Sightseeing during an NGO internship in Colombia

NGO Internships in Colombia

Colombia's 2016 peace accord created an entire ecosystem of organizations focused on reintegration, land restitution and rural development, work that continues to shape the country's non-profit sector today. At the same time, Colombia hosts one of the largest populations of displaced Venezuelans anywhere in the world, a humanitarian response large enough to reshape how local and international non-profits operate across the country.

That combination has built a non-profit sector in Medellín with real depth in both long-term peacebuilding and fast-moving humanitarian response. Add a conservation movement shaped by the sheer scale of Colombia's biodiversity, and interns get exposure to development work spanning some of the most varied challenges found anywhere in Latin America.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, our NGO and non-profit internship program in Medellín can help you build practical experience within a non-profit sector shaped by peacebuilding, migration and conservation all at once.

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24Guaranteed Internship
Vetted roles in leading Medellín NGOs, humanitarian organizations and non-profit organizations.

14Complete Overseas Support
Visa assistance, Medellín housing, social & cultural events and 24/7 staff support included.

Artboard 4-1Global Career Network
Join 15,000+ alumni with dynamic workshops, networking events, and employer references.

Example NGO and non-profit host organizations in Medellín

We've previously placed interns with organizations across Medellín's peacebuilding, migration response, rural development and conservation sectors. The organizations featured represent examples of the types of professional environments where participants have gained experience.

Why do an NGO and non-profit internship in Colombia?

Colombia's peace process created sustained demand for organizations supporting reintegration, rural development and land restitution, work that requires patience and long time horizons rather than quick wins. Interns working inside that world see peacebuilding practiced as a real multi-year undertaking, built case by case rather than through sweeping policy alone.

Alongside that long-term work, Colombia's response to large-scale Venezuelan migration has required non-profits to build fast, flexible humanitarian capacity, registering arrivals, coordinating services and adapting constantly as needs shift. Medellín's organizations increasingly work across both registers at once, long-term development alongside urgent humanitarian response. The city's conservation sector adds a further dimension, shaped by Colombia's position as one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth and the scale of the environmental challenges that come with it.

Medellín is particularly strong in areas such as peacebuilding and rural development, migration and displacement response, land restitution and environmental conservation, giving you exposure to a non-profit sector built to handle both patient, long-term work and urgent crisis response.

Experience the non-profit sector built for dual realities

Peacebuilding depth
See how Colombia's peace process created sustained, long-term demand for reintegration and rural development work.

Deep specialization
Explore the sector across peacebuilding, migration response, land restitution and conservation.

Latin American networking
Build connections with professionals working across some of the region's most varied development challenges.

Rapid humanitarian capacity
Learn how Colombia's non-profits built fast, flexible systems to respond to large-scale Venezuelan migration.

Meeting other interns on the first day of an NGO internship in Colombia

Explore NGO and non-profit internships in Colombia

Medellín's non-profit landscape spans peacebuilding organizations, migration and displacement response agencies, land restitution programs and conservation groups. Your internship could give you the opportunity to see how organizations in the city design, fund and deliver programs reaching communities across Colombia.

Environmental & Conservation Programs

Protecting Colombia's exceptional biodiversity means working on programs spanning land management, wildlife conservation and community-based conservation models. You could support field data organization, grant reporting or community outreach.

You could work on: Field data organization · Grant reporting · Community outreach · Research support

Fundraising & Donor Relations

Raising funds for programs spanning peacebuilding, migration and conservation means building relationships with donors who care about very different causes. You could support donor research, appeal drafting or campaign coordination.

You could work on: Donor research support · Appeal drafting support · Campaign coordination · Database management

Grants & Program Management

Managing a grant-funded program means tracking outcomes against funding commitments across multiple projects and communities. You could support grant application research, reporting or budget tracking.

You could work on: Grant application research · Reporting support · Budget tracking support · Program documentation

Volunteer & Community Engagement

Coordinating volunteers and community partners means matching people's time and skills to the work that actually needs doing. You could support volunteer recruitment, scheduling or community outreach.

