By Angel Villamor
As an Arrupe Fellow, I have been interning as a Grant Writer for the Development Department of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. I support the Institutional Funding team of Catholic Charities, whose role in the organization is to raise funds through grants from private foundations and corporations based not just in New York but all over the United States. Catholic Charities’ programs provide basic services that serve as a safety net for many vulnerable New Yorkers, especially in the areas of immigration, food security, and homelessness.
During the first of my three-semester internship with the organization, majority of my work has been in identifying new untapped sources of private funding or “prospecting”. This includes combing through databases for organizations whose programmatic interests align with Catholic Charities, reaching out and setting up meetings with interested foundations, and drafting Letters of Intent or project proposals. These are all important skills to have in the nonprofit sector. I am also involved in standardizing the administrative side of grant management. This is crucial given the many reportorial deadlines involved in managing new and existing grants.
My favorite memory as an intern was getting to visit an immigration services site with the Program Team, Institutional Funding Team, and an existing donor. It was wonderful to see firsthand how all the grants the team raises goes towards New Yorkers in need, and the amount of trust and confidence these donors have in the work that Catholic Charities does. It was also a great opportunity to see that the passion and excellence I see in the people I work with directly is consistent among the individuals who carry out the programs themselves. I also volunteered for the annual Christmas fundraising luncheon last year, and it was a wonderful opportunity to listen to individuals who have steadfastly supported Catholic Charities over decades, and how important it was to continue to support the work the organization does.
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