← We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
653. Nonprofit Mergers Aren’t a Last Resort—They’re a Strategic First Choice - Christina Lowery, Kate Kiama, Nidhi Shukla + Tammy Tibbetts, She's The First and Girl Rising
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- [00:01]
A
Hey, I'm John.
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B
And I'm Becky.
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A
And this is the We Are for Good podcast.
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B
Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more, and be more for the causes that improve our world.
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A
We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
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B
So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers, and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
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A
So let's get started. Whoa, Becky, are you holding on today?
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B
I know my dimples are out. I am so excited about this conversation today. We've had this one on the books for a while.
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A
Yeah. And this is a story that we want to invite you into. But these are missions that I hope are not new to you. But if they are, welcome. I'm really excited for you to get to know the humans that are on this call. Because we talk about collaboration as like a value. We talk about it all the time. Like that's how we actually make progress. Progress is finding ways to lock arm. We talk about lock arms for impact is is a phrase, kind of a rallying cry in this community. But formal mergers are still so dang rare that it seems like it's almost talked about as like a last resort instead of a bold first choice. But what if really combining missions and resources is actually the path to more impact and long term sustainability. And that is the story today, y'. All. I'm so excited for this conversation.
- [01:31]
B
We are entirely honored to be joined by two powerhouse organizations who are dedicated to advancing girls education and leadership. Girl Rising. And she's the first. They are merging to become one stronger global force. And John, this is the most people we have ever interviewed on the podcast in 650 episodes, I'm telling you, and yes, the most time zones. But their four leaders are coming together to share this news and story. I am so honored to meet them and have you know them as well. Well, first is Christina Lowry. She is the CEO of Girl Rising. Tammy Tibbetts, you know her, she's been on the podcast several times before. She is the co founder of she's the first and an incoming chief advisor. Kate Kiama is the co CEO of. She's the first and soon to be VP of global programs. And last but certainly not least, Nidhi Shukla, president of Girl Rising and incoming co CEO. This is going to be a conversation of epic proportions. And our Girls around the world need this moment. This is going to be an epic conversation.
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A
Yeah, I'm so glad to see all of Yalls faces, and we want to give space to tell a little bit about the organizations that y' all represent. So I would love to talk first about Girl Rising, and she's the first. Christina and Tammy, if y' all want to give a little bit of context of just the impact that y' all have been most proud of leading up to this moment.
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C
Yeah, I'd be happy to. And thank you so much for having us. The two things, two frayed, as you just mentioned, that really stand out to me are that you are bringing a little more goodness into the world and locking arms for impact. Those are. Those are just great phrases that are filling me up this morning. So, yeah, Girl Rising began more than 16 years ago when colleagues of mine and I set out to tackle a big question, and that was how to end global poverty. We were a group of filmmakers and journalists, and we took this big question and thought, I wonder what experts, practitioners, policymakers across all different sectors are saying about what are the best ways to end global poverty. And what we heard from everybody, we spoke to, everyone, pointed to the power of educating girls. And we then dove into the mountain of evidence, and it was absolutely undeniable that 12 years of quality education for girls is the single best investment to break cycles of poverty. But this was something that was known to a group of people, but did not seem to be known by the broad public or really was not front and center of the global policy agenda. So we were filmmakers, journalists, storytellers, and we thought, this is the story of a lifetime. How can we tell this story in a new and different way, to really make people care, to make people understand what it was for a single girl to have the opportunity to go to school, to stay in school, to be supported? So we ended up making a film called Girl Rising, which tells the story of nine girls from nine different countries, nine different ages. It was written by local female writers from each of those countries and voiced by global superstars. And with that film, we really brought to the world the story of the power of educating girls. And with that film, we helped unleash a movement in support of girls and uplifting girls. Fast forward to today. We transitioned from a film production company about seven years ago into a nonprofit. And today we hold on to that central issue of how do we uplift and support girls? Today, we work in deep collaboration with local partners equipping adolescents. We work with both girls and boys, but really focus on girls to help them build vital skills, to build confidence and agency, to nurture their aspirations for the future and to continue to dismantle the barriers to their education. We know that it is not enough to just work with girls. Girls are often in positions, in situations in their lives. They are not the ones that hold the power over decisions about their lives. And so we know it's absolutely critical to work with those around them, to work with their brothers, to work with their teachers, school administrators, parents. So we work to build supportive allies around girls to create the environments where they're supported, respected, and can pursue their goals. Storytelling still is a big part of our work. Our programs are founded on storytelling as a transformative tool to spark curiosity, shift mindsets and inspire action. That sums up goal Rising.
