Program Objective

Our internship programme is suitable for those who are dedicated to learning about gender issues in a local and global context and interested in furthering the mission of TWF. The aim of the program is to inform and educate while working towards the shared goal of a Hong Kong where all residents thrive by having equal access to resources and opportunities.

Features of the Programme

Individually designed internships
A strong feature of the TWF internship experience is a specially tailored program for each intern. Different abilities, interests and availabilities are taken into account to maximize the benefits of the internship for both the individual and the Foundation. Projects are agreed upon between your internship mentor and yourself, with a structured timeline and assessments of your progress.

Inside knowledge about managing an NGO
There are four key areas under which the foundation carries out its work. Interns can choose to work in one of or a combination of the areas:

• Fundraising & Development – research fundraising sources, writing grants, organizing and executing events – for students who want to understand the event planning and fundraising aspects of NGOs
  
• Program – research, develop and implement grant making initiatives to fund positive social changes in three key areas of economic reliance: women in leadership, development of girls and combating women in poverty – for students who want to understand the policy aspect of NGOs
  
• Research & Communications – develop research plans, conduct research, liaise with the media, communicate the message of TWF through the website and newsletter and other marketing aspects – for students who are interested in research, writing and communications work of an NGO
  
• Management – the administrative arm of TWF, oversees the entire operations and plans – for students who want to gain greater understanding of the operational workings of an NGO

Flexibility
Timelines for tasks and reports are created to ensure that you can complete stages of your project work within your schedule. Deadlines are agreed upon at the beginning of your internship, and you are expected to work independently with occasional guidance and mentoring from a board member.

Helping the Women and Girls of Hong Kong
Your contribution to TWF through the internship program is a step towards a better Hong Kong where the playing field is level for people of both genders.

Remuneration
Most of our internships are unpaid; however some schools offer payment and/or course credit through their various programs. Expenses incurred on behalf of the Foundation are reimbursed.

Requirements
As an intern at TWF you will be expected to:

• Work independently and creatively to complete your assigned tasks according to deadlines
  
• Meet with your internship mentor on a regular basis to assess your progress and offer any assistance if needed
  
• Keep a time and an expense log
  
• Keep an informal progress log or journal
  
• Keep a log of all meetings
  
• Complete two evaluation forms – one midway and one at the end of your internship
  
• Present a written and, if possible, an oral report of your project

However, these requirements may be flexible depending on the nature of your internship.

Application Procedure
Submit, via email, a cover letter and your resume (labeled INTERNSHIP APPLICATION in the subject heading) to: info@thewomensfoundationhk.org

In your cover letter please tell us the following:

• Why do you seek this position?
• What is your area(s) of interest, and why?
• What do you hope to learn at TWF?
• What you can bring to TWF?
• What is your availability?

Successful applicants will be granted an interview, upon which suitability for the internship program will be determined.

Past Internships
Past interns at TWF have made major contributions – some of the projects they were involved in:

• Contributed to the design and logo of The Women’s Foundation
• Organized the official launch event (cocktail and photo exhibition)
• Designed the layout and wrote the editorial content of the Newsletter
• Planned and executed a fundraising event – Summit/Soiree – which raised HK$80,000
• Created and managed a database of stakeholders and NGOs
• Coordinated meetings, forums and focus groups as part of the Stakeholder Engagement Process, “Conversations with the Community.”

See what previous interns have to say about their experience at The Women’s Foundation:

"I’m really proud of the success of my project – the focus groups as part of the Girls’ Stakeholder Engagement Process – I was in charge of the preparations and arrangements, and was happy to see that the work I did resulted in something successful. Also, the atmosphere at TWF is great; I really enjoyed my work experience.” – Tracy Cheung, City University Hong Kong

"I had quite a few "first times" at TWF: my first committed work effort at a local non-governmental organization; my first time to take charge of the design and formatting work of a printed material and to oversee the production process; and my first time to get seriously frustrated with the design software Adobe Illustrator! These "first times" added up to a unique internship experience where I could sharpen my language, communications and presentation skills. Moreover, I also gained knowledge about the resources and opportunities available for women and women’s organizations to continue to contribute to the society we are living in.” – Janice Sin, University of Toronto

"I have had a highly valuable experience at TWF in which I learnt a lot regarding communication and administration, especially involving donations and record keeping. My knowledge of Salesforce [database management software] has helped to increase my understanding of customer relationship management which will be very useful for me in the future as I aim to pursue a career in management.” – Anum Abid, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

"At TWF I learnt many new things, and many times if I had problems I had to find the solutions. It was difficult at first, but I managed to get through it and felt that this would be useful for me in the future – especially with my career. I’ve also learnt a lot about issues concerning women in Hong Kong – I realize now that we need to be more aware of what’s happening.” – Natalie Suen, City University Hong Kong