Nicholas Almanza
Nicholas has over 24 years of experience as a writer/editor and communications professional. For the past 12 years, he has focused on donor-centric and fundraising communications. His materials have helped generate over $300 million in gifts and have provided key narratives in support of major philanthropic campaigns. He possesses a strong background in creating compelling and effective content and stories used to convey and interconnect organizational philanthropic goals. In his role at the Meadows Institute, Nicholas supports the Philanthropy Team in the development of fundraising proposals, reports, and gift acknowledgment letters. He also enhances the Philanthropy Team’s and the Meadows Institute’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively as a copy editor and editorial reviewer.
Nicholas launched his career in Washington, D.C., as a legislative correspondent and speechwriter. He worked on multiple campaigns for public office and relocated to Houston, where he wrote for a mayoral campaign. In 2009, he pivoted to nonprofit work and joined the staff at Health Care For All, a consumer health advocacy and policy organization in Boston. This experience led to a position as grants and foundations manager, where he oversaw multiple aspects of the organization’s fundraising proposal program. He returned to Houston and worked for the University of Houston as a fundraising writer, ultimately rising to the position of director of donor and alumni communications. Most recently, Nicholas worked for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as a senior fundraising writer and program strategist specializing in principal gift proposal development and priority program development. While at MD Anderson, Nicholas was recognized by the 2022 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) with an Excalibur Award for excellence in feature writing.
Nicholas holds a BSFS in International Politics from Georgetown University. He is a devoted writer, currently working to revise, edit, and publish a novel manuscript. Nicholas lives in El Paso with his wife, Jessica, their two children, Sebastian and Gigi, and Otto, a very nice dog.
