How Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is Helping Solve the Diabetes Epidemic

Diabetes is an enormous – and, unfortunately, growing – problem in the U.S. and around the world.  Current estimates put the total number of Americans living with diabetes at roughly 30 million, which represents about 10% of the country’s population.  That is a staggering figure for our country to face.  Worldwide, the situation is no better, with nearly 400 million people living with diabetes (inclusive of Americans).

Truly, the world is facing a diabetes epidemic.

What attracted me most was the opportunity to work on finding a cure for such a devastating disease, thus easing – and potentially saving – the lives of those living with diabetes.  I can’t imagine a more challenging yet interesting cause to focus on at this time in world history.

How are you making an impact through your work?

As an organization, the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation serves as the fundraising and public relations arm of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI).  We generate the financial resources that our colleagues at the DRI need to concentrate on their cure-focused research, moving us closer each day toward our goal.

Personally, in my work as a fundraiser and public representative of the DRI, I feel that I make an impact with each and every gift that I secure in support of our efforts.  

What advice would you give to anyone with a similar position, or to someone interested in working for a nonprofit like yours?

This probably sounds so obvious, but be sure to engage with the people most affected by your organization’s work – directly – as often as possible.  The day-in, day-out machinations of working in a non-profit are no different than they are working in any industry.  They can wear you down and remove you from your mission.  You can sit in an office and forget why you’ve chosen to focus your life’s work on a particular cause.  To combat that, I’ve found that it’s best to spend time – face to face – with the people most affected by your organization’s mission.  Doing so re-charges your battery and helps you stay focused on what is truly important in your work.

Our thanks to Joshua Rednik for sharing his time and expertise with us!  To learn more about the impact Joshua’s organization is making, click here to visit their website, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and support their work with a donation.  

The primary goal for any nonprofit is to get people to support that nonprofit’s cause so they can make an impact. But, behind each of those causes are hard-working individuals, actively involved in making that impact happen. Through our Making Impact Blog Series, we’re going behind the scenes with America’s Charities member organizations to learn how they’re making impact happen and share insights and advice from the staff and volunteers supporting these initiatives.