Graduate Student Advocacy Internship

United Way for Greater Austin; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 5,400; Part time

Job summary

A community organization is offering a Graduate Student Advocacy Internship for UT Austin graduate students for Summer 2026. This position will support advocacy activities including policy research, relationship building, and the development of UWATX's advocacy strategy. The intern will engage deeply in economic mobility initiatives and benefit from hands-on experience and mentorship in the nonprofit sector. A total stipend of $5,400 will be provided, with a flexible schedule of 15-20 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Interest in public policy, advocacy, data analysis, or the nonprofit sector.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and synthesize complex information.

Responsibilities

• Assist in creating a robust advocacy internship program.
• Gather and synthesize data for policy and advocacy work.
• Conduct policy research related to economic mobility and early childhood education.

Skills

Analytical skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Organizational skills

Ability to work independently

Familiarity with data visualization tools

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university

Graduate student enrolled in UT Austin LBJ School program

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

GRADUATE STUDENT ADVOCACY INTERNSHIP (Open to UT at Austin Graduate Students only): Summer 2026

United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) is seeking a highly motivated graduate student intern at the LBJ Graduate School at the University of Texas, Austin to support the creation of an advocacy internship as well as strengthening advocacy activities including policy research, relationship building efforts, record keeping and systemization of collateral, and support creation of UWATX’s advocacy strategy for the 2027 legislative session and beyond. This internship is designed for students interested in public policy, data-driven decision-making, system change, and supporting the nonprofit sector.

The intern will gain hands‑on experience working with advocacy-minded professionals, internal and external to UWATX, coalition and program leaders at the organization, and building and creating systems to advance advocacy efforts at a large non‑profit. This position offers a meaningful opportunity to directly support UWATX’s work in supporting the advancement of early childhood systems, economic mobility, and access to essential resources for families through systemic change and data‑informed advocacy.

This internship is supported by the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. All applicants must be currently enrolled students at the University of Texas at Austin and meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Continuing graduate, or PhD student at UT Austin (graduation date no earlier than Fall 2026). Graduate students at the LBJ School strongly preferred, but other graduate students at UT may be considered.
• In good academic standing (a minimum GPA of 3.0 and not on academic probation)
• Students should not have received prior internship funding through the RGK Center or the LBJ School
• The internship stipend will be distributed directly to the student through the LBJ School Fellowships office on the payment terms listed in the job description.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Advocacy Intern will assist UWATX staff with tasks such as:

• Creation of a robust and competitive advocacy internship program (tools, strategy, guides, and learning objectives) that will be utilized by UWATX for future students
• Collaborate with the UWATX Data and Evaluation team to collect, organize, and synthesize available data used in UWATX’s policy and advocacy work
• Curating and organizing advocacy toolkits, contact lists, focus area initiatives, and systems to track important invested parties and activities
• Supporting the cohesion, documentation, and utilization of organizational advocacy activities and initiatives
• Conducting policy research on issues related to economic mobility, nonprofit sector impact, financial stability, health, and early childhood education
• Creating templates for summaries, briefs, and visualizations using data to support UWATX advocacy
• Assisting in the development of data‑informed messaging and materials for UWATX members and stakeholders
• Supporting the preparation of policy analyses and background documents
• Participating in virtual meetings, webinars, or policy discussions as appropriate

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Enrolled in the UT Austin LBJ School graduate program, working towards a graduate degree. Additional graduate students from schools outside of the LBJ School may be considered.
• Interest in public policy, advocacy, data analysis, or the nonprofit sector.
• Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and synthesize complex information clearly.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel. Experience with data visualization tools or platforms is a plus but not required.
• Detail‑oriented with strong organizational skills.

HOURS and COMPENSATION

• 15-20 hours per week, flexible scheduling Monday–Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• 15 week internship, beginning mid to late May
• $5,400 scholarship, distributed by the LBJ School
• Strong performance during the Summer 2026 internship may be considered for a continued part‑time Fall 2026 internship, depending on organizational needs, funding, and intern availability.
• This internship is primarily virtual, but some in‑person meetings and support may be required

ABOUT UNITED WAY FOR GREATER AUSTIN

United Way for Greater Austin brings our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all. All of our strategic, evidence‑based work – from leading community coalitions, to funding nonprofit partners, to running proven programs – is aligned to achieve this singular goal. To learn more about our work, visit www.unitedwayaustin.org.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants should apply to Paylocity. Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2026.