You could work on: Volunteer recruitment support · Scheduling · Community outreach · Event coordination support

Looking for NGO and non-profit internships beyond Colombia? Explore our international NGO internships to discover opportunities across a range of destinations. 

Example NGO internship roles in Colombia

Depending on your skills and interests, you could take on a role such as:

  • Legal Impact Intern
  • Community Development Intern
  • Cultural Exchange Coordinator
  • Grant Writing & Development Intern
  • Education & Youth Development Intern
  • Operations & Impact Coordinator
  • Marketing & Events Intern
  • Research & Innovation Intern

Your exact role will depend on your host organization and placement.

Explore more example NGO roles >

Interns in Colombia on an Exotic Fruit Tour

What can you gain from our NGO and non-profit internship in Colombia?

An NGO and non-profit internship in Medellín goes beyond a single line on your CV. It's a chance to see how a non-profit sector handles both patient, long-term peacebuilding and urgent humanitarian response at the same time, developing practical skills through work with real-world consequences.

  • Build Colombian non-profit experience

    International non-profit experience on your CV shows future employers you've worked within organizations handling some of the region's most varied development challenges. 

  • Work on real programs and campaigns

    Put your knowledge into practice through projects that could involve peacebuilding, migration response, land restitution or conservation, depending on your placement.

  • Grow your Latin American development network

    Connect with professionals working across peacebuilding, humanitarian and conservation sectors while building relationships with fellow interns from around the world. 

  • Understand development built for dual realities

    See how Colombia's non-profits balance years-long peacebuilding work against fast-moving humanitarian response. 

  • Experience Medellín's non-profit culture

    Gain insight into how peacebuilding, migration response and conservation combine to shape how the city's non-profits operate. 

At a festival during an NGO internship in Medellin

What's included in the Colombia internship program?

Your program includes support designed to help you get the most from your international internship, from placement and accommodation to visa support, career coaching and 24/7 in-country support.

Explore the full Medellín internship program >

Hear from our interns in Colombia

Chiara Cappellini
Chiara Cappellini
Watch their story
Jillian Belleau
Jillian Belleau
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Maggie Trail
Maggie Trail
Watch their story

"This experience gave me a lot of opportunities to develop my communication and leadership skills, while putting my knowledge into practice in another language and with people from a completely different culture. I loved Medellín. It was a great place to practice my Spanish, and everyone was so friendly. I also loved being able to gain work experience while travelling, exploring with the other interns, and taking part in trips and activities through The Intern Group. From coffee tours and waterfall hikes to travelling to Chile with other interns, it was a really well-rounded experience." - Jillian Belleau, intern in Colombia

"Every time I’ve done something with someone, it’s been a highlight of my year. I’ve gone hiking, dancing, and out for lunch with people. Every little part of it has been so much fun. What surprised me most was just how much there is to do in this city. I knew there would be a lot, but I didn’t expect such a huge variety. There’s dancing, music, and something happening almost every day in every part of the city." - Maggie Trail, Colombia intern

Taking part in Colombia's soccer culture during an NGO internship

Is a Colombia NGO and non-profit internship right for you?

A Medellín NGO and non-profit internship could be a great fit if you're drawn to development work that spans both patient, long-term change and urgent crisis response.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, you can build practical non-profit skills while experiencing how organizations in Medellín design, fund and deliver programs reaching communities across Colombia. It's an opportunity to build your CV, expand your professional network and discover where a career in the non-profit sector could take you.

What is it like to live as an NGO and non-profit intern in Colombia?

Living as an NGO and non-profit intern in Medellín often means a lunchtime walk through the Jardín Botánico becomes a regular habit, its lake and butterfly house a calm, green pause in the middle of a demanding week. Parque de los Pies Descalzos, where shoes come off and bare feet sink into sand and water right in the middle of the city, is a strange but welcome way to unwind after a long day at the office.

Weekends sometimes mean a short trip out to Envigado, its quieter plaza and traditional feel a noticeable change of pace from the busier parts of the city. Joining a neighborhood community garden project on a free Saturday offers a small, hands-on counterpart to the larger-scale program work filling your weekdays.

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Spending a day out with other interns during an NGO internship in Colombia

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    Apply online

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  • 2

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