Non-governmental organisations (NGO), not-for-profit, and charity internships offer a wide range of roles to interns in a unique and career enhancing environment.
Roles may be in any area of an organisation, from business administration to marketing to finance and law. Regardless of what field you’re interested in, there’s an internship for you in this category, and you’ll develop highly transferable skills while doing good for the community.
An NGO, not-for-profit, or charity internship in New Zealand will help better the lives of New Zealanders and other communities around the world. You will typically contribute in one of the following areas: community rights, community sports, health and wellbeing, animal rights, women’s rights, indigenous persons’ rights, immigration, or environmental advocacy.
Placements are primarily made in Auckland but are possible in other cities when requested or when opportunities do not exist in Auckland. Placements range from 4 – 40 weeks depending on the visa you are on and any university requirements. If you require a shorter or a longer internship please make a special request in your application form. Internships may be either part time (starting at 16 hours per week) or full time (up to 40 hours per week). We can negotiate a set number of hours per week in advance that satisfies your schedule and any University requirements. Most internship placements are Monday to Friday however some hosts may requires some assistance on evenings and weekends. If you are planning to study or work part time we can plan your internship hours around your schedule.
What’s Included?
Online interview
Placement Supervisor
Placement agreement
Orientation
Travel & local advice
Social community
24-hour support service
Certificate of completion
Gain practical work skills in a business setting
Putting education into practice
Meet people who will help to advance your career
Learn new ways of critical thinking
Intercultural communication
Get job ready!
NGO, NPO and Charity Internship Tasks May Include
- Administrative support
Membership, sponsorship and marketing support
Developing, preparing and delivering materials
Developing and assisting in fundraising efforts
Advocating for disadvantaged people and groups
Working on climate protection initiatives
Assisting with volunteer management
Organising conferences and other events
Liaising with local health or law agencies
Responding to enquiries and requests for information
Assisting in community outreach hubs
NGO, NPO and Charity Internship Requirements
High School leaver or higher qualification
Excellent interpersonal skills
Ability to effectively communicate in English with colleagues
Ability to work in teams and undertake a wide range of roles
A passion for helping people, the environment and/or social causes
Experience with MS office
4 weeks minimum, 52 weeks maximum
Up to 12 weeks on a tourist visa, up to 24 weeks on a student trainee visa, and up to one year on a working holiday visa (ask us for more details)
Criminal background check
Completed online application form and uploaded documents (resume, motivation letter, references)
If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia you may need an NZeTa visa, visitor visa, student visa, work visa, or working holiday visa to participate in placement, Please see our visas section for more information.
In Auckland, host organisations are located all over the city, so your travel time will depend on where you live. However, we aim to keep travel time as short as possible, and if you book accommodation via INTERNeX, we’ll ensure that your travel time is no longer than an hour each way (which is an average Auckland commute). Outside of Auckland, travel times tend to be shorter than an hour.
In short, yes. We can make all internship placements are made in accordance with any requirements your university has. You should check with your university or faculty head that your placement can receive course credit and whether your university has any requirements you must meet – e.g. number of hours worked; length of placement etc. We’ll take these into account when we make your placement.
Any students from our local or international partner universities will automatically get course credit applied on successful completion of your placement and submission to your University. If your University is not a partner of INTERNeX we are happy to provide any feedback or ensure reporting standards that are required for your University.
Internships do not usually have a built-in holiday break, however we can arrange these on a case-by-case basis. If you have a set holiday date (as many local university and study abroad students do) or you have family visiting, for example, let us know during the interview process and we’ll arrange this time off with your host organisation when we negotiate your placement. Remember also, that once your placement agreement is in place, you’ll know your expected hours to be working and can plan your weekly time-off away around this.
If you’ve booked accommodation with INTERNeX, please note that you are not entitled to refunds on your accommodation fees if you are not staying in the accommodation during your any break from the placement. For this reason, we recommend you take holidays either before your internship starts or after it ends.
We’re partnered with several local travel organisations so you can book a travel package within New Zealand before you depart your home country and will discuss travel plans and options in your initial consultation and can book these for you when you confirm your arrival and departure dates.
We offer both full-time (up to 40 hours per week) and part-time internships (as few as 16 hours per week), so you can manage your internship around your studies and other commitments. Your weekly hours will depend on your preferences, the needs of your host organisation, and any requirements your university might have.
