What drew you to working with London Funders?
When I applied through the 10,000 Black Interns Programme, the not-for-profit sector was one of my three choices. At the time, I had limited knowledge of the funding sector, so I was curious to learn more about London Funders and what its work looks like across the city.
I was drawn to London Funders because of its focus on bringing funders together to collaborate and create positive change. I also wanted to fill the gaps in my understanding of both the organisation and the wider charity sector.
As someone who was born and raised in London, I’m passionate about seeing the work happening in different communities and understanding how organisations are tackling issues that I recognise in my own life. I was particularly interested in seeing how London Funders works with funders across London to respond to the needs of different communities. I wanted to be a part of that work and contribute to its mission.
What have you learned during your time here?
When I joined London Funders, it had recently become part of Funders Together, which brings together London Funders, Collaboration Circle, 360Giving and the Centre for Place-Based Giving. I learned how the organisations work together, and the different roles they each play in supporting communities. By sitting in on and helping at events hosted by Funders Together and Collaboration Circle, I was able to see this work in practice and understand more about the organisations’ priorities, partnerships and impact.
I came to this internship ready and willing to learn as much as I could about the funding sector. Through inductions from the team, I gradually developed my knowledge of funding, grant making, and the process of providing grants to charities and communities.
I also had the opportunity to sit in on local Funder Forums hosted by London Funders. Here, I witnessed groups coming together to tackle issues within their communities, which gave me a greater understanding of how London Funders supports communities across London and taught me about the strength and effectiveness of collective action.
What were your favourite projects to work on?
The main project I worked on during my time here was a new grant application system with Collaboration Circle. As part of the work to make grant making more equitable, accessible and user-friendly, I helped test the grant application form by interviewing grantees from the Propel initiative and collecting their feedback after they completed the form.
Being a part of the development of this new grant application form taught me about some of the current challenges charities and community organisations face when applying for grants, particularly around accessibility and equality, as well as what can be done to address them.
I was also invited to help at an event hosted by Collaboration Circle – the Propel Away Day. From this event, I learned about systems change, and saw how the passion and dedication of the organisations involved in Propel, supported through Collaboration Circle, are contributing to longer-term, community-led change.
How has working here shaped your aspirations and interest in working in the charity sector?
My internship has shaped my career goals significantly. I studied Media, Journalism and Publishing, and when I first started the internship, I was leaning towards a career in journalism. However, within a few weeks, I became increasingly interested in the charity sector and began thinking about how I could transfer my journalism and media skills into a role within it.
From there, I developed a strong interest in charity communications. Nasyah, the Membership Manager at London Funders and Helen, the Director of Partnerships and Place, kindly connected me with communications contacts from different organisations and charities, which gave me the opportunity to ask questions, learn more about their work and understand communications as a career path. I am now excited to be working towards a career in communications.
What will be your biggest takeaway from London Funders?
My biggest takeaway from London Funders is seeing how collaboration, ambition and a commitment to genuine, deep-rooted change can lead to meaningful transformation within communities.
Working as part of Funders Together has also shown me that meaningful change is already happening through the work of its organisations. Each organisation brings its own clear purpose and approach, while working towards shared goals. That has helped me understand the many ways charities, funders and community-focused organisations can work together.
What comes next?
I will be graduating from university with a bachelor’s degree in Media, Journalism and Publishing. I will then be working on my CV and portfolio, and looking for opportunities to volunteer with charities and community organisations.
Interested in offering an intern opportunity? The 10,000 Interns Foundation's 2026/27 programme is now open. Find out how you can get involved.