Intern, Microfinance Program to Support Individual & Family Sustainability

Intern, Microfinance Program to Support Individual & Family Sustainability 



If you think you have what it takes but don't necessarily meet every single point listed below, please apply - you could be exactly who we are looking for!  

Position Summary  
 

The Pole Creek fund is interested in exploring ways in which we can partner with community organizations to provide microloans in the Pacific Northwest.  Although we don’t yet have a program concept or strategy, we are interested in exploring a small grant, gift or loan program that might make something on the order of $10,000 available to individuals or families perhaps funding on the order of 10 such grants a year over a two-year pilot phase.   
 

We are currently at the very early stages of due diligence and seeking a GPS summer intern to join us for a 10-week internship that will incorporate conducting research and outreach to key organizations to inform program feasibility and design to advance this initiative. 

See below for additional scope of work information. 
 

This is a nonexempt position and is available on a fully remote basis within the United States. 

Problem Statement 

A low-wage job barely pays the bills and leaves no safety net for emergencies, no ability to save for a different future or invest in life changes. Dreams, small and large, are out of reach.   

Rent payments increase and the startup costs of moving into housing can be prohibitive. Being able to afford a home that works for your family is increasingly difficult. More income is needed, but to make that happen you need childcare, which is expensive. 

A medical problem, a car problem or loss of a job can be catalyst for life to spiral out of control. Bills pile up, caregiving responsibilities prohibit outside work, the inability to commute means an inability to work. The longer the situation persists, the harder it is to catch up, to get back to where you were. 

Not having access to even small amounts of investment capital to start a business, purchase a car and gain training limit future opportunities. 

These scenarios are all too common in the United States. Available community and government resources are stretched thin and often unavailable. When resources are available, meeting the qualifications for such resources is difficult due to immigrant status or a myriad of other factors. For many, a small helping hand is all they need to invest in a better future, maintain stable housing or get back on their feet. 

Sponsoring Organizations, Partners and Background Information 
 

This work is being sponsored by the Pole Creek Fund, a new philanthropic fund based in the Pacific Northwest created by Steve and Lori Buchsbaum, former IRPS student and IPRS adjunct faculty respectively.  The Pole Creek Fund is a philanthropic fund focused on science, technology and sustainability and a better world in the Pacific Northwest.   
 

The Pole Creek Fund is partnered with Panorama Global, a social impact organization that empowers changemakers through radical collaboration. Panorama was created as a platform for social change to make meaningful progress on a range of issues affecting people and our planet. Our goal is to maximize social impact by partnering with visionary leaders to codevelop solutions with audacious thinking and bold action.  (https://www.panoramaglobal.org) 


 

Panorama is a platform for social change dedicated to solving the world’s most intractable problems. Our goal is to maximize social impact by partnering with visionary leaders, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to codevelop solutions with audacious thinking, radical collaboration, and bold action.  Panorama’s value proposition is helping partners to operate in smarter, more impactful, and more efficient ways.   
 

The Panorama Group (www.thepanoramagroup.com)  is a community of organizations that includes:    

• Panorama Global, a social impact nonprofit that empowers changemakers through radical collaboration...learn more at www.panoramaglobal.org 

• Panorama Strategy, a social purpose consultancy that accelerates progress for clients through audacious thinking...learn more at www.panoramastrategy.com  

• Panorama Action, which mobilizes voices and resources through bold action. 

Internship / Research Project Scope of Work 
 

The culmination of this project will be the development of a pre