LEAD Internship Program

Program Type: Leadership development and paid internship program

Geographic Scope: Chicagoland (Chicago area)

Program Description:
LEAD connects college students to paid, 10-week summer placements at foundations, nonprofits, and mission-driven companies across Chicagoland. The program combines real work experience with intentional programming and relationship-building to develop the next generation of leaders who understand how power, capital, and community move.

Key Components:

• Real Roles: Students are hired directly by participating host organizations for paid positions
• Weekly Curriculum: CAFE-led workshops and events on leadership, identity, equity, and systems that shape opportunity
• Network Building: Connection to peers, mentors, and sector leaders across Chicagoland
• Continued Support: Program extends beyond summer through alumni mentors and organizational partnerships

The LEAD Experience Includes:

1. Intentional Curriculum: Weekly series on leadership, identity, and equity in practice; shared language development; framework for showing up in the sector
2. Belonging and Community: Centers students and managers in community from day one; cohort becomes space where people show up fully
3. Network That Grows: Connections with peers, mentors, and sector leaders; relationships deepen over time across cohorts

Target Audience:

• College students (rising talent)
• Early-career changemakers
• Emerging leaders

What Students Gain:

• Real-world experience in social impact settings
• Deeper understanding of how power and purpose connect
• Confidence navigating professional spaces
• Professional and personal network
• Paid summer employment

Purpose:
Expand who gets to shape the sector's future and ensure they're supported with relationships, tools, and language to do it well. Not designed to turn students into grantmakers but to build the sector's next generation of leaders.

Contact:

• Email: info@thecafegroup.org
• Phone: 312-383-6681
• Address: 222 N Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606

How to Apply

For Students:

• Student Interest Form: Submit student interest form to indicate participation interest
• Application timeline varies by year; typically applications open for summer placement

For Host Organizations:

• Become a Host Organization: Organizations can partner with LEAD to host interns
• Host organizations hire students directly for paid positions
• LEAD provides structure, curriculum, and mentoring support

Required Information:

• Student interest form submission
• Details on student background and interest in social impact work

Program Structure:

• 10-week paid summer internship placement
• Weekly CAFE-led programming and workshops
• Integration into cohort community
• Access to broader network of mentors and organizational partners