Gigs For Good
Invest in the next generation of talent.
Gigs for Good lets your organization fund paid, real-world projects that give students professional experience they might not otherwise reach. You set the goal and the population you want to serve. Parker Dewey designs and runs the program.
Talent is everywhere. Access isn't.
Over 47% of recent college graduates are underemployed or unemployed, with first-generation, Pell-eligible, veterans, and others from groups underrepresented in the workforce carrying the heaviest share of that. The main barrier to entry isn't ability. It’s access: the social capital and professional networks that help people find and pursue opportunities, along with the financial flexibility to take an unpaid internship or relocate for a role.
Funded, paid projects remove those barriers directly. Students do real professional work, get paid for the value they are delivering, and build the experience and connections that open the next door to employment.
Funded programs, built around your goal.
A Gigs for Good program is a funded set of paid projects, targeted to the outcomes you care about. As the sponsor, you set the project parameters (the learners you want to reach and organizations you want to support) and promote the program to drive participation.
Parker Dewey handles everything else: program design, payroll as employer of record, contracts and NDAs, and the data that shows what the program achieved. The projects are Micro-Internships, paid professional assignments that typically run 10 to 40 hours.
Who's behind Gigs for Good?
Programs are funded by organizations that want to expand access and build talent in their communities:
- Foundations advancing equity and workforce goals, like the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation (serving Connecticut and Florida students), GitLab Foundation, and the Cleveland Foundation (funding John Carroll University's Wayfinders Program).
- States and workforce systems building local talent, like the Kansas Micro-Internship Program and statewide programs in Indiana and Virginia.
- Universities and alumni networks engaging their own communities, like Swarthmore's SwatWorks.
- Companies directing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), DEI, or brand investment toward access, like HubSpot's Education Partner Micro-Internship Program, and funders such as IBM through its SkillsBuild platform.
You Set the Goals. We Manage the Program.
- Program design and management, built around your target population and outcomes
- Employer and student engagement to drive participation
- Marketing strategy, resources, and templates
- Payroll and employer of record, including contracts and NDAs
- Data collection and impact reporting
- Grant proposal support, if funding depends on it
Partner Program Spotlights
Funding that creates opportunity.
Funded Micro-Internship programs can be designed around a wide range of goals, from supporting local organizations to expanding access to professional experiences.
See how partners are using funding to connect students with meaningful, paid work while advancing priorities in their communities.
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Kansas Program
Supports Kansas-based organizations, large and small, to work with 2- and 4-year Kansas public college/university students.
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Wayfinders Program
Dedicated to improving professional readiness for historically excluded populations.
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UD BlueHensWork Program
allows undergrad students to gain experience working with Delaware-based nonprofits, public service and state agencies.
Looking to host students, not fund a program?
If a program in your area or industry is already funded, you may be able to host students at no cost to your organization. Browse active programs and get started.
Get started
Let's build a program worth funding.
Talk to our team about designing a Gigs for Good program around your goals and the students you want to reach.