Fall 2025 Graduate Intern, Executive Office- Strategy and Culture

The ACLU seeks a Graduate Intern in the Executive Department (Deputy Executive Director, Strategy & Culture) of the National ACLU Office in New York. This is a part-time Remote or Hybrid position. Intern is required to be based in the U.S.

The Team:

The ACLU works on some of the most pressing civil rights and civil liberties issues facing American society today. The Strategy & Culture team are a small high-impact unit that function in supporting organizational alignment, culture-building, and strategic planning across the national office in collaboration with EDIB, HR and the Strategy office. Led by the Deputy Executive Director, Strategy and Culture and supported by the Executive Assistant, the team stewards major initiatives like the National Culture Charter, cultural engagement efforts and long-term strategic roadmaps while remaining always grounded in a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, belonging and social justice.  The Executive Department manages the strategy and mission driving the ACLU’s 600+ employees and $350M+ plus operating budget.    

What You’ll Do:

This internship offers a focused opportunity to work on the internal culture-building efforts of the Deputy Executive Director. As part of the Strategy & Culture team, you’ll support the systems and initiatives that help staff feel connected, included, and aligned with the organization’s mission and values.

The intern will play a key role in projects such as updating the organization’s National Charter, building a forward-looking culture and events calendar, and improving internal communication around culture and belonging. This is a hands-on opportunity to help shape how culture is designed, sustained, and experienced within a justice-centered organization.

Ideal for graduate students interested in organizational culture, employee experience, equity-centered leadership, organizational development, or nonprofit operations.

Your Day to Day 

Cross-Functional Support – Partner with the Executive Assistant for Strategy & Culture on team operations and special projects as needed.

• Charter Revision Support –Review and edit Charter language, and support coordination of feedback across departments.
• Internal Communications – Draft talking points, memos, or updates to support culture-related work and organizational transparency.
• Staff Experience & Belonging – Contribute to surveys, insight summaries, or small-scale engagement activities that elevate staff voice.
• Culture Calendar Development – Research and build a comprehensive, year-ahead calendar that includes cultural observances, government events, and internal milestones.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain experience in the design and implementation of equity-centered internal culture initiatives
• Contribute directly to the organization’s revised Charter.
• Co-develop a strategic culture calendar used by national.

What You’ll Bring: 

• Current graduate student in Organizational Development, Nonprofit Management, Sociology, I/O Psychology, Public Administration, or related field.
• Demonstrated interest in internal culture work, equity and inclusion, and organizational belonging.
• Clear and confident writer; able to adapt tone for memos, emails, and slide decks.
• Strong research and project coordination skills; highly organized.
• Bonus: Experience or curiosity in internal communications, employee engagement, or change management.

Future ACLU-ers Will:

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict

Internship Logistics:

• Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship is part-time and Remote or Hybrid from our NYC National office.
• Time Commitment: Part-time (20 hours/week) or Full-time (35 hours/week).
• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks and part-time 12 weeks. This internship has a start date of: September 9th or September 23rd
• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit.
  • Below are the stipend rates:
    • $20/hr for undergraduate students or equivalent experience
    • $24/hr for graduate and law students or equivalent experience

Why the ACLU:

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us. 

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.