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B
I mean, I want to be friends with you so badly. I am so obsessed with everything that you're saying. We talk so often about the ability for media to scale mission. And I want to thank you for, for not just telling the story, but giving girls agency, for understanding that saying it in their own words is power for the lived experience and the culture that's wrapped around it is as important as what they are saying.
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A
Tammy, how about you tell us a little bit about the heartbeat of she's the first?
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D
Sure. Well, also 16 years ago, she's the first was founded with the simple belief that every girl deserves to choose her own future. And it was founded by two first generation college graduates who were studying journalism, so Kristen Brandt and myself. So storytelling is in our DNA as well. And I think that's such a full circle connection with Girl Rising. Our origin story is as a scrappy YouTube video. So like the very low, low budget version. Oh, I love this Girl Rising. But that's what we both understood. The power of a visual medium to really connect with people and make them conscious of this issue. And inspired to be part of this growing movement for girls education. Our model and programs have evolved dramatically since we started, but the mission and the vision have stayed the same. Our mission is teaming up with grassroots leaders to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected and heard. What this looks like in practice are two pillars of programming called the Girls First Institute and Girls Leadership programs. And these are areas that we are bringing with us into Girl Rising. So the Girls First Institute is a portfolio of programs that invests in women who are leading community based organizations that serve girls. Girls who are at high risk of early marriage, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school. And these women teach girls about their rights. They give them the confidence to speak up and to dream big. We are working with community based organizations in East Africa, Latin America and South Asia. Our Girls leadership programs is our work directly with girls. So these are girls who come from the network of community based organizations around the world and girls who find us on the Internet doing a Google search, including girls in North America. And we give them pathways to start chapters in their communities or at their schools. And we have a fellowship program where they work with girls from around the world on launching projects that are for their rights, as well as a girls advisory council. And two of those girls serve on our board of directors. So there's a lot to be proud of over the last 16 years. But I think what I'm most proud of is in 2020, which was a very rough year for all of us.
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A
Right.
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D
On all fronts.
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A
Yeah.
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D
Nonprofits had to figure out, you know, how to survive during the pandemic. And organizations that served girls had to figure out how to best support them when schools were closed, when rates of domestic violence and teen pregnancy were spiking. But the bright spot in it all for us is that we hired Kate Kiyama, our first employee in Kenya. Oh, my gosh. And she became our director of programs. This was kind of the beginning of my co founder, Kristen Brandt, who was chief programs officer, starting to step back and shift the power of program strategy and decisions to Kenya. Kate founded the Kenyan entity of she's the First. She hired the staff there and developed a strategy that has allowed our impact to significantly scale. So it's no surprise that over the last three years, her leadership grew and grew. And this January, she became my co CEO. She has been an absolute rock and anchor to lead beside. And I knew this merger was going to work when I had a call with her after she spoke with Nidhi for the first time and she and Nidhi talked about their programs. And Kate just had a huge smile on her face, like, I swear, a sparkle in her eye. She was gushing over the RISE curriculum and the possibilities she saw for connection with. She's the first. And that is when I knew that there was magic in this.
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A
I mean, what an incredible story. And I can feel the momentum and the vibrancy coming through the way that you're telling this, that y' all are made for this moment. Like you have the people.
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B
That's it.
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A
You have the vision. And now you have this partnership that's going to take it to the next level.
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B
I want to shift to you, Kate and Nidhi. I want to talk about why now, why. Why Is this merger so timely? Why is it so impactful? We're looking at what is happening not just to girls education, but to their well being, to their state of mind, to their ability to thrive in this world. Why is it so important right now? And Kate, I'm going to start with you.
