Reflections on Funding as a Small Nonprofit

Leslie Banks, Founder and Executive Director of Serve the Future looks back on the challenges of running a non-profit and looks forward to what the future holds.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what it means to run a small nonprofit in today’s climate. Serving young people through tennis and life-skills programming has always been deeply fulfilling, but it’s not without its challenges — especially when it comes to funding.

I’ve noticed a shift. As federal funding has been rolled back, fewer dollars are making their way to local communities. And in response, large national nonprofits — the ones with big teams, recognizable names, and entire departments dedicated to development — are applying for the same small grants that local organizations like mine depend on.

For them, those smaller grants may be just another line item. For us, they are everything. A $25,000 grant doesn’t just “support programming” — it means we can put racquets in kids’ hands, make sure they have snacks and water after school, pay our coaches fairly, and provide a safe place for growth and connection. It means we can say “yes” when a child shows up who might not otherwise have access to the sport or the mentorship.

It can feel disheartening at times. We work so hard to tell our story, to build relationships, to demonstrate the impact of what we’re doing. But in the grant review process, we are often standing shoulder to shoulder with organizations that have million-dollar budgets, polished marketing materials, and decades of recognition behind them. The scales don’t feel balanced.

What keeps me going, though, is the reminder of why we exist in the first place. We are close to the ground. We know the names and faces of the kids who show up every week. We see their confidence grow, their friendships form, their resilience strengthen. That’s not a number on a report — that’s a lived transformation. And while we may not have the size of a national nonprofit, our impact is deep and personal.

This reflection isn’t meant as criticism of large organizations — they do important work too. But I wish more funders understood that when the big fish move into the small pond, it changes the entire ecosystem. Small nonprofits need room to breathe and resources to keep doing the work that only we can do: meeting people exactly where they are, in our own neighborhoods.

So I hold onto hope — that by continuing to share our story, build authentic relationships, and stay rooted in the community, we’ll find the partners who see the value in small but mighty organizations like ours. Because for us, it’s never been about size. It’s about heart, commitment, and the difference we can make, one child at a time.