NOTE: To ensure a fair and equitable recruitment process, our Foundation Staff and Board do not host preliminary conversations with applicants outside of our standard interview process.
Position: Financial Planning & Analysis Intern - Summer 2027
Reports To: Senior Financial Analyst
Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)
Duration: June 8 - August 11, 2027
Compensation: Paid Internship (Hourly rates will start at $22.00/hour)
About the Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation’s largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur invests in solving some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., revitalizing local news, expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, and strengthening the well-being of Native communities. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsive democracy as well as the vitality of our headquarters city, Chicago. The Foundation also maintains offices in Nigeria and India.
About the Internship:
The Financial Planning & Analysis intern will support the FP&A function and provide project support in the areas of financial reporting, analytics, operations, and other special projects. This position will work with the FP&A team and report to the Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A.
The intern will assist the team with the annual budget development cycle and monthly forecast process, as well as data analysis and trend analysis related to the Foundation spend. The intern will gain skills and experience in private foundation financial operations, reporting and analysis.
About the Internship:
Responsibilities may include:
- Explore key performance indicators (KPIs), financial scorecards, dashboards and other visual representations to illustrate financial performance.
- Assist with the build of automated interactive financial models and scenario-planning.
- Assist with automation of month-end close reporting tools to help streamline reconciliation and variance analysis.
- Leverage AI software to enhance FP&A processes with Microsoft products.
- Analyze trends in expenses, headcount, or other key metrics and summarize findings for leadership.
- Perform industry research on assigned finance-related grantmaking operations and report findings to FP&A team. Research may include grant payment processes, operational expense reporting, or multi-year payout reporting.
- Assist with review of annual budget submissions and preparation of internal reports to summarize variance analyses and discussion items by cost center.
- Assist with ad hoc analysis requests from department heads.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in their junior year.
- Major in Finance, Accounting or Data Analytics preferred.
- Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, formulas, ideally Power Query or macros).
- Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization software is a plus.
- Detail-oriented, comfortable working with large datasets.
- Intellectual curiosity: willing to ask "why" a number moved, not just report that it did.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Strong organizational and data management abilities.
- Strong presentation and writing skills.
This internship is based in Chicago, Illinois. Our work environment is hybrid with designated in-office days and virtual days. Interns will be required to reside in the Chicagoland area for the duration of the program. Housing assistance for non-local students may be available and will be discussed during the interview process.
Application Process:
The application deadline is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2026 AT 11:59 PM CST. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume. As a requirement, students “must be returning back to school” to be eligible. Students meeting the minimum requirements should apply through the MacArthur Foundation website (www.macfound.org/jobs).
NOTE: To ensure a fair and equitable recruitment process, our Foundation Staff and Board do not host preliminary conversations with applicants outside of our standard interview process.
Work Environment and Reasonable Accommodations
The work environment is an office setting. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable a person with disabilities to perform the job. Reasonable accommodations are also available during the interview process.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in junior year
- Returning to school after the internship
- Major in Finance, Accounting, or Data Analytics
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables and formulas
- Power Query or macros experience
- Experience with Power BI or other data visualization software
- Detail-oriented and comfortable working with large datasets
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
- Strong organizational and data management abilities
- Strong presentation and writing skills
- Intellectual curiosity and willingness to investigate financial changes
- Reside in the Chicagoland area for the duration of the internship
What We Do
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.
