Strategic Partnership Intern

About us:

Kiva is a global nonprofit, founded in 2005, with a mission to expand financial access and help underserved communities thrive. Kiva unlocks capital for borrowers through crowdfunded loans supported by individuals around the world. Lenders on Kiva can start with as little as $25 to support causes that matter most to them, whether that’s gender equity and support for women, refugees, climate change, small businesses, agriculture, and more. Since our founding, over two million people have invested over $2 billion in real dreams and real opportunity, spanning more than 100 countries and over 5 million borrowers.

As we work toward our mission, Kiva invests in building and retaining a global team of talent to add to our values-driven and digital-first culture. Our organization is supported by over 700 volunteers and 130+ full-time employees dispersed around the world, as well as within team hubs located in San Francisco, Nairobi, Bogota, and Bangkok. Kiva’s team is growing as we pursue exciting new opportunities to scale our impact and create a financially inclusive world.

Kiva's values:

Impact first - This is why we exist. This is the drumbeat we march to. Every day.

Extreme ownership - Own it; you, your relationships, your impact. Insist that others support you and hold you accountable.

Be curious and bold - Never stop learning. Question assumptions. Take Risks and dream big.

Inclusion. Equity. Diversity. - Without reservation and without caveat. In our hiring, in our workplace and in our impact in the world.

Honor and integrity - Do the most right thing in the most right way. Cherish diversity and respect each other.

Love and kindness always - Say what you mean. Mean what you say. And don't say it mean. Clarity. Courage. Kindness.

Internship Program

Since its founding, volunteerism has been an integral part of Kiva's foundation and success. As a Kiva Intern, you will contribute your passion, drive, ideas, and expertise to expanding our reach and impact while taking on immediate and significant responsibilities within your team. In addition to learning on the job, you'll partake in a variety of educational, social, and professional development workshops and events that will accelerate your professional growth while learning about Kiva and the non-profit, technology, and microfinance sectors. 

Through this volunteer internship, we’re hoping to provide a high-caliber learning experience. With the completion of our internship program, you will take away many in-demand job skills. Additionally, all Kiva interns will gain exposure to foundational microfinance concepts and ongoing professional development tailored to your career goals. This position will also put you in contact with a wide array of employees around the world, giving you a jump start on networking opportunities.

This Kiva internship is a 6-month, part-time (24 - 32 hours per week), United States-based, remote volunteer position. 

At this time, we can only consider applicants who are authorized to work in the United States on a permanent, full-time basis; unfortunately, we cannot provide visa sponsorship.

Department overview:

The Strategic Partnerships team develops relationships with corporations, foundations, and individuals to grow Kiva’s impact. By working across teams, we help secure funding, build strategic collaborations, and unlock new opportunities that advance financial inclusion around the world.

Your role:

We’re seeking a proactive and adaptable Strategic Partnerships Intern to serve as a business development generalist supporting Kiva’s partnerships pipeline. This role will contribute across the full lifecycle of partnership development – from early-stage prospect research and outreach drafting to pitch development and proposal support.

In this role, you’ll gain hands-on experience working on real partnership opportunities while developing practical skills in business development, storytelling, and partner engagement. You’ll support the creation of pitch decks, proposals, and outreach materials for corporate partners, foundations, and individual donors, while also helping prepare for key conferences through targeted prospect research and briefing development.

A core focus of this internship will be exploring how AI can enhance business development workflows. You’ll test and pilot AI tools to support prospect research, outreach drafting, and proposal development; gaining valuable experience applying emerging technologies in a real-world setting. You’ll also help document and scale successful use cases, directly shaping how the team works.

This is a highly cross-functional role that blends strategy, execution, and experimentation. Your work will directly contribute to expanding Kiva’s partnerships and impact—helping unlock funding and opportunities that advance financial inclusion worldwide—while equipping you with in-demand skills in business development and AI-enabled workflows.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Support the development of pitch decks, proposals, and partner-facing materials tailored to corporate, foundation, and individual donor audiences
• Draft and refine outreach communications, including email campaigns, meeting follow-ups, and introductory materials
• Conduct prospect research to identify and evaluate potential partners, including companies, foundations, and individuals aligned with Kiva’s mission
• Support conference preparation, including researching attendees, identifying priority prospects, and developing briefing documents for Kiva representatives
• Assist in building and maintaining a strong partnerships pipeline by organizing and synthesizing research, notes, and engagement history
• Test and pilot AI tools to support business development workflows (e.g., prospect research, outreach drafting, proposal development, and content creation)
• Document and share learnings from AI experiments, including recommendations for scaling successful use cases across the team
• Contribute to the creation and refinement of reusable templates and materials for pitches, proposals, and outreach
• Provide general support across active partnership opportunities and special projects as needed

Preferred qualifications:

• At least 21 years of age or older by January 12, 2027
• Able to commit to the full 6-month term
• Strong critical thinking, with an eye for detail, and ownership of your work
• Enjoys problem-solving and relationship building
• Strong written and verbal communication  skills
• Highly proactive and able to work independently
• Highly organized individual with an aptitude for working in a start-up environment. 
• Intermediate skills in Google docs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

What we offer:

• Professional development and skills workshops
• Access to Kiva’s network of Kiva Fellowship and Internship Alumni
• Optional participation in Kiva’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and social activities such as happy hours and coffee chats  
• References are gladly given for successful participants

Kiva's Internship is a part-time volunteer position; however, to help offset some expenses, Kiva will provide a modest stipend of $800 a month (before taxes) to its volunteers. Please note that the stipend is considered taxable income and we expect interns to do their own research as to how this may affect their personal/tax implications.

The weekly time commitment for a Kiva Internship is 24 - 32 hours per week, from January 12, 2027 - June 30, 2027_._ Please make sure you are available to commit to the entire internship period before submitting an application.

A diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other is an integral part of Kiva's culture.  We actively welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer and a great place to work. Join us and help us achieve our mission!

We will only accept applications directly from candidates. Kiva will not be responsible for any recruiting agency fees, absent a formal agreement.