At Making Waves, we are committed to removing barriers and ensuring equitable access to experiential opportunities for all. The Wave-Maker Future-Ready Fund offers competitive grant funding, designed to empower Wave-Makers in college to pursue valuable internships that might otherwise be inaccessible due to financial constraints.
In alignment with our commitment to supporting students gain internship experience, this initiative aims to provide financial support for students pursuing unpaid internship opportunities that are closely aligned with and advance their career goals.
We recognize that internships are a vital part of your professional and personal development, offering you the chance to apply classroom knowledge, gain industry insights, and build your professional networks. However, we also understand that unpaid internships may pose financial barriers for many of our Wave-Makers.
To address this, the Wave-Maker Future-Ready Fund helps offset the costs associated with participating in internships, such as transportation, housing, or other living expenses.
Funds can be used on items your scholarship covers. See details here.
Wave-Makers in our college and career success program are eligible to get funding for unpaid internships if you meet the following criteria.
What can I use these funds for? Funds can only be used on approved items your scholarship covers; it should be directly related to your internship or education-related expenses to remain compliant with IRS guidelines. For more information, check this page.
My application was accepted. What’s next? You’ll receive an email with confirmation you’ve been awarded funding. You will be asked to send employment verification, then you’ll be able to receive your awarded funds.
If I’m awarded funding, how will I receive it? You’ll access funding via Bill.com and will be asked to follow the same protocol when accessing your scholarship dollars.
When will I receive funding if I’m accepted? You’ll receive funding in 2 lump sums. Once when approved, and once 2 weeks following. If receiving funding in the summer, you will receive funding after July 1st.
Do I need to spend this money in a specific timeframe? Yes. If you receive funding September 2025 to June 2026, you must spend funds before June 15th, 2026. If you receive funding after July 1st, 2026, you must spend it by June 15th, 2027.
Can I secure funding before I accept an unpaid internship? Maybe. You may apply, and depending on funding availability we could hold your spot until you can provide proof of employment. However, priority will be given to those who have already secured an unpaid internship and can readily provide proof of employment.
Does the unpaid internship have to be career related? Applicants with unpaid internships that are strongly aligned to their career goals will be prioritized.
Can I secure funds if the unpaid internship has already been started or completed? Maybe. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Priority will be for opportunities that are upcoming.
Can I secure funds if the experience is not called an internship? Maybe. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Priority will be for opportunities that are aligned to applicant’s career goals.
How are recipients selected? Recipients are selected based on whether applicants are in good standing in the program, the opportunity type, the relatedness to career goals, and student’s career readiness tier.
Get guidance on the financial and career benefits of internships from experts, students, and recent grads!
At Making Waves, we are committed to educational equity. Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit that supports Making Waves Academy – a public charter school with more than 1,000 5th through 12th grade students – and leads college and career programming with more than 430 college students.
Knowing the opportunities that come with a college degree, we partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. Centering the journeys of our students, our personalized approach includes college and career coaching, scholarships, and financial planning.
Our alumni network includes more than 750 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their first-generation, low-income peers, with 86% graduating debt-free.