Looking to pair your education with real-world experience? Consider interning with us! We welcome interns behind all areas of our mission. For the spring 2025 semester, we are seeking interns for our Communications Art, Communications Copywriting, Development & Corporate Relations, Events, Finance & Operations, Program Services, Volunteer Outreach, and Wish Assist departments. Regardless of the department, we all work toward one shared goal of reaching every eligible child in Hawaii. Interns support this goal under their respective areas of study with a minimum commitment of 20 hours per week in the summer semester, and 10 hours per week in the spring and fall semesters. Pending university approval, our internships are also available for course credit. All internships are unpaid, volunteer positions. Applicants must be currently enrolled college students to apply. Recent graduates, however, are still encouraged to apply for summer internships directly following graduation.  

How to Apply:

Please apply within the below application windows. 

Summer Internship Application Window: 2/1-3/15

Fall Internship Application Window:  6/1-7/15

Spring Internship Application Window: 9/1-10/15

To apply, download and fill out our volunteer application 

Volunteer Application

and send your resume and cover letter to our Volunteer Outreach Manager Will Phelps at [email protected]. 

Please note that our internship offerings per semester vary due to operational needs. Below is a comprehensive list of all positions that may be available, though not all will be available each application cycle. Please contact Will if you have any questions. 

Mahalo for your interest in interning with us!

This individual will assist the Program Services team in the planning and follow-up of wishes for eligible children across the Hawaiian Islands. Each year, we grant about 100 local wishes, ranging from wishes to go to Walt Disney World®, have a tree house, or meet their favorite hero. Program Services interns will facilitate in all aspects of making wishes come true, including: 

• Maintaining communication with local wish families 

• Communicating with medical professionals and referral partners 

• Assisting with referral calls  

• Completing file close-outs 

• Updating the wish database 

Ideal for applicants pursuing a degree in Social Work, Psychology, Child Life or related fields. Applicants should be comfortable communicating with wish families, medical partners, and other constituents on behalf of Make-A-Wish Hawaii. All majors are welcome. Multilingual students are encouraged to apply. 

More than 1,200 children from around the world wish to visit Hawaii each year. These wishes range from meeting a real-life mermaid to surfing with Bethany Hamilton. Our Wish Assist department works with each child’s local chapter to bring his or her one true wish to life. The Wish Assist intern will work with the team to enhance the program and support the granting of these wishes to visit Hawaii. Program expectations:

• Improve interpersonal and professional skillset.
• Learn to effectively multi-task
• Gain a deeper understanding of what the non-profit sector is all about.
• Be able to reflect both critically and constructively on your work as an intern for Make-A-Wish 
• Support and attendance at training sessions and some events also required 

Responsibilities include:  

•  In-kind recognition 
•  Collaborating within department and ensuring the privacy and protection of confidential information. 
• Assist in the planning and follow up for wishes involving children who wish to go to Hawaii
• Data entry
• Research activities, hotels, restaurants that can make each wish special
• Greet and welcome wish kids via text or phone call

Applicants should be proficient in Microsoft Office applications. Attention to detail, the ability to multi-task, and excellent communication skills is all essential to this position.

This individual will work under the supervision of the Communications Department and the Graphic Design & Brand Manager to assist in visual storytelling and communicating the Make-A-Wish Hawaii brand. Projects and experiences will align with our current needs, which fluctuate seasonally, as well as with the intern’s area of interest and specialty. Tasks may include: 

• Designing general and event-specific marketing collateral, including social media graphics, signage, posters, fliers, info sheets, and web graphics (utilizing Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator) 

• Learning and implementing national Make-A-Wish brand standards and localizing as needed 

• Creating promotional and wish-related videos, including capturing and/or editing footage 

• Printing and cutting jobs in-house, as well as facilitating external print jobs 

• Providing photography and videography support as needed 

• Supporting design projects for other departments as needed 

Candidates looking to apply must be pursuing degrees related to this field. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in graphic design, web design, photography, videography, and HTML. 

This individual will work under the supervision of the Communications Department and the Graphic Design & Brand Manager to assist in visual storytelling and communicating the Make-A-Wish Hawaii brand. As a videography intern, you will have the opportunity to showcase your creative expertise and strong technical skills while helping the Communications team produce engaging, heartfelt videos of our wish kids and their journeys. Tasks may include: 

• Providing support in executing final content from capturing footage, conducting interviews and editing videos
• Learning and implementing national Make-A-Wish brand standards and localizing as needed 
• Creating promotional and wish-related videos, including capturing and/or editing footage 
• Providing photography support as needed 
• Supporting design projects for other departments as needed 

Candidates looking to apply must be pursuing degrees related to this field. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in operating a DSLR/mirrorless camera, portable audio recorder, and have experience with Premiere Pro/Final Cut and Adobe Creative Suite.

