We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nesha Daubenspeck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nesha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?
I am not sure I could keep it at just one story because working with these amazing patients and their families has touched my heart in so many ways I didn’t think possible. When we meet our patients they are normally at the end of the line for financial support with nowhere else to turn, or simply cannot find a way to get to and from their treatments. As we work with them, help them each and every step of the way, we get to know them and their families and the bond is absolutely immeasurable. They become an extension of the 1ofUs Family and that is what makes us so different from other organizations. This to me is the most heartwarming part of my job. These women are fighters! They are so strong in their Faith and they know we are with them through it all!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a proud boy mom of two teenagers, 14 & 16, and have been married for 20 years this May! I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC which is a city I love and cherish. I graduated from UNC Wilmington in 1998 with a BS in Business Marketing & Management and returned home to work for the family business until 2006. During the years I worked within the family business, we put on annual golf tournaments benefiting the Make A Wish Foundation- Raleigh Chapter and The Walk For Hope (Angus Barn). I grew up with a family that always gave back to the community they worked in, so it was a complete no brainer when one of my closest girlfriends asked me to Chair the annual Gala for her non profit, 1in9. Stephanie Beguelin is the Founder of this organization, now called 1ofUs, but she is also a breast cancer survivor herself, which is how this organization came to be. Not only did I watch her fight and beat this diagnosis, she created a non profit with her husband so that other women didn’t have to go through financial struggles alone. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a part of this amazingness!! I Chaired my first Gala, which we call the Pink Tie Affair, in 2015, and honestly I was hooked! It was a night of magic, love and so much community support, I just knew I needed to be a part of 1in9. I asked Stephanie after the Gala if there were any part time positions and they were generous enough to create a Community Outreach Director position for me; I was honored! I spent the next 7 years organizing fundraising and awareness events throughout the Triangle area of NC. Throughout these years, we have expanded our mission to breast and gynecological cancer patients (where the name change to 1ofUs comes in) and created incredible community partners and sponsors. Our annual Gala went from raising $65,000 in our first years to raising $375,000 in 2022!!
At last year’s Gala I was promoted to the Executive Director’s position and honestly I couldn’t be more honored!! I love my team of amazing women! We are a small but mighty team of 5 woman and we wear a lot of hats and give it our all for these patients who are fighting for their lives! Not many people have the privilege of saying that they love their job, but I honestly can!
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
In order to succeed in the non profit world, you need to be able to take no for an answer and always try again. I won’t lie when I say being in the non profit business has toughened my skin, per say. Being the Community Outreach Director, I was always asking for donations. These donations could be for our fundraisers throughout the year, our Pink Tie Affair (black tie gala) or monetary for sponsorships. One has to remember that the companies you are approaching, especially the local ones, get asked for donations on a weekly if not daily basis. They cannot say yes to everyone, so when they contribute to your organization, take it as a win. Building relationships takes time and you have to nurture them and never take them for granted because there is always another non profit right behind you waiting in line. I am incredibly grateful for our partnerships that continue to support 1ofUs; they make us who we are today and help us continue our mission!
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back, I would absolutely choose the same profession! I am one of the few who can actually say they love their job and I am so proud of our organization and all of its accomplishments over these past 12 years! The non profit world is not an easy one because there are so many to choose from and everyone you meet has one that is near and dear to their heart. 1ofUs is such a unique, grassroots organization and our mission is so simple yet so needed among these patients and their families. When you can step in and personally, emotionally and financially change someone’s life, it is a blessing and a gift and 1ofUs gets to do that each and every day!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.1ofUs.org
- Instagram: @Fightfor1ofUs
- Facebook: @Fightfor1ofUs
- Linkedin: Nesha (Bartholomew) Daubenspeck