Naomi Rafal, '20
Fundraising,

Center for Effective Philanthropy

After graduating with a degree in Sociology, I looked for work in fundraising at local nonprofits. I’ve found that the skills I honed in my Sociology classes translate well to the work of a grant writer, as I am accustomed to synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data about social issues into a well-structured and persuasive argument. In my first position out of college, working in institutional fundraising at the Museum of Science, Boston, I found myself referring frequently to tools we’d used in sociological methods courses (Social Explorer, Opportunity Atlas, Census data, etc) to craft compelling needs statements. In both of my roles–I am now in fundraising for the Center for Effective Philanthropy–I’ve been especially well-served by having taken Philanthropy and Nonprofits with Dr. Dromi. While I transferred into Sociology relatively late in my college career, I appreciated how welcoming the department was and enjoyed the breadth of topics the concentration allowed me to explore.