Summer Internship 2026 - CGD Europe

CGD Europe (CGDE), an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank in London is now accepting applicants for its annual Summer Internship Programme. The internship will be spread over 20 hours per week for an 8-week period and the successful applicants will be expected to be in the office two days a week.

What will candidates gain from the programme? The Summer Internship Programme is CGDE’s initiative aimed at helping to establish the next wave of leaders in global development. The successful candidate will participate in a structured, paid, part-time internship programme that will expose them to our work in various areas, provide experience in institutional operations and activities, and present opportunities for professional development and networking, with the goal of encouraging participants to consider a career in development. Through this 8-week programme, CGDE hopes to gain diverse perspectives while building a new network of professionals to become part of the development community.

The role CGDE Summer Intern will perform a range of tasks in support of the organisation’s programmatic mission. Interns will spend 8 weeks from June to September working closely with staff to support and complete a distinct project related to CGDE’s work. Internship opportunities are available in the following areas:

• Institutional Advancement (IA): The Institutional Advancement (IA) intern will support CGD’s IA team by contributing to the strengthening of systems, processes, and analytical approaches that underpin fundraising work. The role will support data analysis, prospect research, and donor engagement activities, helping ensure that insights from internal systems and the external fundraising environment are translated into effective action. Through this work, the intern will help advance the strategic priorities of the IA team, while developing strong research, analytical, organisational, and communication skills and gaining exposure to efforts to increase unrestricted funding.

Examples of activities include:

• Supporting the overhaul and optimisation of Salesforce, including data clean-up and entry, improving data quality and structures, and helping develop dashboards, reports, and analysis to strengthen prospect tracking and fundraising strategy.
• Conducting prospect research on foundations, philanthropists, and institutional donors; analysing alignment with CGD’s mission and strategic priorities; and contributing to prospect prioritisation and pipeline development, with a focus on unrestricted funding opportunities.
• Scanning and analysing the wider fundraising and philanthropy landscape to identify trends, emerging opportunities, and risks, and sharing insights to inform the development and refinement of strategic fundraising priorities.
• Providing project support to the fundraising team, potential activities include writing and editing donor materials, and support for outreach and stewardship activities.
• Participating in team meetings, internal sessions, and potential selected external events to build understanding of CGD’s programmes, fundraising strategy, and the broader development and donor landscape.

Requirements:

• Candidates should be currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an undergraduate or graduate degree, ideally in economics, development studies, political science, international relations/development, communications, business, or a related field.
• Interest in economics, global development, political science, non-profit administration, or other related fields.
• Must be available for 20 hours per week, during normal business hours for the full 8 weeks.
• A strong desire to help make the internship programme a success through enthusiasm, participation, a commitment to learning and asking questions, and offering candid feedback about how we can improve.
• The internship requires to be in the London SW1 office, 2 days a week.
• Comfortable with remote communications (Zoom, Teams).
• A positive, team-player attitude.

Candidates must have the right or be able to obtain the right to work and live in the UK by the time they start the internship. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. Individuals from diverse backgrounds and/or underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Interns will receive £15 GBP per hour, paid monthly. Candidates who do not have the technology (hardware or internet) to participate are still encouraged to apply. CGDE is committed to making the programme accessible to all and will offer support to those with technology needs.

How to Apply: Applicants should submit a CV and a response (700-word maximum) to one of the application questions (one side of A4). Please indicate which question you are answering in your submission, and which of the three roles you would prefer. Due to the large volume of applicants, CGDE is unable to answer inquiries regarding application status. General queries about the programme are welcome.

Application Questions:

• Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds and each of has our own distinct life experience. Describe how your life experience might contribute to the CGDE community.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

CGD/E is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and celebrates fostering a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive work environment. All persons will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, parental status, veteran status, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation.