We are seeking a CRL Policy Research Intern in Durham, NC or Oakland, CA!

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization working to ensure a fair, inclusive financial marketplace that creates opportunities for all. Through research, legal analysis, policy development, and state and national advocacy engagement, CRL fights for economic equity for underserved communities—particularly Black and brown communities and low-to-middle income families. CRL’s staff, allies, and funders reflect a collective commitment to eliminating systemic injustice in America’s financial services.

CRL provides a strong voice on both the state and national levels for these families to expand family wealth and financial stability through sustainable homeownership, affordable higher education, and support for small businesses, and protect their financial stability by preventing abusive products that trap families in debt and strip away their income, by ending payday lending and other predatory high-cost lending, exorbitant bank fees, and abusive debt collection practices. CRL is an affiliate of Self-Help, a community development lender founded in 1980 that has provided more than $9 billion dollars in financing to help 164,000 low-wealth borrowers buy homes, build businesses, and strengthen community resources.

Are you interested in helping individuals who need quality, affordable credit options? The team is responsible for conducting research that supports the Center for Responsible Lending's state and federal policy advocacy campaigns. They communicate complex issues in a clear and engaging manner, ensuring that policymakers and the public have the information necessary to make informed decisions.

WHAT You’ll Do:

Research

• Support researchers and senior researchers to:

• Design, manage, and execute large multi-phase research projects on housing and consumer finance issues relevant to CRL’s mission both independently and as part of a team.

• Collect, clean, and code data from existing primary and secondary sources, including large datasets (cloud-based and locally-stored), and design collection protocols for new primary data.

• Perform and interpret quantitative statistical and/or qualitative analyses on mortgage and consumer finance data sets, including writing code or developing and analyzing themes.

• Report on findings to a variety of audiences internally and externally.

• Maintain familiarity with outside research, academic and otherwise, including conducting formal critiques where necessary to advance CRL’s policy goals.

• Provide research support for internal staff, including conducting and reviewing ad-hoc analyses.

Collaboration with Policy & Advocacy Teams

• Collaborate with colleagues across teams, including informing and revising policy briefs, to support CRL’s policy goals through research.

• Work closely with CRL’s policy, communications, and outreach staff to ensure CRL research is relevant to policymakers and the general public.

WHAT You’ll Need:

• Undergraduate or graduate students, recent graduates welcome to apply

• Demonstrate a sincere interest in non-profit work, education, advocacy, or social work

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills

• Strong organizational skills

• An enthusiasm for learning

• Strong attention to detail

Hourly Internship pay starting at $23 an hour in Durham, NC and $26 in Oakland, CA