadership Council, an Advisory Group made up of former CGLA clients and community members directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

CGLA’s Mission, Purpose and Vision

• Mission: We provide holistic legal services that include social support services and advocacy for individuals and communities negatively impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Purpose: CGLA exists to remove barriers to equity in the criminal legal system.
• Vision: A more just and equitable criminal legal system.

Position Overview 

CGLA’s Development Intern will perform various tasks, including supporting and developing donor solicitation materials, assisting with donor acknowledgments and database entries, and researching corporate and firm prospects. This position will also help CGLA’s Development team plan and prepare for CGLA special events. Furthermore, the Intern will assist with designing essential online communications and social media related to fundraising and development. The Intern working with CGLA will gain hands-on experience working across teams, project management, researching prospects, message generation, and other skills from a longtime social justice organization with deep roots in Chicago. 

Essential Duties: 

• Assist the Development team with the Donor Acknowledgment process. 

• Assist with data entry into CGLA’s donor database, Salesforce. 

• Assist Development Associates in creating and implementing a social media calendar around fundraising events. Draft posts and create graphics, as needed. 

• Assist with administrative tasks in preparation for CGLA’s special events and fundraisers. Contact outside vendors for pricing estimates and general information for special events. 

• Help the Development Associates prepare materials for solicitation, as needed. 

• Assist with the mailing of solicitations to major donors, as needed. 

• Research corporate or firm prospect opportunities for CGLA Annual Partnerships. 

• Update CGLA’s MailChimp database. 

• Assist with the Arts and Archive exhibit.  

Other Duties: 

Perform other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

The ideal candidate will possess the following: 

• A demonstrated commitment to social justice and disrupting the systemic racism our criminal legal system perpetuates. 

• At least one year of undergraduate studies complete. 

• Access to laptop and high-speed internet for when working off-site. 

• Experience with social media platforms, i.e., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. 

• Experience with design platforms i.e., Wix, Photoshop, Canva is a plus. 

• Experience with databases such as Salesforce is a plus. 

Required Skills 

• Excellent writing skills (writing samples will be requested). 

• Strong organizational skills. 

• Strong research skills. 

• Ability to stay on top of several projects. 

• Knowledge of MS Office. 

Supervisory Responsibility 

None 

Office Hours 

General office hours are from Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. Interns are expected to volunteer 40 hours a week. Most of the hours can be completed remotely. Intern will work with the Supervisor to determine office hours for the internship.  

NOTE: Non-traditional hours – occasional weekends and evenings may be required. 

Physical Requirements 

• Sit for long periods of time 

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand. 

• Understand the speech of another person. 

• Must be able to work in a stressful work environment. 

• The employee is regularly required to sit, walk, talk, read, see and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to type, handle, or feel and reach. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

Travel Requirements 

Must travel to attend occasional meetings at CGLA’s office (6 S. Clark Street, Chicago), to off-site meetings, and development fundraising events.