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Mailchimp Partner Kim Darragon Gives Back

By donating her professional skills, she’s helping refugees thrive

It’s no secret—our Mailchimp partners are phenomenal. This community of experts boasts some of the best email marketers around. Every day, partners help clients achieve their marketing goals. But many also donate their professional skills to worthy causes, helping nonprofits expand their reach so they can focus on their mission.

Kim Darragon, founder of Kim Does Marketing, is one of these partners. As the daughter of a parent who is a refugee, Kim is passionate about helping newcomers integrate into their adopted countries. When Kim was looking to donate her professional skills, she found an organization that was a perfect fit: The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN). “It’s a fantastic social enterprise and community with a mission to enable refugees to thrive through the power of their own ideas,” says Kim.

Here, Kim talks to us about her work with TERN—a UK-based nonprofit that provides refugee entrepreneurs with advice, mentorship, networking, and access to funding—and her commitment to professional giving.

Why were you interested in helping TERN?

As the daughter of a Laotian refugee who fled to France in the 1970s, I understand how challenging it can be to build a new life in a new country, learn a new language, culture, and customs, get a job or start a business, and work hard to be respected and integrated into a new society.

What is your role at TERN?

I joined as an advisor in September 2021. Advisors essentially provide support to entrepreneurs with 1:1 sessions and answer questions on a digital platform. I recently hosted a consulting session for the founder of an amazing refugee-owned coffee business in London. TERN has more than 360 entrepreneurs from over 50 origin nationalities in their community—90% of whom have never accessed business support and 80% have been in the UK fewer than 5 years.

At TERN, you offer 1:1 marketing sessions to refugees, what kind of help is most needed?

So far, it's mainly been marketing strategy related—how to promote a business, how to boost brand discovery, and attract leads and new customers.

“Volunteering offers an opportunity to pass on hard-won lessons and tips: to apply my real-life marketing experience to help make someone else’s entrepreneurial experience just a little bit easier and more successful.”

Is volunteering your services something you do often?

Yes, I'll sometimes mentor young professionals who want to start a career in marketing and who need guidance on the different types of marketing roles, along with advice on the differences between a corporate job versus freelance roles, and tips on how to set up your own consultancy.

Many folks would just donate money to a nonprofit and call it a day. Why do you think it’s important to volunteer your professional services?

Perhaps most importantly, volunteering offers an opportunity to pass on hard-won lessons and tips: to apply my real-life marketing experience to help make someone else's entrepreneurial experience just a little bit easier and more successful.

Do many organizations ask for your help? If so, how do you decide which ones to donate your time to?

Yes—I often receive requests from business associations that support female founders or entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds, plus student-focused or young professional mentoring communities. I always look at their values and missions to see if they’re aligned with mine.

“It’s helped to really align myself with one of the most core missions of my consultancy: supporting immigrant founders, and founders from underrepresented backgrounds, to achieve success with their marketing and businesses.”

How do you manage how much pro bono work you take on?

I usually work in the evening or on weekends for these projects. So, outside of my usual work hours.

How has working with TERN impacted you?

It's helped to really align myself with one of the most core missions of my consultancy: supporting immigrant founders, and founders from underrepresented backgrounds, to achieve success with their marketing and businesses.

This is part of our Partners Who Give Back miniseries. Read more about marketers who donate their professional skills to worthy causes:

Pure Firefly

helped the Guild of Scenic Artists triple their donation goals.

If you’re a freelancer or a member of an agency looking to build your reputation, learn new skills, and network with awesome peers like Kim, join Mailchimp & Co. Membership gets you access to tools (to help you manage your clients) and resources designed to help you grow your business your way.

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