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E
Yeah.
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D
Thank you for having us.
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E
Very excited to be here. Avid follower of your podcast.
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A
Thank you friend.
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E
So the timing of this merger really could not be more urgent when we think about the state of the world right now, especially across the global south, we're seeing governments slashing education budgets, we're seeing a rising cost of living, we're seeing families making painful trade offs and a troubling rollback of the gains that we've made, especially in terms of girls futures and girls education. And in many places, the first sacrifice is always on a girl's education. Particularly here in East Africa, we're seeing these pressures playing out daily. We're noticing adolescent girls dropping out of school because families can't afford school fees. We are seeing an alarming spike in early forced marriage and teenage pregnancy and limited mental health and sexual reproductive health rights support. Community based organizations who we work with are doing heroic work, but they're stretched in and they're often under resourced and underfunded. So it's really important for us right now to think about how can we be able to change this narrative, especially to make sure that in this environment we can't really afford to work in silos. So when we think about girl rising and she's a fast coming together, we are sending a clear signal that this is the moment to pull our strengths, our expertise, expand our networks and amplify girls voices. This merger to us means that especially at a time while girls education and well being are under threat, we are doubling down. We are not retreating. This for us is about skill, it's about resilience and it's about making sure that regardless of where a girl is born, she's afforded the right to be educated, respected and hard.
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B
Wow.
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A
I mean goodness y', all, the momentum that you're feeling, your faces. I wish everyone could see just the joy that's coming, coming through your eyes as y' all talk about this and the hope of what's possible together. And so I want to kick it to Nidhi to explain a little bit about your perspective, my friend. What do you see in this moment and why this is so critical right now?
- [14:02]
F
Thanks John. And I'm going to start with a fitting African proverb which summarizes our intent and hope for this merger. And it goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go alone, go together. So both organizations are passionate about building a future where all girls have opportunity to learn, to rise and to thrive. And we are stopping at nothing but that. But now brace yourself, because I'm going to share some stats with you. While there is enough data that illustrates what is working in the world today, there also is enough data that shows what isn't so globally, more adolescents, especially girls, are in school today more than ever before. I mean, if you look at data between 2015 and 2023, you'll see that there are 50 million girls in school compared to what it was in 2015. Great numbers, right? But the number of girls out of school has also dropped significantly, like to the tune of 39% decline in 20 years.
- [15:12]
B
Oh my gosh. That is a shocking stat.
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F
Yeah. But now contrast this with other studies that show 617 million adolescents do not have minimum proficiency levels. A recent UNICEF report found that roughly 3/4 of young people in the age group of 15 to 24 across 92 countries are off track to acquire life skills needed for employment and for decent work. Now, this shows us something that we've always known there is something amiss. This shows that just completing education is not enough. Are our kids, our adolescents, our girls, actually gaining skills needed to navigate real life challenges? Like in today's world, Soul Challenges is not just to put girls in school. Right? The climate crisis, the knowledge of reproductive health rights, digital and financial literacy, I mean, knowledge and skills for adolescents, especially girls, to be equipped with this, to lead a meaningful life is so, so critical. So together, we want to rewrite the life that girls are born into, the life that they are expected to lead. And as Christina and Kate already shared that, we want to amplify our impact and we want to expand our networks to make this shared dream come true.
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B
And therefore, now I'm just so impressed by this work. I am so grateful for this work. I feel all of us have heard these stats before that, you know, and the one that always sticks out to me, and I think she's the first who's really done a great job of educating me in this, is that girls reinvest 90% of their income back in their families and their communities. And John, not throwing any shade to men who, you know, invest 35%. But the short answer is that when you empower a girl, you don't just change her life, you change her family, you change her community. You can change the trajectory of entire nations. And so I feel like this is just such a powerful conversation. I'm so glad that the heartbeat of these two orgs are coming together. Christina, I'm going to kick this to you. When you started exploring what this merger could be, what was like the, the biggest dream that you had in your mind about what these shared visions could achieve together?
