Landmarks Illinois offers three paid internships throughout the year.

Preservation Easement Program Support
A preservation easement is a legal agreement between a property owner, who maintains the property according to federal guidelines, and a qualified organization, which approves changes to the property and enforces the terms of the easement. An easement protects a historic site in perpetuity. In 1976, Landmarks Illinois received its first easement: the Henry Demarest Lloyd house in Winnetka. In the early 1980s, Landmarks Illinois organized a formal Preservation Easement Program and acquired easements on the Chicago Theater and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple. Today, Landmarks Illinois protects nearly 550 historic properties across the state with preservation easements.

The intern will work with the Director of Reinvestment.

- Assist with the management of the Preservation Easement Program
- Prepare for monthly meetings of the Preservation Easement Committee
- Communicate with property owners requesting alterations to their easement property
- Assist with annual easement mailings
- Research tools to determine efficient management of the easement program

Internship Dates: Fall 2023 – June 2024
Pay: Stipend $6,000 (400 hours)
Location: This internship will be completed in our Chicago office.
To Apply: Submit a resume to Suzanne Germann at sgermann@landmarks.org

Winter 2024 – Most Endangered Historic Places
Since 1995, Landmarks Illinois has asked preservationists, community leaders and concerned citizens throughout the state to nominate threatened or endangered historic places for its annual list, the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. The purpose of the list is to focus attention on sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds or inappropriate development and to bolster local
advocacy efforts and build support for each property’s eventual preservation. The Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list also draws attention to important policy issues that affect these properties and historic
properties throughout the state.

The intern will work with LI’s Advocacy and Communications Teams.
- Review and research nominations for the Most Endangered Historic Places list and work with the team to determine the final list.
- Develop a presentation of properties nominated for the proposed list that advocacy staff will present to LI Executive Committee.
- Draft property summaries and other copy for finalized Most Endangered list. Meet with Advocacy Staff to review and coordinate edits.
- Meet and coordinate with Advocacy and Communications teams on final information and photos need for web and press announcement.

Internship Dates: Winter 2024
Pay: Stipend $3,000 (200 hours)
Location: This internship can be completed in our Chicago office or remotely.
To Apply: Submit a resume and brief writing sample to mailto:careers@landmarks.org by November 1, 2023.

Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards and Advocacy Project
Since 1994, the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards has honored individuals, organizations, projects and programs whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in preservation and protects the historic places that matter to people and their communities. A generous grant

from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation enables Landmarks Illinois to present awards annually in categories that include advocacy, leadership, adaptive reuse, restoration, cultural heritage preservation, environmental sustainability and preservation technologies that help mitigate climate change. The awards ceremony is held each fall and it is an event that has become known as Landmarks Illinois’ “feel good event of the year.”

Internship responsibilities include:
Awards Program
Work with Programs Manager to manage the annual awards program.
-Organize and research potential nominations, making contact via phone or email communication.
- Work with Landmarks Illinois staff to determine if past nominations are eligible for resubmission.
- Contact applicants if additional materials are required.
- Coordinate nominations as they are submitted via Submittable platform. Perform research on nominations and due diligence to confirm eligibility.
- Review submitted materials for approximately 35-50 nominations to create 150 250 word summaries for jury review.
- Participate in the jury process, sharing in-depth information about the nominees as needed.
- Draft and email notification letters to nominees and legislators.
- Work with Director of Communications to develop summaries for the website.
- Work with Director of Communications to develop narratives and supporting photos for the awards ceremony presentation.

Advocacy Team Support
The second half of the internship will be a special project (TBD) to support LI’s advocacy team – Programs Manager, Regional Advocacy Manager, Advocacy Manager and the Director of Reinvestment.

Internship Dates: Summer 2024
Pay: Stipend $3,000 (200 hours)
Location: This internship can be completed in our Chicago office or remotely.
To Apply: Submit a resume and brief writing sample to Leila Wills at lwills@landmarks.org by March 1, 2024.