Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in non-profit but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kara Kenan Executive Director of Going Beyond the Pink, located in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
What's your organization, and who are your members?
Going Beyond the Pink is a nonprofit organization that supports breast cancer patients and survivors in Southeastern North Carolina. We go beyond awareness and pretty pink ribbons by providing access to critical cancer education and supportive services that help women & men with breast cancer gain a supportive community, regain a sense of control, improve their overall health, reduce their risk of recurrence, and lowers overall breast cancer mortality rates.
Tell us about yourself
I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when I was 35 and newly married. The year of treatment that followed included a bilateral mastectomy, 6 months of chemotherapy, 30 days of radiation, and reconstructive surgery. In the past 8 years, I've had 11 surgeries as a result of breast cancer and the late and long-term effects of treatment. Throughout that experience, I noticed gaps in the support systems our community (and our country) had for breast cancer survivors. There was so much attention on pink ribbons, but not a lot around the kind of services and support that women like me needed. So, I decided I could do something about that and, ultimately, affect the experiences of other women who would walk this same path. I'm so excited and honored every day that women and men with breast cancer trust me at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.
What's your biggest accomplishment as an organization leader?
I'm so proud of how Going Beyond the Pink has grown. In under 5 years, we've provided over $80,000 in financial assistance, given more than 3,000 care bags to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, provided health and wellness workshops to over 1,000 people impacted by breast cancer, and reach more than 20,000 people each year with online educational content about breast cancer and the impact it has on the lives of those touched by the disease.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being an organization leader?
In the world of breast cancer support, the hardest thing we face is loss. The women and men I support each day are not just names in a computer system, they are real people with full lives that I get to be part of. I care for them deeply. Inevitably some of them will not survive. It's incredibly hard to care so deeply and suffer so many losses. I hold all of them close to my heart each day as I set out to help another. They honored me by letting me in during such a hard time in their lives. I'll continue this work every day to honor them.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow an organization today?
First, if you are thinking about starting a nonprofit, make sure you aren't overlapping work already being done by another local group. If there are gaps, definitely fill them, but if your work is overlapping, consider finding ways to support and grow the existing orgs instead of creating unnecessary competition for donor funds.
Second, network, network, network. Show your excitement about your business when you connect with others. And get excited about what others are doing too. Connections are so important to growing your business. In many ways, it is still very much WHO you know more than what you know.
Third, get over your imposter syndrome right now! Whatever it is that you are bringing to the market (services or products), you are doing a disservice to your community or audience by holding yourself back out of self-doubt. Trust in your experience & expertise and put yourself out there. "Nobody wins afraid of losing" (Chris Stapleton, Starting Over).
Anything else you'd like to share?
Be a giver. If there are causes you believe in or work being done by a local nonprofit that you are excited about, give what you can to support their work. $1, $5, $500. Every single bit helps. Don't ever think that a small gift isn't worth it or isn't meaningful. People seem to think that there are just tons of grants out there and that it is easy for nonprofits to get the funds they need. While that may be true for the really big organizations, the small and medium nonprofits just don't get those funds as often as you'd think. Individual donors are critical to the missions of small nonprofits. Your gift matters.
Where can people find you and your group?
https://www.goingbeyondthepink.org
https://www.instagram.com/gbtpink/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/goingbeyondthepink
https://www.facebook.com/GoingBeyondthePink
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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