- [17:46]
C
Yeah. Thank you for the question. So one note, we Go Rising has had the experience of another organization merging with us before. So about six years ago, a nonprofit called the Global Education Fund merged with Go Rising and it really opened my eyes. At that time I didn't even know that was possible. Like it just wasn't part of my even thinking that oh, this is something we can consider, we can consider joining arms in this way with another organization. And it was such a positive experience that really ever since then in the back of my mind has been sort of the question of like, when's the next one? And as we began talking earlier this year with she's the first, my mind really began churning and thinking, oh my goodness. Understanding the programming that she's the first has and understanding the programming that Girl Rising has, seeing these, the ability for these jigsaw puzzle pieces to fit together. Girl Rising has been focusing a lot in the last few years on building out a program that's in school that can scale through government school systems. She's the first has programming in communities that can reach girls in communities and also direct to girls and young women. And so my biggest dream was that one, we would be able to offer more impact, more girls, more deeply and meet them where they are in more spaces. So meeting them in school, meeting them in communities and also being able to respond to what we hear from girls and young women about programming that they want specifically for them, directly to them. So my biggest dream was that we would be able to offer this continuum of support for girls and young women and that we would be able to make a bigger impact on more girls lives.
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A
Hey friends, here's a bit of real talk. This movement doesn't happen without community. And that includes our incredible ecosystem partners.
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B
Big gratitude to give Butterfly, RKD Group, donor doc, feather whiteboard and so on. These aren't just sponsors, they're mission driven allies showing up to fuel change alongside us.
- [20:09]
A
Their support helps bring you the free tools, education keynotes and summits because they believe like we do, that investing in people is what powers real impact.
- [20:19]
B
So if you're searching for a new CRM tech tool, maybe a brand partner direct Mail partner, or even an impact strategy strategists. We'd love for you to start with our trusted Rex. We vetted them so you don't have to.
- [20:31]
A
You want to learn more, head over to weareforgood.com Rex that's weareforgood.com recs for VIP access to orgs and amazing humans doing really great work. I'd said this at the top of the interview today, but nonprofit sector often talks about mergers as really like this last resort or almost like a sign of weakness. And while I know we've had some really progressive conversations on the podcast that would challenge that notion, I love that y' all are using this. It's so true to your story of not just like doing a thing, but using the way you're living your values as modeling the way to other people. And so this case study and even your op ed challenges this assumption is suggesting that we really need to attack a bigger mindset, shift around this and seeing these mergers as bold, as proactive, as ways to strengthen impact. And so, Tammy, I wonder if you'd open it up for us of just like, share a little bit about your mindset around this and how you're using this as a platform to have these really kind of cool conversations.
- [21:39]
D
Yes. Well, I think of the philosophy we have with our mission and our programs. We always say, girls, they can't be it if they can't see it. It's so important for them to have role models. Well, likewise, as nonprofit leaders, if you don't see examples of mergers, you don't really know what the possibilities are. And I remember maybe it was three or four years ago, it was raised in a conversation about the girls sector should be considering mergers and acquisitions. And I remember, like, kind of bristling at that because I hadn't seen it and I was internalizing, I think, this mindset that is the default mindset in how the world works and how business works, where you have to, you know, there's this competitiveness or you feel like you have to go it alone. And I think as feminist leaders, you learn how to dismantle that and rebuild a new way of working which is rooted in collaboration and radical collaboration. So three, four years later, I think I'm just a very different leader and have a different mindset where I embrace that so fully. So when the opportunity to be part of a discussion about mergers came up in January, I was excited to jump in and, you know, see what, what could this be about? And from the very beginning, it was incredibly exciting to Me to see how strengths and superpowers could be unified to be a stronger force for girls. And then as we got more involved in it, we started. I remember I. I went online to a thrift books website and bought like the. The textbook that was written 25 years ago on nonprofit mergers.
- [23:20]
B
Tammy, I bought Marketing for Dummies before I went and took my first marketing job. I'm with you.
