Program Intern
Mellon Foundation
Program Intern, Public Knowledge
Please note that this is a full-time, seasonal position. Our internship program runs for 10 weeks, from late May through early August. All communication with candidates will be sent via our ADP system, please be sure to check your spam folder.
The Mellon Foundation (“Foundation”) is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks a Program Intern for our Public Knowledge program.
Team/ Program Overview:
Mellon’s Public Knowledge program supports the creation and preservation of the cultural and scholarly record—vast and ever-expanding—that documents society’s complex, intertwined humanity. The program works with archives and libraries across the US whose work is foundational to knowledge production and distribution in culture and the humanities. Our aim is to increase access to knowledge that helps to build an informed and engaged society. We also aspire to cultivate networks and sustainable knowledge infrastructure and to ensure that an expansive and inclusive landscape of stories are shared, preserved, and told.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Program Associate, the Program Intern will participate in a hybrid (in-person and remote) role supporting the Public Knowledge program. The intern will get the opportunity to contribute to project development related to community memory and public libraries and gain experience in program documentation, qualitative analysis and the development of calls for proposals. This internship is ideal for a graduate student seeking an opportunity to gain exposure to philanthropy and a deeper understanding of the funding landscape for public libraries. Please note that the role is focused on grantmaking, program learning, and philanthropic strategy in support of libraries, rather than on practicing librarianship or providing direct library services.
The internship has a start date in late May or early June 2026 and is available as a 10-week, full-time position.
Position Description:
Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to the following:
- Conduct desk research in response to queries from Program Staff
- Attend convenings, local site visits, and internal planning meetings
- Take notes for meetings with internal and external partners
- Retrieve and analyze information from Mellon’s Fluxx database and grant records
- Draft planning materials and program documentation related to calls for proposals
Qualifications:
- Training in or immediate preparation for a library and information science graduate program, or program in the humanities or social sciences in the form of: 1) current enrollment in such a program; or 2) recent completion of a program in Winter 2025 or Spring 2026.
- A demonstrated interest in public libraries and community memory projects, programs and initiatives.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent analytical, critical thinking, and organizational skills with the ability to exercise sound judgment, help problem-solve, and anticipate next steps.
- Flexibility and an enthusiasm for learning from mistakes.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Demonstrated interest in program and project management.
- Ability to be highly productive working independently and also as a member of a team.
- Demonstrated commitment to socially just, equitable, and community-driven approaches to research.
The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organizational need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.
Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.
Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The hourly pay rate for this role is $28-$29. The amount of pay offered is determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate’s contribution to the role. We also consider market data as well as the Foundation’s internal pay equity framework.
Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with three days per week in person at the Foundation’s Manhattan offices.
Candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter describing fit for the position and a resume by Friday, February 27th. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.
