Legal Intern

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of it on evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty.

GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. Team members bring experiences from the private sector, NGOs and government. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations -- it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, fast moving and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow.  We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

Intern pay will be hourly, and rate of pay will depend on level of education and experience.  The salary for this internship is as follows for U.S.-based interns. 

If not U.S.-based, there will be an adjustment to the hourly amount based on cost of living and local market rates of the country in which candidates are based:

• Undergraduate student: $19.00/hour
• Recent graduate: $22.00/hour
• Master’s degree student: $29.00/hour

 

About this role

Location: Remote, but interns must be based in the US, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Morocco, DRC, Uganda, Malawi, or Mozambique

Deadline: February 10th, 2025

Reports to: Legal Counsel

Responsibilities: 

Legal Research and Analysis:

• Conduct research on multi-jurisdictional regulations affecting GiveDirectly’s operations, such as tax laws, data protection standards (e.g., GDPR), and employment laws in countries of operation.
• Analyze and summarize legal frameworks to inform policy development and organizational decision-making.

Contract and Policy Review:

• Assist with reviewing, drafting, and revising contracts, including grant agreements, subrecipient agreements, and procurement documents.
• Identify potential risks or areas for clarification in contract templates and agreements.

Data Protection and Compliance Mapping:

• Help map and analyze data protection laws across GiveDirectly’s operating regions.
• Support development of tools for assessing compliance with data privacy regulations for staff, donors, and recipients.

Board and Governance Support:

• Assist with researching legal best practices for board structures and governance, particularly in multi-country or in-country boards.
• Support reviews of internal governance documentation and processes to ensure alignment with regulations.

Regulatory Filing an