Yawkey Program: Application

Application Instructions and Process

The following list outlines the steps students will need to take to apply for the Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

Final application decisions will be made on a rolling basis

Fall 2024

July 15, 2024, 11:59 pm: Fall Applications Open
August 30, 2024, 11:59 pm: Fall Applications Close

Fall applications are now open, apply here.

1: Check Your Eligibility

• Class Standing: Will you have sophomore, junior, or senior class standing at the time of a fall/spring semester internship? If applying for a summer internship, will it be the summer after your freshman, sophomore, or junior year? Check MyBU Student Portal to verify your class standing.
• GPA: Is your cumulative GPA at 2.0 or above?
• Enrollment: Will you be enrolled full time in an undergraduate BU degree program?
  • For fall/spring program participation, will you be enrolled as a full-time student during that semester?
  • For summer program participation, will you be enrolled as a full-time student during both the semester before and the semester after?
  • For first-semester seniors, will you be enrolled as a full-time student during the semester after?
• Disciplinary and Academic Standing: Will you have good disciplinary and academic standing while participating in the program?
• Confirm No Prior Participation: Students can only participate in the Yawkey Program once.

2: Attend Required Workshop

Attend Funded Internship Programs 101 if you haven’t already. Attendance of this workshop is required for your application to be considered complete.

Check our calendar for upcoming dates for Funded Internship Programs 101, or watch a recorded session through the Handshake resource article.

3: Secure Qualified Internship

Search for internships that interest you. Use Handshake and other sources such as field-specific or nonprofit resources.

Tailor your resume and cover letter for each position. Use our resume and cover letter guides, attend an upcoming workshop, get feedback, and read tips on our blog.

4: Collect Employer Internship Confirmation Form

Once you have secured a qualified internship, your supervisor or an employee of the organization must complete the Employer Internship Confirmation Form to confirm key details of the organization and internship. 

This form must only be completed by a staff member at the organization. Any forms completed by the intern will not be accepted. Forms must be completed by the application deadline.

5: Secure Faculty or Staff Recommender

In order to have a letter of recommendation that helps your application, you want to ask a BU faculty or BU staff member who can speak positively about you on the specific points that are requested (see instructions). The faculty recommender must email the letter of recommendation directly to yawkey@bu.edu by the final deadline.

Letters of recommendation make up an important part of your application. Along with your resume, letter of intent, and online application form, they are a part of what the Selection Committee will evaluate when deciding to accept you.

6: Prepare Application Responses

Take your time to prepare thoughtful responses for the following questions:

1. Please identify your top three to five learning objectives and for each describe the relevance of this internship experience. Your learning objectives could be academic, professional, or personal.
   • Information about learning objectives can be accessed in the first FAQ question on the Yawkey Program: Students page.
2. Please articulate the impact that funding from the Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program would have for you.
3. Please describe any prior community service experience, noting in particular any long-term or especially substantive or meaningful experiences.

7: Complete and Submit Application

Access the application here.
Following the application deadline, the Selection Committee will review all complete applications and notify applicants of decisions by email.

8: Once Accepted, Complete and Submit Award Agreement

If you are accepted to the program, you will need to complete the award agreement. The form will be provided to you once you have been accepted to the program.