3-6 months

Real stakeholders. Real codebase. Real work experience.

Real stakeholders. Real requirements. Real codebase.

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You're placed with a partner nonprofit to build or improve actual software. Not a toy project. A real organization with real users. You'll have weekly check-ins with your career coach and technical mentor, alternating every other week.

Common challenges

  • No experience with real stakeholders or client-facing requirements
  • Can't point to a single shipped project with actual users
  • No references who can speak to your work quality from a professional context
  • Don't know how to navigate ambiguous or changing requirements

How this track helps

  • Work on a real codebase for an organization with real users
  • Deal with actual stakeholder requirements, not invented project specs
  • Build the kind of portfolio piece that has a real story behind it
  • Earn your first professional reference from someone outside school

What the placement looks like

You're matched with a partner nonprofit based on your skills and their needs. You build or improve actual software. Not a demo, not a capstone. The organization has real users who depend on what you ship, and real stakeholders who have opinions about it.

  • Matched by skill level and project fit, not randomly assigned
  • 3-6 month placement with defined deliverables
  • Regular standups and stakeholder check-ins
  • Code review and collaboration with your technical mentor throughout

Sunrise Community Foundation

Volunteer Management Portal

Week 7 of 16

Sprint 4 (Current)

Volunteer sign-up form with email confirmation

Admin dashboard - view all registrations

Export volunteers to CSV

In progress

Recurring event scheduling

Upcoming
Sprint progress 50%

Coaching while you work

Career coaching and technical mentorship run in parallel during the nonprofit phase. Sessions alternate every other week. Your coach works on your job search narrative while your mentor focuses on what you're building.

  • Biweekly career coaching and technical mentorship sessions
  • Session notes and action items tracked throughout the placement
  • Direct feedback tied to your actual internship work, not generic advice
  • Job search strategy begins during the internship, not after it ends

Coaching Schedule

Nonprofit Phase - Alternating Sessions

Week 2 · career

Resume audit

Week 4 · technical

Code review - auth module

Week 6 · career

LinkedIn rewrite

Week 8 · technical

Architecture walkthrough

Week 10 · career

Job search strategy

Week 12 · technical

PR review + portfolio polish

What you get out of it

Concrete outcomes you take with you when this track is complete.

A portfolio piece with a real story behind it
Experience navigating stakeholder requirements
Your first reference who can speak to your work
Proof you can take software from requirements to shipped, with real users depending on it

Ready to start the Nonprofit Internship track?

Apply now and show us what you can build. The admissions project is how we get to know you.

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about the Nonprofit Internship track.

Are these real nonprofits?
Yes. These are vetted partner organizations we've built relationships with. They know you're emerging talent and are invested in making the placement productive for both sides.
What if the project goes badly?
That's part of the experience. Software projects rarely go perfectly, and learning to handle that is the skill. Your coaches are there throughout to help.
Do I work remotely?
All placements are fully remote unless you and the organization explicitly agree otherwise.
What tech stacks will I encounter?
It varies by organization. We match you to a nonprofit where your existing skills apply. If there's a gap, your technical mentor helps you close it.