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Due to capacity, the Cooperative Internship Network is PAUSED this summer 2024. We are taking this time to re-evaluate and rejuvenate our service to members and the cooperative movement. Thank you for your understanding.
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Why host an intern?
By hosting an intern, your co-op, non-profit, or business does more than meet project needs; you are building the skills and experience of the next generation of movement builders. You are training future co-op and community leaders today.
NASCO’s member organizations represent over 4,000 individuals, the majority of whom are youth living in housing cooperatives. Unlike average internship applicant pools, our members are entering the workforce with a wealth of cooperative experience, advanced democratic competencies, and a deep appreciation for the cooperative model.
Through leadership positions in their co-ops, many applicants have honed valuable skills relating to nonprofit governance, financial literacy, personnel management, organizational development, conflict resolution, member education, maintenance, kitchen management, and community organizing.
Overview of Process
- Host organizations meet with NASCO, as needed, to support the development of meaningful internship positions
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Internship positions listed on NASCO's website and advertised through NASCO’s newsletter (4,000+), Facebook (2,000+), Twitter (1,800+), and Instagram (1,400+) followers
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Internship program posters mailed to NASCO members (4,000 individuals)
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Interns will apply to all opportunities that they are interested in and applications will be compiled and sent to hosts for review
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Other applicants that are a good fit for specific positions will be encouraged to apply
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Applications will include general information, short/long responses, resume, and references
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NASCO staff will support hosts in communicating with applicants and ranking applications
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Hosts will conduct interviews and communicate their preferred candidates to NASCO
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NASCO staff will match interns with hosts based on intern and host preferences
NASCO encourages host organizations to provide:
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A meaningful internship of at least three months which allows the intern to develop specific employable skills. Take a look at this list of previous positions for inspiration.
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Mentoring to support the intern's personal and professional growth as well as their ability to successfully complete the internship.
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Educational opportunities for the intern to demonstrate the values and principles of cooperative and community organizations.
Eligible Hosts
Internship host organizations must be located in Canada or the United States and must be one of the following types of organizations:
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Cooperative businesses
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Associations of cooperatives
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Cooperative development organizations
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Organizations that support cooperatives
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Solidarity Economy/New Economy organizations
Compensation Guidelines
All internships must provide an hourly living wage or stipend. If your co-op plans to offer housing or both room & board to your intern the cost of this housing may count toward their compensation as long as the total value of compensation is still a living wage. For in-person internships you may use the living wage where your organization is located, for remote internships you must use the living wage where your selected intern is based.
To find the living wage for your location: (http://livingwage.mit.edu/)
(Range: $13.48/hr [Rural Kentucky] - $22.88/hr [San Francisco])
For support on calculating fair compensation when offering room and board please email NASCO staff.
Internships can be
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Full-time (30+ hrs/week)
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Part-time (10-30 hrs/week)
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Less than part-time (Less than 10 hrs/week):
Program Fees
NASCO Members: Participating in the program is free for NASCO member organizations for up to three postings. For every posting after that there is a $50 processing fee.
Non-members: A $50 USD non-refundable deposit is required with the application for non-members. If matching is successful, there is an additional $150 program administration fee. Organizations with limited funds may apply for fee discounts by contacting NASCO staff.
Unsure if your organization is a member of NASCO? Email us, and we'll let you know.
Info Sessions
If you're considering hosting an intern this summer, we welcome you to join us for one of two informational calls. We will be hosting informational calls on Zoom for all prospective internship hosts on Monday, Feb. 21 at 2:00 pm CT and Wednesday, March 2 at 5:00 pm CT. These 1 hour-long-calls will open with an overview of the Internship Network, lead to anecdotes and advice gathered from participants, and will close with a brief Q&A.
Here are some links to RSVP for the session you would like to attend: