In person unpaid internship Grants & Proposal Writing (Aleppo or Damascus/ Syria)

About Trust Consultancy and Development

Trust Consultancy and Development is an independent research and third-party monitoring and evaluation (M&E) firm based in Gaziantep, Turkey, with sister companies in Palestine, Pakistan and Iraq. We provide high-quality research, data collection, and analysis for NGOs and donors across the MENA region and beyond. Our clients include UNICEF, GOAL, HelpAge International, Save the Children, NRC, World Vision, USAID/BHA, ECHO, and others. Active in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Pakistan, Lebanon and Afghanistan, we bring a unique perspective through our extensive field networks. Learn more:

https://trustconsultancy.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/trust.inc/

About the internship

The Grants & Proposal Writing Internship is an intensive six-month practical learning programme designed for recent graduates and early-career professionals interested in humanitarian programming, donor relations, business development, and proposal writing.

Unlike traditional internships that focus mainly on administrative support, this internship provides hands-on exposure to every stage of the humanitarian proposal development cycle.

Fellows will work alongside experienced Grants Managers, Programme Managers, Technical Advisors, and MEAL specialists while contributing to live funding opportunities submitted to institutional donors.

The programme combines practical assignments, coaching, mentoring, peer learning, and structured professional development.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the fellowship, participants should be able to:

• Understand the humanitarian funding landscape.

• Identify suitable funding opportunities.

• Analyse donor guidelines and calls for proposals.

• Draft concept notes.

• Prepare sections of technical proposals.

• Conduct stakeholder mapping.

• Review proposals for quality and compliance.

• Understand donor compliance requirements.

• Produce professional humanitarian documents in English.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Grants Manager, the Fellow will support the Resource Mobilization Unit in:

• Opportunity Identification

• Monitoring donor websites and funding portals.

• Tracking calls for proposals.

• Preparing opportunity summaries.

• Maintaining donor calendars.

• Drafting proposal sections.

Required Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

Bachelor's degree in International Development, Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Public Health, Social Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture, Business Administration, English, or another relevant discipline.

• Master's degree preferred.

• Excellent written English.

• Strong analytical skills.

• Excellent Microsoft Office skills.

• Strong research skills.

• Excellent organizational skills.

• Strong communication skills.

• High attention to detail.

• Strong willingness to learn.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Previous NGO experience.

• Experience in humanitarian programming.

• Experience in proposal writing.

• Experience in grants management.

• Familiarity with institutional donors such as ECHO, BHA, UN agencies, GIZ, FCDO, SDC, KfW, and the European Union.

• Good understanding of the Syrian humanitarian context.

• Experience with monitoring and evaluation.

• Arabic and English language proficiency.

• Experience using AI tools to support professional writing.

Competencies

Successful candidates should demonstrate:

• Integrity and professionalism.

• Strong analytical thinking.

• Excellent writing ability.

• Attention to detail.

• Teamwork.

• Time management.

• Adaptability.

• Confidentiality.

• Problem-solving.

What You Will Gain

By joining this internship, participants will receive:

• Structured mentoring from experienced Grants and Programme Managers.

• Practical experience on real humanitarian funding opportunities.

• Exposure to institutional donor requirements.

• Experience working on multi-million-dollar proposal submissions.

• Coaching on proposal writing and programme design.

• Practical understanding of grants management.

• Professional networking opportunities.

• Certificate of Completion (subject to satisfactory performance).

• Priority consideration for future vacancies within the organization, where applicable.

Working Conditions

• Based full-time in the organization's office in Damascus/ Aleppo.

• Standard working week of 40 hours.

• The internship is unpaid.

• The organization will provide supervision, mentoring, workspace, and access to internal learning opportunities.

How to apply

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit:

• CV (maximum three pages)

• One-page cover letter

The cover letter should include only the following:

• Earliest available start date.

• Confirmation of availability for six months.

• Weekly availability.

• Current location.

• Whether the fellowship is mandatory or optional as part of your academic programme.

• Why you wish to join this internship.

• What you hope to achieve by the end of the programme.

• Any other professional commitments during the fellowship.

Applications that do not follow these instructions may not be considered.

Please send your application the following email

join-trust@trustconsultancy.org with in person internship (Syria, City) as the subject of the email. Example (In person internship, Syria, Damascus), (In person internship, Syria, Aleppo)