Melanie's European Adventure!

Wanna hear something REALLY cool about working at DoSomething.org? Well, I mean, besides the obvious reasons of course! After a staff member has been with the team for 2.5 years, they get to take a month paid sabbatical anywhere in the world to volunteer. That's right - a month, anywhere in the world, doing what inspires them!

Melanie just passed her 2.5 year mark and she planned an amazing adventure for herself in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and England. In addition to working on our Business Development team, Melanie is also point person on our International Expansion. Her sabbatical was the perfect excuse to check out some new DS spots and see how service is done around the world. We asked for a little tidbit from her, and here you go...

"In a nutshell, my sabbatical was amazing. I spent time with social entrepreneurs and teen focused organizations in Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, and England. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is never easy, but always important. I learned a ton about fundraising internationally, what social issues are prevalent in different countries, the roles that different governments play in NGO operations, etc. Probably the best experience was spending 2 weeks in the Do Something Portugal office. I did a bunch of research and consulting with their team, and presented our history and success here in the States to potential supporters in Portugal. It's so important to see the world and your work from a new perspective. When you do, you may realize that you could be doing something better, or that a joy of becoming expert in something is to share your expertise."

Do Something Portugal is our first international affiliate!