Start a Chapter

The transition to adulthood is a difficult time, and making this transition with diabetes is even harder. Having support from peers who are walking in the same shoes makes dealing with diabetes easier. Many alumni say that being involved in their chapter was one of the most rewarding experiences they’ve had to date. Starting a chapter is an opportunity to build a community of peer support for you and other YAs with diabetes.

The first step is to fill out the Start a Chapter form. After you fill out the form, our chapter team will reach out to you within two weeks. We will set up a call to get to know you, discuss how to establish a chapter, and brainstorm ideas for the coming year. With support from The Diabetes Link Staff, you will be building a diabetes community in no time!

We will help you find other YAs with diabetes, register as a club on your campus, plan first meetings and events, and build a strong and sustainable group. Every location is different, and therefore every start a chapter process is different!

Thank you for taking the initiative to start a chapter of The Diabetes Link at your school. We can’t wait to work with you!

Starting a The Diabetes Link chapter takes time and effort. We are grateful that you are willing to put in the work to build a strong community for you and your fellow students with diabetes.

To give you an idea of what the commitment looks like, this is what The Diabetes Link expects of our chapters:

1. Commit 4-10 hours/month to building a chapter of The Diabetes Link (aka The Link) at your college/university, developing leadership skills, and connecting with young adults affected by diabetes for peer support.
2. Complete a required check in call with The Link’s chapter staff 2x/year.
3. Complete an update form telling us what you’ve been up to on your campus and in your community 2x/year.
4. Lead or participate in two (2) chapter meetings, activities, events, or fundraisers per semester (or half year, if on quarter system). This includes national programming such as National Diabetes Awareness Month (November), College Diabetes Week (April), etc.
5. Provide us with at least one secondary contact for your chapter and update your member roster each semester.
6. Identify at least one campus advocate to support and advocate for your chapter.
7. Manage the distribution of outreach materials and chapter stipends in accordance with our policies.
8. Adhere to new guidelines that pertain to social media presence and marketing conversations.
9. Tell us no! Part of becoming a leader is learning your boundaries and how to set them–we encourage you to let us know when you cannot do something, and we will always respect you for doing that. (We prefer you to tell us rather than ghost us.)

Our Chapter team can’t wait to help you get started. Please fill out the below form to get in touch!