These numbers are certainly jarring and impressive. However, over the course of my internship at Almora, I have grown to admire fundraising through the lens of grantwriting for community nonprofits.
As a grantwriting intern these past few months, I have worked alongside consultants at Almora to best meet the needs of small nonprofits, and the bulk of my duties has revolved around researching, writing, or editing grant proposals from corporations and charitable organizations. Overall, the nonprofits I worked with were seeking to raise tens of thousands of dollars for projects, general operating expenses, or employee onboarding. Although these grants are typically much smaller than funds raised by tech start-ups, they are equally important.
Small nonprofits feel the impact of grants on a much more personal level. Say we are examining a grant of $30,000 for general expenses. On one hand, $30,000 is often a drop in the bucket for companies seeking millions of dollars to get off the ground. On the other hand, $30,000 could mean the difference between having two and three full-time employees for a community nonprofit, and the addition of a third employee could mean that a given nonprofit can serve more children at risk or provide more supplies to underserved communities.
What I have loved about my time at Almora is that I have been able to be a part of the latter of these situations. Even as an intern, I feel connected to clients and am able to make a truly tangible difference. Additionally, I believe that working in grantwriting–even for a short amount of time–has provided me with valuable insight moving forward.
First, it has shown to me that grantwriting is beneficial to anyone seeking to enhance their professional skills. Grantwriting is technical at heart and was a challenge to learn; however, the ability to fulfill certain obligations in writing while still weaving in a narrative element is a skill that would benefit any person in any career.
Second, this experience at Almora has shown me the importance of community nonprofits. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with different community nonprofits, and I admire their respective efforts to serve underprivileged communities.
Finally, my perspective has changed on the sector of fundraising. Even a fraction of the funds raised by AI or other tech start-ups would be able to benefit hundreds of small, community nonprofits and the lives of thousands of individuals. There must be a greater focus on providing funding for community nonprofits.
Perhaps, a solution to this dilemma could be for venture capital firms to offer more funding services to nonprofits; this concept is not by any means unique. There is some overlap here with legal practice. At some large law firms, employees are required to fulfill a certain number of pro bono hours. Given the amount of money that some venture capital firms hold, it is reasonable to suggest that they could offer grants to nonprofits in their communities. In this way, we can push forward by supporting innovation while still ensuring that our communities are protected and well-served.