The New York Historical seeks a detail-oriented and intellectually curious intern to support the Development Department in organizing, preserving, and improving access to historical fundraising records and institutional knowledge.
This internship offers a unique opportunity to work behind the scenes at one of New York City's leading cultural and educational institutions. The intern will help modernize fundraising operations by organizing digital files, documenting procedures, and supporting special projects that improve the department's long-term efficiency.
This position is ideal for a college student or early-career professional interested in nonprofit management, archives, museum administration, library science, information management, history, or philanthropy.
Projects may include:
Support the digitization and organization of historical donor records.
Review historical electronic records to eliminate duplicate documents and improve file organization.
Prepare documents for electronic storage, including identifying flagging materials requiring special handling.
Assist with historical donor and institutional data research projects.
Help organize internal reference materials, prospect biographies, naming documentation, and gift agreements.
Support data cleanup and documentation projects in Box, Tessitura, and related fundraising systems.
Complete additional Development Department projects as assigned.
The Fall 2026 program will run from Monday, October 5, through Friday, December 11, 2026. Interns must be available for events on the following dates: October 5, October 28, November 18, and December 9.
The intern in this position will receive an hourly rate of $17.00 for the part-time, 120-hour program.
The ideal candidate will have:
Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
Strong written communication skills.
Ability to work independently while exercising good judgment.
Comfort working with confidential information.
Interest in museums, archives, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, or history.
Experience with Microsoft Office and cloud-based file management systems.
Familiarity with spreadsheets and document management is helpful but not required.
To apply, the following must be submitted:
*It is important to read the individual job descriptions as some departments require other materials in lieu of the research paper.
Please note: Applications that are not complete and submitted by the appropriate deadline (including two letters of recommendation) will not be accepted. Applicants being considered for the internship will be contacted for an interview.
If you intend to complete the internship that you are applying to for credit, you must submit written confirmation from your college stating that you will receive credit for hours completed upon hiring.
N-YHS is an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and organizational needs, and not on race, color, alienage or citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion or creed, physical or mental disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, reproductive health choices, marital status, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, height, weight, or any other factor protected by law.
These policies apply to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, discipline, termination, layoff, compensation, benefits and all other conditions and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
Management is primarily responsible for seeing that N-YHS’s equal employment opportunity policies are implemented, but all members of the staff share in the responsibility for assuring that the policies are effective and apply uniformly to everyone.
New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution documenting over 400 years of American history through a peerless collection of art, documents, and artifacts. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the Reiss Family Graduate Institute for Constitutional History, the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Center for Teaching Democracy, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better.
