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We can’t do what we do without you!I started my IIDA New England journey as the Vice President of the Providence City Center which has a vibrant design community albeit a smaller one than Boston. Due to the limited number of designers, we had limited resources but wanted to do all we could to support them in their careers. The Providence City Center’s budget, much like many of our other budgets within the chapter, are not self-supporting but they bring so much value to members. Thanks to the continued generosity of our Chapter Sponsors, we can support those programs that may not be financially self-supporting. I also cannot imagine IIDA New England without our Best Thing Ever Award-winning program, the Emerging Leaders Network, which is another program made possible by our Chapter Sponsors. When our hosts or board members say thank you to our Chapter Sponsors at events, it’s because so many of our staple programs wouldn’t exist without you! In 2019, thanks to our Chapter Sponsors, we were able to expand our Lifelong Leadership Program to now cater to mid-career professionals with our Leadership Exploration and Development (L.E.A.D) program and offer a professional development event 10 out of 12 months! For 2020, we have so much more planned but as IIDA chapters are entirely self-funded, we must find the funds to make it happen. The Chapter Sponsorship program has allowed us to do so much more financially but also deepen our relationships with local businesses and community members. Chapter Sponsors serve on committees, host events for us, and participate in many of our philanthropic activities. In 2019, we created a Chapter Sponsor exclusive philanthropy event which was a huge success and gave a family a fresh start. The 2020 Chapter Sponsorship campaign brings a curated and elevated benefits package. We piloted some benefits in 2019 and received feedback to make sure they were valuable such as the opportunity to nominate an Emerging Leader. We are happy to continue our Chapter Sponsorship concierge program which gives Chapter Sponsors dedicated members of our Sponsorship Committee to make sure sponsors receive every benefit promised and are getting the most out of their experience. We are happy to continue offering the Hartford City Center (HCC) level which gives New England wide visibility while focused benefits at the Hartford City Center events. You’ll see some new social media benefits as well as free job postings on our website. We look forward to continuing to work with out returning Chapter Sponsors and welcome new sponsors both of which help us grow and improve our chapter. Meaghan Kennedy, IIDA
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