Common Cause > About Us > Employment Opportunities

Jobs at Common Cause

Common Cause is one of the most active, effective, and respected nonprofit organizations working for political change in America.  We are a nonpartisan citizens' lobby, dedicated to making government responsive and accountable to the people.  Since the 1970s, we have led the fight for campaign finance reforms, ethics and accountability in government, civil rights, and open government on national, state and local levels.

Today, Common Cause is working to stop further consolidation of the media, to advance campaign reforms that make people and ideas more important than money, to ensure that our voting and election systems are accurate and accessible, and to increase participation in the political process.  Common Cause strives to strengthen our democracy by empowering our nearly 400,000 members and supporters and the general public to take action on critical policy issues.

The following positions are available at Common Cause and will remain posted until they are filled.  Please follow the application instructions listed for each position.  Unfortunately, due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to accept telephone calls in reference to the listed positions.

Jobs available as of August 24, 2010:

Internship, Democracy Matters

POSITION AVAILABLE: Internship, Democracy Matters

REPORTS TO: Executive Director, Democracy Matters

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Democracy Matters (DM), a non-partisan campus-based project of Common Cause, working to get big private money out of politics and people back in. We’re a national organization offering an exciting internship opportunity to committed students to engage in political activism on their own campuses. Adonal Foyle, DM President and 13 year veteran NBA player, founded DM because he believes that students should have more of a voice in our democracy. In our ten year history, we have reached thousands of students on hundreds of campuses.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Organize for Social Change; Address campaign finance reform, public financing of elections, and other initiatives that deepen democracy and related issues of global warming, tuition increases, and health care; Receive training and background policy initiatives by Democracy Matters and Common Cause. (No expertise in campaign finance reform is required.); Build coalitions of student activists on your campus; Create a Democracy Matters chapter that works with students, faculty and community activists to get private money out of politics and people back in; Develop and gain skills as a grassroots organizer; Organize at least four on-campus campaigns/events per semester; Year long internship (September – May); 10 hours a week (may vary).

QUALIFICATIONS: Must be a current student at a college or university in order to recruit and train other students (no class level requirement); Serious interest in politics, social change, and political reform; Some organizing experience is encouraged, but not required.

BENEFITS: Stipend of $500 a semester; Connections to Democracy Matters alums all over the country; Interns are mentored by professional Democracy Matters staff while developing leadership skills; Free attendance at our Annual Student Summit; The internship can be coordinated with the school’s practicum or internship programs to receive school credit; Networks of policy makers, public officials, Common Cause staff and board members are available to support your interests; Receive Democracy Matters materials – banner, flyers, DVD, t-shirt, stickers, and pins – to spread across your campus.

There are two annual trainings for interns: one in New York in January and one in California in July. Please state which you are more geographically near in your cover letter.

TO APPLY: Please submit resume, cover letter to Director of Human Resources at hr [at] commoncause.org and include DEMOCRACY MATTERS INTERNSHIP in the subject line; or fax to 202.355.7546 No phone calls please. Applicants are encouraged to respond as soon as possible. For more information, please visit: www.commoncause.org.