Your activities and/or projects during your internship will all be clearly outlined in your placement agreement. These will be in accordance with your preferences, your host organisation’s projects at the time, and any requirements your university may have. In general, you’ll have a range of tasks. You’ll start with fairly simple things, but as your internship progresses and your confidence in the role develops, you’ll be given more responsibilities and complex tasks.
We’re dedicated to choosing the right placement for you – one where you’ll be comfortable but also challenged in all the right ways. We carefully select your internship based on factors such as your individual background and experience, your level of English, and the length of your stay.
After you apply for our internship program, you’ll be assigned a placement supervisor, whom you’ll meet via a video conferencing tool. In this meeting, you’ll be able to ask any questions you may have about the program and voice any preferences you have. Following the meeting, your supervisor will start your placement search and find a suitable organisation to host you.
You may need to have an interview or two with your potential host organisation, which your supervisor will organise.
Once we’ve found the perfect organisation for you, we’ll send you a placement agreement outlining some key information about your internship, such as your tasks and responsibilities.
Our internships generally last between 4 and 24 weeks, although longer placements can be made if your university requires it.
An internship of 4-8 weeks is usually long enough to observe and participate in an organisation’s basic processes, learn about its business philosophy, and begin helping out on various projects.
An internship of 8-16 weeks is usually enough time to participate in and start to master basic business processes, to become an integral part of the team, and to start managing your own projects and becoming involved with larger team projects.
An internship of 16+ weeks allows you to master business processes and even start improving those processes, to become a fundamental part of the team, and to take on more complex projects both independently and as part of a team.
We offer internships in private, public, government, non-government, charity, and not-for-profit organisations.
Each of our placements has specific requirements, and we’ll place you depending on your individual background, experience, level of English, and length of stay. In most cases, you’ll need to have an interview or two with your prospective host organisation.
An internship is a period of supervised, unpaid, practical training or experience for qualified students and professionals. It can take place remotely or onsite within an organisation and is a time-limited, not permanent, role.
What’s in it for you? A taste of real-world experience in your chosen academic or professional field, giving you a leg up on your peers.
The team at Internex have worked in the youth education and travel industry for over 20 years, so we know how to make your overseas experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Our team have all lived, worked, and studied overseas and know firsthand the challenges of moving to a new country and will be there to support you every step of the way.
We’ll make sure you know what to expect and how to prepare, we’ll take care of any practical difficulties you may have, and our local representatives will ensure you are happy and looked after while you’re away.
Internex is also dedicated to providing the best quality programs at affordable prices. Accommodation and meals (where included) make up the bulk of a program’s cost. Remaining fees are for our local representatives who ensure you’re taken care of in every country we represent.
We meet all our participants on Zoom or in person to learn more about them. We personally visit our hosts to ensure the highest standards and when you live with one of our hosts in homestays or farmstay we collect criminal records and have them complete an application form to ensure they understand the expectations of our participants.
We are not a search engine, we are real people that ensure this real experience is as good as it can be and all stakeholders are satisfied with the outcome.
We want you to be safe and happy while you learn and have fun abroad!
Our internships generally last between 4 and 24 weeks, although longer placements can be made if your university requires it.
An internship of 4-8 weeks is usually long enough to observe and participate in an organisation’s basic processes, learn about its business philosophy, and begin helping out on various projects.
An internship of 8-16 weeks is usually enough time to participate in and start to master basic business processes, to become an integral part of the team, and to start managing your own projects and becoming involved with larger team projects.
An internship of 16+ weeks allows you to master business processes and even start improving those processes, to become a fundamental part of the team, and to take on more complex projects both independently and as part of a team.
Click here for more information about our application and placement process
Internex provides the following additional services;
- Pre-departure support
- Flights and visa assistance
- Insurance booking
- 3 night Arrival Package
- Airport transfer
- Homestay accommodation
- Hostel accommodation
- Multiple placement bookings
Additional services can be added to your booking during the application process.
“The team take their time to get to know the interests of their candidates to find the perfect fitting program for them. They really help the people with everything and make sure they have the best experience”
Bart, The Netherlands – NGO Internship New Zealand, 2014