Intern, Philanthropy - Summer 2026

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) is a charitable organization and North America’s largest urban innovation hub, dedicated to helping high-growth technology companies succeed. With a focus on climate, health sciences and other emerging technologies, MaRS supports startups tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues. Through its world-class facilities, strategic programs and partnerships, MaRS accelerates the adoption of groundbreaking Canadian technology and bolsters a globally competitive innovation ecosystem. MaRS is the place where you can play a meaningful role in the innovation economy.

We understand qualifications on a job posting can be daunting. If you're passionate about the role and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every listed qualification. We’re always looking for great talent to join our team on planet MaRS. 

We actively encourage all candidates to apply, including equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as BIPOC, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations. 

We want you to be comfortable being your most authentic self throughout our recruitment process. Please reach out to careers@marsdd.com if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations. Include 'Accessibility Request' in your subject line.

Want to be a Summer Intern?

We’re offering a range of exciting summer internships that cover the full spectrum of the work we do: from venture programming to marketing & events, to benchmarking & insights. MaRS summer interns will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, put forth their ideas and contribute to a dynamic organization.

If you’d like to apply to the opportunity detailed below, please make sure your cover letter demonstrates why you are a great match for this internship. Connect the dots from experience and education to what you're applying for.

And if you are applying for more than one MaRS internship, please make sure to identify this clearly in your cover letter, and tailor each letter to a specific opportunity.

Who we are looking for

MaRS interns possess a positive outlook and are smart, curious, energetic and engaged in the world around them. They’re independent, but also work well on a team. They are ideas people, always thinking of innovative, new ways to do things. Beyond this, there are specific knowledge and skill requirements for each role, as detailed below.

About the Internship Opportunity with Philanthropy

The Philanthropy Office at MaRS is dedicated to building a community of champions and supporters who share our vision: helping innovators create a better world. We identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with funders to fuel high-impact initiatives.

As a Philanthropy Intern, you will provide direct support across all stages of development: from identifying potential donors to crafting proposals and managing relationships. This is a rare opportunity for a fourth year undergraduate or master’s student to build a comprehensive suite of skills, explore different facets of philanthropy, and make a tangible impact on our internal systems.

Why this role is unique? While many fundraising internships limit students to a single narrow focus (such as only data entry or only research), this opportunity offers a 360-degree view of the fundraising cycle.

Major tasks the Intern will undertake:

You will play a critical role in expanding our fundraising efforts and optimizing our internal processes. Your contributions will directly result in higher-quality funding opportunities and stronger donor relationships.

• Strategic Communications & Writing
  • Draft and Edit: Assist in writing and refining grant proposals, cases for support, and donor engagement materials.
  • Content Management: Update and organize email outreach templates and proposal language libraries to ensure consistent, compelling messaging.
  • Stewardship: Generate creative stewardship plans to keep donors engaged and ensure they feel valued beyond financial reporting.
• Research & Intelligence

• • Market Analysis: Conduct research on the evolving Canadian philanthropic landscape, specifically tracking trends in Health and Climate philanthropy.
  • Prospect Research: Identify and qualify new funding opportunities to expand our pipeline of support.
  • Ecosystem Monitoring: Track key ecosystem events to identify opportunities for MaRS to engage with prospective funders.
• Operations & Process Improvement

• • System Optimization: Contribute to improving internal fundraising systems and processes, leaving behind sustainable tools that reduce administrative workload for the future.

What You Bring

Required Skills & Experience

• Currently enrolled in a graduate certificate program, Master's degree, or will be in your fourth year of undergraduate studies in September 2026
• Exceptional Communication: You are a strong storyteller with excellent business writing skills. You can communicate diplomatically with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Research Acumen: You have strong investigative skills and enjoy digging into data to find opportunities.
• Organization & Detail: You are extremely organized and recognize that attention to detail is critical in donor relations.
• Mission Alignment: You have a genuine interest in philanthropic fundraising and a passion for innovation.
• Growth Mindset: You are curious, eager to learn, and ready to take ownership of your projects.
  

Great to have (but not required)

• Graphic design skills

The Fine Print

The internship runs May 4 - August 21, 2026.

The expected annual base salary range (prorated for the term) for this role is $42,000 - $51,000, which is determined based on year of study, candidate’s skills, knowledge, experience, and internal equity.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as we may close the posting before January 30, 2026. 

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada, reside in Ontario for the duration of the internship and be willing to work out of our Toronto office (101 College Street) a minimum of 3 days per week.

#LI-MDD