Community Links Summer Internship Program
Erie County Community Foundation’s Community Links Summer Internship Program offers undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students the opportunity to intern for 10 weeks, May/June through August each year, in an Erie County nonprofit organization or governmental agency. Organizations that have received Community Foundation grants host the interns, who are paid $15.00 per hour for 40 hours per week.
Program Objectives
first-hand knowledge
Offer undergraduates, graduate students, or recent graduates first-hand knowledge of the Erie County nonprofit community, its leadership, and organizations
Experience
Provide meaningful, career-related work experience
Help Local Organizations
Increase local organizations’ capacity to conduct important short-term projects
Career Focused
Stimulate interest in a career in the nonprofit or public sector
Broaden Horizons
Expose interns to a broad range of public sector endeavors
How Interns Are Chosen
A selection committee comprised of several members of various Erie County organizations and private foundation members reviews applications and matches interns and sites according to qualifications and interests of the interns and needs of the organizations.
Our 2025 Internship Host Organizations
Care and Share Erie County
2025 Duties: Conduct research on hunger trends, correlation with homelessness, and solutions to both; Develop proficiency in specific tools or software used in the role of operating a food pantry from inventory and ordering to the intake and processing of new neighbors; Finalize project deliverables and ensure quality standards.
Firelands Health
2025 Duties: Assist the project management team in planning, executing, and monitoring projects while gaining hands-on experience in project coordination, documentation, and stakeholder communication; Document meeting, track progress, and update project plans; Communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders.
Huron City Schools
2025 Duties: Work closely with central office staff (technology, communication, operations) to support summer services required annually to prepare for new school year. Projects can include technology integration, new website design, and interfacing. Support network upgrades of cloud-based systems as well as infrastructure improvements.
Parkvue Community
2025 Duties: work under direction of The Parkvue Community executive director and other staff to assist with either marketing or social work services, or a combination of the two. Plan/execute community summer event, participate in leadership’s outreach meetings, participate in plan of care meetings, shadow director to understand role, work with corporate office, create social media content, build library for prospects, learn sales lead software program, create sales analysis reports, conduct competitive market analysis, assemble collateral packets, plan community marketing events, assist with move-in check lists, learn sales processes, assist with open houses/prospect tours, and attend sales calls.
Perkins Township
2025 Duties: Compiling a comprehensive inventory of current housing and available land within township utilizing existing housing studies; update existing Zoning Code with all approved amendments; cross reference Comprehensive Plan to existing Zoning Map and make recommendations on zoning amendments; update current township-wide business inventory, to help with the Township economic development efforts; Assist with community events, including movie nights and the summer park program for children; assist with zone inspections throughout township; attend Board of Zoning Appeals, Zoning Commission and Board of Trustee meetings as needed; assist with various mapping tasks using GIS.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet the following qualifications:
Be a college sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student, or a recent college graduate
-
Have a declared major
-
Exhibit interest in the nonprofit or public sectors
-
Applicant must be a resident of Erie County, Ohio
-
Must be able to pass a BCI background check
-
Must have own transportation
-
Be available to complete the full term of the continuous 10-week internship with no vacation or time off.
-
Other highly desirable qualifications include:
A strong academic record (a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above is recommended) and strong verbal and written communications skills
Applying to be an Intern
To apply for Erie County Community Foundation’s Community Links Internship Program, please download and complete the attached application form and include:
Deadline to apply for 2026 internships is February 9, 2026. Send the application form and required information to:
Summer Internship Program
Erie County Community Foundation
135 East Washington Row – Suite A
Sandusky, OH 44870
Email your application to randyw@eriefoundation.org. Please do not fax application materials.
2026 Internship applications are due February 9, 2026. Finalists will be selected by the end of February and interns will be announced shortly thereafter. Individuals will be notified by phone if selected for an interview.