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Mission-Driven Real Estate Internship Program

Program Overview

The Church Properties Initiative seeks to empower proactive stewardship of church property through research, engagement, and capacity-building. As part of this approach, in collaboration with FIRE’s mission to shape the next generation of real estate leaders, CPI desires to place Notre Dame real estate students in mission-driven internships with Catholic diocesan real estate offices and faith-based housing organizations.

2026 Internship Opportunities

This list will be updated as more sites are announced.

  • Summer Analyst - Catholic Homes New York - New York, NY
  • Real Estate Intern - Planning Office for Urban Affairs - Boston, MA
  • Church Properties Initiative Intern - Queen of Angels Housing - Los Angeles, CA
  • Real Estate Services Intern - Catholic Community Services of Western Washington - Seattle, WA
  • Real Estate Intern - Diocesan Housing Services Corporation and St. Joseph's Carpenter Society - Camden, NJ (n.b. this is a shared, full-time position)
  • Real Estate Intern - Archdiocese of Detroit - Detroit, MI (up to 2 positions)

 

Who we are looking for:

Students:

CPI recruits high-achieving real estate undergraduates who have a deep desire to serve the Church and to grow their experience in real estate skills. Students should be teachable (and willing to learn), have excellent communication and time management skills, and be committed to contributing to an improvement in church real estate stewardship. Most students applying for internships through our program are rising Sophomores or Juniors.

 

Organizations:

We try to match students with organizations that are innovating in the church properties space and that have a clear commitment to proactive stewardship of church property through projects involved in (but not limited to) themes like:

  • Pastoral/strategic planning
  • Parish mergers
  • Housing development
  • Adaptive reuse of church property
  • Capital campaigns and reserve studies

 

Above all, though, our highest priority for partners is that they be willing to teach and lead our students towards becoming forces for good in the world. Intern projects and management should be clear, positive, and beneficial to both the work of the organization and towards the professional development of the student.

 

2025-2026 Timeline:

  • Fall Semester 2025: Diocesan/Organization Recruitment
    • Select sites where interns will serve over the summer.
  • Nov. - Dec. 2025: Internship info sessions.
    • CPI hosts two events to recruit students to apply for internships.
  • Dec. 2025 - Feb. 2026: Student Application Period
    • Interested students apply for internship positions and list placement location preferences (if applicable)
  • Late-Feb. 2026: Initial vetting and interviews with CPI and Partner Organizations
  • Mar. - Apr. 2026: Spring Semester Formation Meetings
    • Periodic check-ins with students and partners on summer expectations.
  • May - Aug. 2026: 8-10wk Internship Period
    • Students may begin internships as early as mid-late May and could run until late-July/early August.

 

Costs:

CPI/FIRE seeks to ensure these are paid internship opportunities for interested students. For reference, Notre Dame students earn a minimum wage of $15/hr for on-campus employment. Partner organizations are advised to consider their local cost of living when making an hourly wage offer.

 

Next Steps:

  • Students:
    • If you are a Notre Dame undergraduate student pursuing a minor in real estate, please contact John O'Neill, CPI Program Manager, for the most up-to-date information.
    • Complete the application linked here
  • Employers:
    • If you are interested in hosting one (or more!) student interns for this summer, please contact John O’Neill, CPI Program Manager, at joneil11@nd.edu.
    • To begin the process of placing a student intern with your organization, we will need a job description listing the type of work/projects you anticipate the intern completing over the summer and any applicable experience/skills desired

Previous Internship Sites

Real Estate minors have completed internships with several mission-driven and Catholic real estate organizations in the past. Here are a few organizations that have previously hosted interns:

  • Archdiocese of Denver (2025)
  • Diocese of Honolulu (2025)
  • Diocese of Toledo (2025)
  • Diocese of Orange (2023)