Are you looking for an opportunity to break into politics? Want to establish lasting connections and gain campaign experience? Would you like to work on behalf of a current or future Member of Congress?
The DCCC Internship Program is designed to give people substantial exposure to practical, campaign-style politics on a national level.
This is a great opportunity to help Democrats in our mission to take back the House and learn the ins and outs of a Congressional Campaign.
Who are we looking for?
- Proven leaders in their communities who are committed to electing Democratic candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives
- Smart, energetic, and fun people who are interested in gaining experience and involvement in politics
What are the benefits of the DCCC Internship Program?
- An unprecedented opportunity to work day-to-day with top political operatives in the country who are passionate about electing Democratic candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives
- Receive first-hand experience with how professional campaigns are run and how they function
- The opportunity to network with leaders in the field
The DCCC Internship Program will be offered on three different schedules:
- Spring Session: January-May
- Summer Session: May-August
- Fall Session: August – November
We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 Fall session now through Friday, June 21st, 2024. The Fall session will start on Monday, August 26th and end on Friday, November 22nd.
A stipend and Metro reimbursement is provided. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted, no phone calls please.
Internships are available in the following departments (descriptions below):
- Accounting and Operations
- Analytics
- Campaigns
- Communications
- Digital
- Direct Marketing
- Finance
- Research
- Stakeholder Engagement
Department Descriptions:
Accounting/Compliance and Operations:
This intern will work with both the Operations and Accounting departments developing greater knowledge of how the Committee operates. The Operations Department is responsible for the critical day-to-day business operations of the committee. This team makes sure that the committee staff has the resources and systems in place to enable staff to effectively execute their duties. The Accounting/Compliance department is responsible for overseeing all accounting, compliance, and Federal Election Commission (FEC) Reporting functions within the committee.
Interns can expect to assist with records maintenance, office administration, and to gain a basic knowledge of federal election law and political accounting practices. Examples of daily tasks include filing disbursements and receipts, assisting with expense account tracking, assisting with sales/use tax reporting, coordinating with the teams to manage miscellaneous projects, and assisting with Federal Election Compliance reporting. Please note, this is not a “strategy” field and work will be administrative in nature.
Analytics:
The DCCC Analytics Team is seeking an intern to learn and harness the DCCC’s state of the art analytics tools for use by congressional campaigns across the country. Duties will include data entry, data analysis, research, daily task tracking, using voter file data, and assisting with other projects.
Qualified applicants will have strong communications and problem solving skills. Applicants must be familiar with basic data management software (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) and have a basic knowledge of statistics. Knowledge of advanced database software or geographic information systems is helpful, but not required. Coursework in statistics, political data, database management, demographic data, or geographic information systems is also helpful but not required.
Campaigns:
The DCCC Campaigns Department is committed to recruiting, training, and electing Democratic candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives. The department provides the technical, logistical, and strategic support necessary for candidates and staff to run strong, winning campaigns. The department includes the following teams: Political, Organizing, Constituency Engagement, Digital Campaigns, Candidate Fundraising, and Voter Protection & Litigation.
The Campaigns Department provides guidance to campaigns on strategy, fundraising, messaging, budgeting, digital persuasion, and voter contact, as well as a wide range of other areas. The team is tasked with tracking the political climate on a national and district-by-district basis, and working to help campaigns gain visibility, both in-district and in Washington, D.C.
Interns will be involved in the day to day operations of the Campaigns Department. They will help track congressional races, maintain our database and candidate files while gaining exposure to all aspects of supporting successful campaigns.
Communications:
Fundamentally, political campaigns are an intellectual and emotional battle for the hearts and minds of the voters.The Communications Department is responsible for tugging at a voter’s heartstrings and making them want to vote for – or against – any given candidate. This means we spend much of our time thinking about personal stories, a candidate’s bio, and values that our candidates share with voters in their district.
Campaign communications as a whole can be broken down into a couple of compartments that you will gain experience in media monitoring, crafting press releases, categorizing talking points, and rapid response projects.
Digital:
The Digital Fundraising Department at the DCCC spearheads fundraising initiatives leveraging digital platforms. Our primary focus lies in mobilizing grassroots support through various channels such as emails, text messages, and targeted advertisements.
Using innovative digital strategies, we engage with donors, supporters, and potential contributors to garner financial backing for the committee’s endeavors. Through compelling storytelling, personalized outreach, and data-driven approaches, we aim to cultivate a robust network of supporters who are passionate about Democratic causes.
Direct Marketing:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Direct Marketing team is seeking an enthusiastic individual who is looking to learn more about grassroots fundraising and campaign politics. The Direct Marketing team fundraises through direct mail, telemarketing, and peer-to-peer texting.
Interns would assist the team with reviewing and editing copy and art for fundraising materials; communicating with grassroots donors through phone, email, and mail; assisting with campaign compliance; maintaining our donor database; aiding with political research projects; supporting the team through administrative tasks as needed; and helping with special projects and other tasks as needed.
Finance:
The Finance Department raises the funds that are essential to maintaining and expanding the Democratic Caucus in the House. The resources raised by this department help Democratic incumbents and challengers win competitive House seats.
The Finance Department has several different programs that utilize the strength and diversity of the Democratic Caucus and the Party through regional fundraising divisions. This department also plans and executes high-dollar fundraising events throughout the country.
Examples of daily tasks include preparing memos, conducting donor research and preparing for fundraising events. Interns may also be asked to help with long-term projects that may including research projects, compiling Member bios, and sourcing contact information. Interns will also attend and staff local fundraising events.
Research:
Research essentially serves as the campaign’s brain. We’re a mix between librarians and private investigators; we’re expected to be able to have the skills to find new information and piece together puzzles, but also be able to retrieve the right information at the right moment. And then, we’re expected to explain it in clear and simple language so it can be used as a proof point in the larger narrative we are using all this information to build.
Campaign research as a whole can be broken down into a couple of compartments. In this internship you’ll gain experience in the following – opposition research; self-research; fact checking, vetting, and approvals; rapid response; and tracking.
Stakeholder Engagement:
The DCCC Stakeholder Engagement team works on preserving, cultivating, and enhancing strategic relationships with allied organizations and stakeholders in Democratic and progressive networks. This internship position offers a unique access to a birds’ eye view of Democratic House strategy and operations, Democratic House campaigns, Members of the US House of Representatives and political and non-profit organizations. Some of the intern’s duties would include drafting and assisting with presentations and speaking engagements, Member of Congress-based and organizational data tracking and upkeep, prep and staffing for meetings/events with Members of Congress, stakeholders and organizations/nonprofits.