 This position entails working with the Communications Department to convey the Make-A-Wish Hawaii mission and brand to various publics, including current and prospective donors, wish families, volunteers, medical professionals, and more. Tasks may include: 

• Interviewing wish families, volunteers, medical professionals, and other constituents 

• Crafting creative wish stories and blogs 

• Writing compelling, concise social media posts 

• Drafting media advisories, pitches, and press releases 

• Composing donor stewardship pieces 

• Copywriting for advertisements, marketing emails, and other collateral 

Candidates interested in applying for this position should have a passion for interviewing, storytelling, and information gathering. Preference will be given to candidates pursuing a degree in Communications, English, or Creative Writing. Individuals most successful in this internship thrive in a collaborative, deadline-driven environment. 

This individual will work with the Development team to gain first-hand exposure to the development process in a local non-profit organization. Interns will acquire a wide range of critical and transferable skills, including fundraising, donor relations, events and communications, research and data/analysis/entry and copywriting, along with administrative skills. Tasks include, but are not limited to: 

• Support team in planning and executing fundraising initiatives, including internal and external events, campaigns, and more

• Build and strengthen donor and corporate relations through stewardship efforts 

• Attend meetings alongside the Development team, as they present partnership opportunities to various community partners 

• Identify opportunities for local partnerships and manage research results, including logging findings and relationships in Raiser’s Edge database 

• Work with Communications department to ensure local campaigns and initiatives are promoted through social media, email, and other media 

Candidates looking to apply must be extremely detail oriented. All majors are welcome, but this position is ideal for applicants pursuing a degree in Public Administration or the non-profit sector, Business, or Communications/Marketing/ Public Relations. 

From meeting with wish families and planning wish reveals to volunteering at local events, more than 700 volunteers across our islands make our mission possible. This individual will assist the Volunteer Outreach Manager in all aspects of the Volunteer Program, including but not limited to: 

• Recruiting and training volunteers 

• Managing volunteer files 

• Processing applications 

• Communicating with volunteers 

• Assisting with job and internship fairs at local universities 

Candidates looking to apply for this position must be comfortable and confident communicating over the phone and in public. Ideal for applicants pursuing a degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, or other related fields. All majors are welcome. 

This individual will work with the Events and Development team to help plan and produce all of Make-A-Wish Hawaii’s events. Interns will gain valuable knowledge about the development process in a local non-profit as well as strengthen affinity to the Make-A-Wish Hawaii mission. Intern responsibilities include:    

• Assisting in event and project management 

• Learning the development and fundraising aspects that set non-profit events apart 

• Designing creative touches to enhance guest experience 

• Conducting research and donor data analysis/entry 

• Supporting communications and marketing related to events 

Individuals most successful in this internship thrive in a collaborative, detail-oriented, fast paced, and creative environment. Ideal for applicants pursuing a degree in Business, Communications or Marketing. All majors are welcome. 

This individual will work directly with the Director of Finance & Operations and assist with all aspects of financial accounting — processing donations and payments, paying vendors, ensuring the monthly financial statements are accurate, and preparing for the annual budget, financial audit and Form 990. This individual will also assist with human resources and general office management tasks.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and highly organized with excellent written and verbal communication skills. This internship is suited for applicants pursuing a degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Entrepreneurial Studies, Human Resources or other related fields. All majors are welcome.

This individual will support the Medical Outreach Department in its initiatives to reach more eligible children in the state of Hawaii. General duties include: 

• Participating in hospital visitations to encourage inpatient wish kids 

• Attending and participating in trainings of medical staff 

• Database maintenance and data analysis of medical outreach efficacy and needs assessment 

• Booking medical outreach in-services with pediatrician medical groups 

• Email updates for providers concerning their patients’ wishes 

• Special projects as assigned by Director of Mission Delivery 

Candidates must be organized and detailed-oriented, have strong written and oral communication skills, basic medical terminology and experience in Microsoft Office Suite, valid driver’s license and consistent access to an automobile. Be professional, outgoing, and have a respectful demeanor. Ideal for applicants attending college or university pursuing a degree in a medicine or a related field with previous medical experience preferred.