Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume in a single pdf file. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experiences that directly relate to it. 
 

The MBGNA summer internship takes place from Monday, May 5 to Friday, August 15, 2025.  To fully participate in team collaboration and project work, selected candidates are expected to complete all dates of the internship.

The Development & Volunteer Assistant Intern will work alongside the Development team of professionals to gain experience in all phases of development, including donor stewardship, event planning, customer service, volunteer coordination, and more. Evening and weekend hours are required.

Learning Objectives
The MBGNA summer internship provides university-level students with opportunities to:
 

• Participate in experiential learning in a nature-based organization
• Directly contribute to the strategic operations of a mission-driven organization
• Help unify and catalyze equity and justice across lands, waters, and dynamic systems
   

Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) is a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the waters and lands we steward.

We turn this commitment into action by:

• Positioning humans as active participants within the natural world and compelling the university community and our public to negotiate the full complexity that entails
• Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze equity and justice in a radically changing world
• Emerging as The university of Michigan's premier partner for research, teaching, and public impact in sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity
• Promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, fields, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world.

MBGNA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of Michigan and sustain the excellence of the University of Michigan.

For more information about MBGNA and the summer internship program, please visit: https://mbgna.umich.edu/summer-internships

For questions about the internship application, please contact:
MBGNAinternships@umich.edu 
 

This internship position is part of the Development team at MBGNA and will also work closely with the Visitor Experience team at MBGNA.  This internship is focused on all phases of development at MBGNA, including donor stewardship, event planning, customer service, volunteer coordination, and more. As part of the Development team, this position will regularly interact with visitors, donors, volunteers, and other MBGNA departments during a workday.  

This internship position will support the goals of the Development team through the following: 

• Work with our Volunteer and Membership Engagement Manager and Visitor Experience Team to coordinate and support events that engage donors, including: Spring plant sales, Curators tours, Shakespeare in the Arb, Things with Wings, and other similar public-facing events. Tasks include event support and coordinating volunteers.
• Work with our Assistant Director of Annual Giving to coordinate and support stewardship efforts including: tribute program enhancement, developing enhanced stewardship solutions for our members and donors, administrative tasks, and potential campaign event support. 
• Additional projects and event support will also be assigned throughout the internship focused on these key areas: membership and volunteer engagement, donor relations, membership acquisition, and enhanced program stewardship.
   

• Applicants must have one year of experience enrolled in a college or university by the internship start date. Recent college graduates who earned a degree in December 2024 or are planning to earn a degree by May 2025 are eligible to apply. 
• Experience in customer service, volunteer coordination, event planning or related experience is preferred.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and in some situations independently.
• Work with the public and staff  in various settings (outdoors, greenhouses, indoors).
• This position may require a valid driver's license and a motor vehicle record check in order to operate MBGNA vehicles.
• This position may require a background check in order to work with minors according to Children on Campus policy.
• This position may require frequent travel between MBGNA site locations. 
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Willingness to do physical work.
• Must have a flexible schedule with weekend and evening availability.
   

Hours Per Week / Days Per Week

• In-person work, 40 hours/week
• Evening and weekend hours are required
   

MBGNA comprises 841 total acres, spanning four sites, including the gardens, arboretum, a bog, and natural areas. This internship takes place mainly at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; with additional work being done at Nichols Arboretum, 1600 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 as assigned. 

In-person primarily with some remote work opportunities possible

Compensation: $15.00/hour

The MBGNA internship application will be open Wednesday, January 15 - Sunday, March 2, 2025.  Applications will be reviewed after the internship application closes.  Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews beginning Monday, March 10, 2025.  Final candidates will be notified by March 31, 2025. 

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.