Altius Francisco de Vitoria Foundation was founded on April 9, 2002, with the objective of promoting social action in favor of the most vulnerable groups in society, the fight against discrimination, the strengthening of the third sector of social action, and the promotion and consolidation of volunteer action. Our goal is to improve the situations of these groups and obtain the integration of social, cultural, and labor just like, in another sphere, encouraging the education and cooperation for the development.
We accomplish our expressed goal through the following activities:
- Assistance to individuals and their families in situations of inequality or discrimination risk.
- Guidance and training for the unemployed.
- The design and development of programs that consider steps for reaching the integration of education, employment, culture, and social for these people.
- Actions to increase sensibility of the public opinion and the coexistence of the Spanish population and immigrants.
- Development of activities for exchanging culture.
- Development of education and cooperation to the development.
- Training and promoting volunteer work.
- Collaboration with public and private institutions.
- Organization of courses, conferences, work-days, seminars, discussions, exhibitions, and other educational activities.
Camila Arana –
I have learned a lot throughout my time in Altius from my supervisor. Most importantly, I have learned what it is like to work in something that you are truly passionate about. Antonio is not only involved in his duties in the communications department, he is also involved in the coordination of volunteers and projects, and even gets his hands dirty by providing assistance in the labor that is necessary to prepare the meals that are sent out to the families that require them. He is constantly on the move, and people are always coming in and out of our office space in search of his opinion or help. He will leave with a phone in his hands as he sets up a call with a volunteer and come back fully equipped in an apron, hair net, and gloves from the kitchen to send a quick email. This adaptability is something that I have always strived for but had never actually encountered. It has made me realize that I am ready to seek a career that sets up an equally dynamic environment, regardless of the industry that I end up finding myself in.
Another thing I gained is confidence in my own uncertainty of what I want to do. Antonio assures multiple times that there is not a set career path that must be followed in order to end up working with non-profits. While working for a non-profit has been a goal of mine for most of my life, as I have transitioned through college I have suddenly been bombarded with different opportunities I never even thought existed, which have brought excitement to explore but also fear and anxiety over doubting what I have always known was what I wanted to do. The fact that he insists that passion and experience in your own field are the most important attributes to be a successful candidate gives me the reassurance to experiment and explore other options without the worry of falling behind and not being able to accomplish my goals of working for a non-profit.
I opened my eyes to the idea that while rewarding, working in a non-profit is not an easy feat. Not just personally, as a lot of mental and physical effort is required from every member of the team, but also as an entity. To be so dependent on an unstable source of funds and the contribution of others can be very stressful, especially when you see how much your organization’s work is benefitting people who truly need it. When you have all of these ideas, and so much personal commitment, it can be extremely difficult to deal with the fact that you are being held back by financial factors that to a certain extent are out of your control. This requires patience and, as Antonio said, resilience. I have noticed these two attributes in many people who surround me in the organization, and I hope to take them with me once I return to the United States.