Nonprofit Grantwriting & Research InternAt — RiseHyre (formerly Oscar & Ma)

Grantwriting Intern – RiseHyre

Location: Santa Ana, CA
Type: Internship (Unpaid, For Academic Credit)
Hours: Flexible, 10 to 20 hours per week
Supervisor: Lead Case Manager / Internship Coordinator

About RiseHyre

RiseHyre is a nonprofit workforce development organization dedicated to helping unhoused folks, justice-impacted individuals, and community members experiencing instability gain access to employment, stability, and opportunity. We combine hands-on case management with job readiness training, supportive services, and employer partnerships. Our work centers dignity, empowerment, and second chances.

We are expanding our capacity to pursue grants, new funding sources, and program growth. The Grantwriting Intern will play a key role in building this new area.

Position Summary

The Grantwriting Intern will support the development of RiseHyre’s grant pipeline by researching grant opportunities, drafting narrative components, reviewing guidelines, and helping prepare proposal materials. This is a hands-on, project-based internship ideal for students interested in nonprofits, social services, public policy, fundraising, writing, or community impact work.

Interns do not need previous grantwriting experience. Training, guidance, weekly check-ins, and curated resources will be provided. This is an opportunity to build real skills, produce professional writing samples, and contribute to funding efforts that support vulnerable communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct grant research using public databases, city/county RFP listings, foundation directories, and philanthropic networks.
• Review and interpret grant guidelines to determine eligibility, required materials, deadlines, and proposal structure.
• Draft grant narrative sections such as need statements, program summaries, organizational descriptions, and outcomes.
• Collect and compile program information from staff interviews, program data, and internal documents.
• Create and maintain a grant tracking spreadsheet with deadlines, submission statuses, and renewal cycles.
• Assist with developing supporting documents including logic models, simple budgets, résumés/bios, and organizational capability statements.
• Support proposal assembly and editing to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Participate in weekly mentorship meetings with the supervisor to review drafts, discuss progress, and refine writing.
• Optional: Contribute to a full grant proposal for potential submission.

Qualifications

Required:
• Strong writing, editing, and research skills
• Ability to work independently and stay organized
• Interest in social impact, community work, or nonprofit management
• Curiosity, initiative, and willingness to learn a new skillset
• Professionalism and reliability in communication

Preferred (not required):
• Experience writing essays, reports, or academic papers
• Knowledge of social services, sociology, workforce development, or community programs
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive)

What Students Will Gain

• Foundational grantwriting experience
• Real-world exposure to nonprofit operations and program development
• Professional writing samples
• Experience with research, project management, and proposal preparation
• Insight into funding structures and community-based work
• One-on-one mentorship and skill-building support
• Contribution to meaningful, community-centered impact

How to Apply

Submit a résumé and a short statement of interest outlining why you want to learn grantwriting and why RiseHyre’s mission resonates with you. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Tasks:

Students will complete professional, pre-professional, and project-based duties that build competency in nonprofit grant development. Core tasks include:

• Grant Research and Funding Landscape Analysis
Identifying potential grant opportunities through local, state, federal, and foundation databases, and evaluating alignment with RiseHyre’s mission, programs, and participant needs.

• Review and Interpretation of Grant Guidelines
Reading, summarizing, and synthesizing grant requirements to determine eligibility, timelines, required attachments, narrative components, and scoring criteria.

• Drafting Grant Narrative Components
Writing first-draft sections such as need statements, organizational descriptions, program summaries, participant outcomes, community impact narratives, and evaluation plans, with supervisor feedback guiding revisions.

• Data Gathering and Program Information Compilation
Collecting internal program data, outcome metrics, participant demographics, and case manager insights to support narrative accuracy and funder alignment.

• Development of Grant Calendars and Tracking Tools
Creating and maintaining spreadsheets or simple tracking systems to organize deadlines, funder requirements, renewal cycles, and submission status.

• Drafting Supporting Documents
Assisting in the creation of attachments such as logic models, simple budgets, work plans, résumés/bios for leadership, and organizational capability statements.

• Collaboration and Staff Interviews
Interviewing case managers, leadership, and other staff to better understand program design, service delivery, and intended outcomes that inform the grant narrative.

• Proposal Assembly and Editing
Compiling researched content, drafts, attachments, and organizational documents into cohesive proposal packages, ensuring accuracy and completeness prior to submission.

• Participation in Weekly Mentorship and Revision Sessions
Attending scheduled one-on-one meetings to receive feedback, refine writing, revise drafts, and strengthen overall grant development skills.

• Optional: Support in Preparing a Full Grant Submission
When capacity allows, interns may assist in preparing a full draft proposal for review and potential submission.

Training:

Students will receive structured, hands-on training in nonprofit grant development, even though our organization is in an early stage of building a formal grantwriting function. The internship is designed as a guided learning environment with clear support, regular mentorship, and real-world projects. Training will include:

• General organizational orientation
Students will receive a full introduction to RiseHyre’s mission, programs, participant demographics, workforce development model, and current funding structure. This ensures they understand the social context, outcomes, and impact areas they will be writing about.

• Weekly one-on-one mentor meetings
Interns will meet weekly with their supervisor for guidance, troubleshooting, clarity on tasks, and professional development. These meetings provide ongoing direction and ensure learning outcomes are met.

• Job shadowing and cross-department exposure
Interns will meet with case managers, the founder, and program staff to understand program operations, participant needs, and outcome measurements. This is essential for writing effective needs statements, program descriptions, and funding rationales.

• Skills training workshops (internal)
Although RiseHyre does not currently have an in-house grantwriter, the supervisor will provide structured training through curated resources that cover:

Foundations of nonprofit grantwriting

How to identify funding priorities

How to analyze grant guidelines

How to draft narratives, budgets, and logic models

How to organize supporting documents
This includes assigned readings, sample proposals, and short guided tasks.

• Training literature reviews and resource library
Interns will be provided with a collection of reputable grantwriting resources, templates, recorded trainings, sample successful proposals, and guides from philanthropic organizations.

• Practical grant research training
Interns will learn how to use databases such as Candid/Guidestar, OC Grants Portal, local city and county RFP listings, foundation directories, and public grant bulletins. Training will include how to vet funders, assess alignment, and track deadlines.

• Supervised project-based learning
Interns will complete real tasks that include:

Conducting a grant landscape review

Identifying aligned funders

Drafting components of a grant narrative

Compiling required attachments

Creating a tracking spreadsheet of opportunities

Optionally, helping prepare a full grant draft for submission
All assignments will be supervised, reviewed, and revised together.

• Feedback and iterative revision
Students will receive direct feedback on drafts and research so they can learn proper structure, tone, and clarity for funder communications.

• Professional competency development
Throughout the placement, interns will develop skills in nonprofit communication, research, storytelling, program logic, needs assessment, and project management. They will leave with concrete work samples (redacted for confidentiality).

Learning Outcome:

Students will demonstrate competency in nonprofit grant research by identifying, evaluating, and summarizing funding opportunities that align with RiseHyre’s mission and program goals.

Students will develop foundational grantwriting skills by drafting key narrative components such as need statements, program descriptions, organizational summaries, and outcome sections with increasing clarity and accuracy.

Students will apply critical thinking and analysis by interpreting grant guidelines, determining eligibility criteria, and organizing proposal requirements into actionable work plans and timelines.

Students will strengthen professional communication and collaboration skills by gathering program information through staff interviews, synthesizing data, and incorporating supervisor feedback into revised drafts and proposal materials.