Going National
At my internship this summer, I’ve had the opportunity to watch the Melanoma Foundation of New England rebrand itself and transform into the national organization IMPACT Melanoma. Originally, the small organization focused on Melanoma-related education, prevention, and support in the New England region. As more and more people became involved, the organization snowballed into something much larger. We now have sunscreen dispensers in all 50 states and programs that operate all across the country.
I have learned a lot while being involved in keeping up with the growth associated with this national rebranding. Along with a new name came a new logo, new website and new marketing materials. Our network had to be educated on this change and reminded that we are still the same organization. We moved offices, held events, and emphasized consistent communication. At times there were growing pains – it can understandably be overwhelming for a small team to take on new responsibilities associated with such extreme evolution. I also witnessed plenty of successes – big donations, lively events and a feature on NBC Nightly News. It has certainly been an exciting time to be involved with IMPACT Melanoma.
Learning from this growth and working to contribute to it has further emphasized how beneficial this new non-profit experience has been to my business school education. Only so many things can be learned in a classroom, and this real-life experience has built on what my Babson classes have taught me.