Seva Mandir's volunteer and internship programme provides an opportunity to gain an insight into the development sector through hands-on grass-roots work and to make a real contribution. We host over 150 volunteers and interns a year. Volunteers and interns have worked across all our programme areas, and have the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in the field. The most successful volunteers and interns at Seva Mandir show a high level of initiative and self-motivation. Seva Mandir volunteers and interns are of all ages and numerous nationalities. They gain work and life experience and the satisfaction of giving something back to society.

Seva Mandir hosts volunteers and interns from leading academic institutions across India (for example, the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), the Institute of Chartered and Financial Analysist of India (ICFAI), the Indian Institute of Forrest Management (IIFM)) and from universities abroad (including Yale, Columbia, Duke, Oxford, Sussex and Edinburgh). We also receive volunteers and interns through programmes such as those at the National Foundation of India, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), America

India Foundation and the Foundation for Sustainable Development. Seva Mandir is a partner with the State Bank of India (SBI) Youth for India Fellowship and India Fellow programmes.

Volunteers and interns develop a custom project according to their interests and the needs of the organisation, or select a project proposed by Seva Mandir.

Volunteers and interns are usually offered free housing by Seva Mandir.

The work undertaken by volunteers can provide substantial benefits to Seva Mandir, as they help provide an external perspective on its programmes. Some help in monitoring our activities. Seva Mandir staff benefit from meeting people with a different outlook on development: discussing this work with volunteers gives our staff new ideas that help to shape the future of our work. Several interns and volunteers have stayed on or come back as employees, including many SBI fellows. Many other volunteers and interns become Seva Mandir ambassadors in whatever countries and careers they go on to adopt.

Apply to be a Volunteer/Intern If you would like to volunteer/intern or propose your staff as interns, please fill out the form and send it, along with your (or their) résumé, to our Volunteer Coordinator at pms@sevamandir.org. Please feel free to email us with your questions and also refer to the Volunteer/Internship Guide for more details. NOTE: Please note that we host volunteers and interns who can obtain an employment visa or any other visa applicable for volunteering. It is not possible to volunteer or intern with us on a tourist visa.