Communications & Special Events

Position Details Internship Description: Communications & Special Events (2026: Spring – Summer – Winter) About Cedar Run Cedar Run is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of New Jersey’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation and rehabilitation. Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge sits on 171 wooded acres on the edge of the New Jersey Pinelands. Cedar Run includes the Woodford Nature Center, an outdoor Wildlife Housing Area with nearly 50 native residents, and a Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital. The overall mission of Cedar Run is to serve as a community resource on the importance of protecting and enhancing healthy ecosystems for all. To that end, Cedar Run engages in ecologically based land management; the operation of a federally and NJ State licensed hospital facility that cares for more than 7,500 injured, orphaned and sick native wildlife each year; the education of over 20,000 students annually through our various on-site and outreach programs; and serves as an active resource to the greater New Jersey community on all wildlife and habitat related questions and issues. Position Title: Non-Profit Marketing and Development Intern Department: Development Reports to: Development Coordinator Schedule: 20-35 hours a week for 8- to 12-week commitment. Type: Unpaid. College credits are available Deadline for Applications: Spring Internship (8 weeks): 1/5/2026 – Internships typically run from mid-February – May Summer Internship (12 weeks): 4/13/2026 – Internships typically run from mid-May – August Winter Internship (8 weeks): 7/20/2026 – Internships typically run from mid-September – November Purpose Of Position The Communications & Special Events Intern will support the Communications & Events teams in planning and promoting key fundraising and community events, including assisting with event logistics, marketing outreach, content creation, and donor engagement. This role will help enhance visibility, strengthen community relationships, and ensure memorable event experiences. They are also responsible for assisting in completing tasks including but not limited to drafting e-newsletters, creating social media content, creating promotional content for pop-up and special events, and assisting in the organization of events. Additionally, this position will provide administrative and clerical support to others in the Development Department and Nature Center, as well as community outreach support through posting event flyers and tabling as needed. The position will be accepted on a rolling basis. Duties And Responsibilities Assist with all stages of marketing campaigns for events and fundraising efforts, including researching local contacts and consumer trends to identify marketing needs, outreach to appropriate influencers and brands, and more. Research marketing efforts to be related to local advertising. Design materials such as marketing collateral, banners, emails, logos, signage, infographics, branded items, and more. Create video, graphics, and copy for Cedar Run’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok to ensure a consistent and brand-centered social media strategy. Assist in curating a connected but appropriate social media strategy for each platform to improve reach and showcase the Cedar Run brand across all platforms. Collaborate with the communications team. Prepare various options for material redesigns. Support design projects from initial concept to final production. Maintain brand standards of the organization to ensure final graphics and layouts are visually appealing, on-brand, and meet deadline. Research and evaluate exemplary marketing and digital content. Help distribute marketing materials. Assist with event planning and implementation. Perform various office-related tasks as necessary. Act in a manner to positively represent Cedar Run. Other duties as assigned. Specific Tasks And Projects They will learn about how a nonprofit communications and development team raises awareness and funding. This intern will be responsible for assisting with fundraising efforts through special events and different ways to give, giving them a direct opportunity to elevate these efforts with new ideas and assist in executing these ideas. They will be responsible for creating a campaign to raise funding that they can see from concept to completion. This would be either a digital campaign effort through emails/social media/SMS or an in-person campaign, such as community outreach festival tabling or event. This intern would be responsible for creating social media content, expanding our social media presence on LinkedIn and Instagram, and conducting proactive external outreach to other community stakeholders. This intern will also be responsible for tracking engagement on all of our platforms and working with our team on different ways to boost engagement. These platforms could include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Preferred Qualifications Currently enrolled college student in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Public Relations, Non-Profit Management, Business, Graphic Design, or related program areas. Interest and excitement for Cedar Run’s mission to protect and preserve New Jersey’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation, and rehabilitation. Highly organized and detail-oriented, flexible, and collaborative with an ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. In-depth understanding of different marketing techniques. Strong writing and communication skills and a professional manner and attitude. Ability to handle multiple deadlines in an environment of constant change. Must be a self-starter who is flexible and committed to teamwork but can work independently when necessary. Adaptable, dependable, and responsible. Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Excel and PowerPoint. Basic graphic design skills and experience with Adobe Creative Cloud are recommended. At the end of your internship, you will be expected to prepare a report summarizing key findings from a project of your choice and your recommendations for strategic next steps. Must have access to a vehicle or transportation. Must be able to work on-site in the office (4 Sawmill Road, Medford, NJ). May be requested to work at the local library for grant research. Some weekend work will be required. Additional Information Communications & Special Events Interns will directly engage with the leadership team and the Development & Communications Department staff to connect and learn from these individuals. They will also be invited to attend Event Sub-Committee meetings and present findings and opportunities to grow engagement, donor stewardship, and event opportunities. Interns will experience firsthand interacting with the public by creating and performing surveys. They will also be responsible for learning how to interact with the public via phone calls and guest relations in our Nature Center. Interns will be asked to participate in a fundraising or special event to benefit Cedar Run’s mission. They will be responsible for carrying out tasks and assisting with day-of marketing needs, like posting on social media through live feeds and stories and answering any questions the public may have. #1 Professionalism / Critical Thinking: Interns will practice professional communication and critical thinking by interacting with the public during outreach efforts, on-site surveys, and Nature Center guest relations. They will answer questions to the best of their ability and convey information tailored to the audience (ranging from preschoolers to senior citizens). #2 Written Skills: Interns will learn and observe Cedar Run’s visual brand and brand language to assist with marketing efforts (such as social media posts, blog posts, emails, newsletter features, website enhancements, and brochures), outreach efforts (such as press releases), and grant proposals. They will also learn the specific needs and audience for each task and tailor the content to the objective. #3 Teamwork: Interns will interact with many personalities, backgrounds, career goals, demographics, etc. They will work alongside staff members, interns, and volunteers. They will collaborate to perform tasks such as marketing and fundraising initiatives, community outreach festival tabling, and learning more about the organization to share genuinely while interacting with the public. #4 Time Management & Event Management: Interns will assist with planning the largest fundraising event of the year, held in October. They will assist with portions of the event to enhance our fundraising efforts, and supporter engagement, and increase the event’s success. They will learn event planning and time management and see what moving pieces go into a 150-person donor dinner fundraising event. Depending on the needs and schedule, nonprofit development and marketing interns may be required to work some evenings and weekends. Cedar Run does not discriminate in hiring or any other aspect of employment based on race, gender, age, color, national origin, religion, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected category under federal or state law. For all inquiries, please submit your resume, cover letter, and 2-3 professional references. Please apply before above deadlines to be considered. The position will be accepted on a rolling basis. Contact: Shannon Donaghy, Development Coordinator, shannon.donaghy@cedarrun.org No phone calls about this position please. #J-18808-Ljbffr