Partnering with Second Day
Second Day’s Impact Fellowship and Talent Development Programming are specifically designed to support mission-driven organizations by nurturing early-career professionals through hands-on skill building, personalized mentorship, and tailored career guidance. Together, we can empower the next generation of diverse leaders to succeed—strengthening both your team and the broader social impact sector.
Hosting an Impact Fellow
The Impact Fellowship offers an enriching experience for current college students, recent graduates, and young professionals who are passionate about making a tangible impact in the social impact sphere through a blend of virtual workshops, mentorship, and hands-on internships with leading organizations in the social impact sector.
We find hidden gems.
We recruit underrepresented college students and recent graduates through mentors, professors, advisors, and student leaders on more than 900 campuses. We look for potential, learning ability, work ethic, and a passion for social impact work – but not necessarily extensive past work experience.
We train their managers.
We offer all of our Fellows’ managers optional, small-group training on creating cultures of belonging, delivering feedback, developing work-plans, fostering authentic relationships, engaging with identities at work, and building equitable structures for growth.
We train them.
We offer our fellows skill-specific training in data, professional writing, and organizing, and career readiness training that shares best practices for managing up, asking for feedback, building workplace relationships, networking, and navigating questions of purpose and belonging at work
We place them.
We place our fellows in paid internships with our hiring partners—social impact groups that share a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We’ve worked with organizations across the country including BUILD, National League of Cities, iCivics, and more!
We pair them with a coach.
Our Fellows meet with a coach weekly throughout their fellowship. During their 1:1 coaching sessions, they have the opportunity to talk through challenges and opportunities at work, role-play potentially challenging conversations, and bounce ideas around with someone who’s been in their shoes.
We help launch their career.
We stick with our fellows long-term with career support, connections to future employers, and a community of more than 300 alumni. We source job applications for our fellows, edit their resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews, and negotiate job offers––whatever it takes to help them launch lasting social impact careers.
We’ll do the legwork of recruiting, screening, and supporting candidates. You’ll get a final say over who to accept — and join a community of social impact organizations across the country.
Talent Development Programming
We’ve developed a comprehensive suite of programs that combine hands-on skill-building, leadership development, and career navigation support. Drawing from our experience with hundreds of fellows, we create dynamic learning environments where early-career staff build practical skills while developing as movement leaders.
Our Approach:
Designed for Early-Career Staff: We understand the challenges new professionals face, especially those from underrepresented communities. Our programming addresses real obstacles—from navigating workplace dynamics to building confidence in high-stakes environments.
Research-Backed and Field-Tested: Our curriculum draws on adult learning theory and workforce development best practices, refined through our experience supporting hundreds of fellows in progressive organizations
Equity at the Center: Every element of our programming actively works to create spaces where participants can bring their full selves and thrive. We move beyond surface-level inclusion to build genuinely supportive environments
Tailored to Your Organization: We design each program to align with your organization’s culture, goals, and existing systems—ensuring fellows gain skills that directly translate to their work with you. We can seamlessly layer our programming into any support you already offer interns, ensuring a cohesive experience.
Built for the Social Impact Organizations: Our content specifically addresses what it takes to build a career in social impact, from understanding power and privilege to staying resilient in challenging work.
What We Offer:
Interactive Workshops: Virtual and in-person sessions tackle real challenges interns face in progressive spaces. Through role-playing and case studies, participants practice skills like managing up, asking for feedback, and succeeding on the job hunt.
One-on-One Coaching: Interns partner with experienced coaches who understand the unique challenges of early-career movement work. Coaches help fellows develop their voice, navigate workplace dynamics, and chart their path in progressive spaces.
Manager Development: We equip managers with concrete tools for creating inclusive, high performing teams. Our workshops and one-on-one consultations provide supervisors with the opportunity to learn about and discuss management practices that support the professional growth of their early-career staff. .
Digital Resource Library: Our curated library offers practical tools like resume and cover letter templates, networking and outreach guides, salary negotiation frameworks, interview preparation materials, and career-planning worksheets.
Post-Internship Support: After the internship, we continue supporting fellows with additional coaching and job search strategies. Fellows leverage the skills they built to launch their careers, stay connected to job opportunities, and develop as leaders in progressive spaces.
By layering coaching, peer engagement, manager support, and resources alongside workshops, this program ensures your interns and staff have comprehensive support at every stage of their journey. We’d love to connect with you to discuss how we can customize this experience for your team’s needs!
NAC Case Study
Second Day and the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) teamed up to supercharge NAC's internship program, focusing on environmental conservation with professional development and career coaching. This initiative aimed to better prepare City University of New York students for careers in the environmental sector. This collaboration resulted in a marked increase in interns' confidence, networking abilities, and community support, highlighting the effectiveness of combining hands-on experience with targeted professional development.