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D
Yeah, it was very useful. You can get it very cheap. And. Well, the authors of this book later started a consulting firm on helping nonprofits through mergers, La Piana Consulting. And they put out research very recently this year where they did a study of nonprofits that had gone through mergers. And a year later, they found that the majority of them were, I think 92% of them were reporting that they were more successful. And 76% of them said that they had interest in pursuing additional strategic alliances in the future. There are other studies out there, and, you know, they all show that there is positive experiences that include increase in revenue in volunteer numbers, a decrease in fundraising expense ratio. So there are many compelling reasons to consider a merger, first and foremost, for how you deliver on your mission and your program impact, but then also from a sustainability point of view, too, there it's very attractive.
- [24:29]
A
So, Nidhi, I want to go to you next of just how do you see your missions complementing each other and what do you believe that combining forces is going to allow y' all to do that you couldn't have done alone?
- [24:41]
F
Thanks, John. Actually, lots. But I'm going to put my thoughts together and say that, you know, the world we know today is ever expanding and evolving and changing, you know, as we know. But if you think of it, this is just a little bit, you know, more deeply, you will realize that the world is changing for the better, mostly only for men and for boys. Girls in the geographies where we work still grapple with barriers that go as far back as history goes, you know, just 25 years ago. The world and its opportunities are narrowing for girls, and they find themselves confronting, you know, newer challenges, newer barriers today. So combining our forces brings us directly into the environment that girls participate in, learn from, and gain their sense of the world. It allows us, you know, greater opportunity to combine our resources, our pool, our touch points, you know, when we work with girls and really sort of work with stakeholders that they regularly interact with and implicitly sort of learn from. So us coming together leads to a holistic model that we believe will help create a continuum of care and support. A model for girls and for adolescents that we work with.
- [26:09]
B
I also think it's a model for social enterprises and for nonprofits who are really looking trepidatiously at their future right now saying what does the future look like? And I think we've taken what we've said in this conversation could be a fear, could be a scarcity mindset. And we flipped it entirely on its head and said, what if these coming together? We know that as a sector, we know generosity is bigger when it's shared. We know communities are stronger when there's more hands, you know, that are helping build it. And so I thank you all so much for the reframe because I think the merger is about the least interesting part of this conversation because what's going to happen on the front lines of joining forces is going to be where the real power is. And we say this often, the podcast is not just a podcast. You know, your event is not just an event, it's what you do with it and how you continue that conversation. And I want to talk about impact on the ground because we're going to be able to see this come out. But you know, Kate, you, you're in Nairobi, Nidhi, you are in India. We've got Christina and Tammy in the States. I mean, I love that there is a global presence and representation for girls. And Kate, I wonder what it looks like on the ground. How are the girls lives gonna be different as a result of this collaboration? What are you seeing?
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D
Wow, thanks.
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E
Thanks, Becky. For us, as Christina had mentioned, a deeper impact means reaching more girls, more educators, more mentors and more communities than neither of these two organizations could have done and do. Just to put it into perspective, over the next three years we'll be able to reach 7.5 million girls digitally and half a million girls in person events. But it's not just about the numbers.
- [28:08]
B
For us, Goosebumps.
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E
For us, the numbers are exciting. But when we think about how we're going to be able to impact the ecosystem that girls live, that's what's more exciting for us. Because we'll be programming for girls in school and girls out of school, which is really a catch all. So all girls will be moving forward. We'll be working with teachers to make sure that we equipping teachers, parents and mentors with tools to stand besides girls as champions. We'll be making sure girls are in school. Girls who are out of school will have some psychosocial support, some sexual reproductive health rights. And so this truly means for a girl either in rural Kenya or in rural India, she's not just gaining confidence in the classroom. Her brothers will be cheering her on, her parents will be backing her education, and her teachers will be nurturing her leadership, but also her community and the community leaders will be expecting her to thrive. And that's what systemic change in action looks like. And this is something that we're so excited that we're able to come very meaningfully to do, to not only continuously build girls agency, but also make sure the ecosystem around her is moving forward to ensure that she's able to pursue her ambitions without any limitations. So for us, I thought deep impact means, it means it's more sustainable and it means it's not only at the micro level, but also at the macro level. And all these different stakeholders will be working with, which we're really excited to to do in the next couple of years.
- [29:45]
B
Okay, I got to jump in here and say something that I am observing about this, which I think is so brilliant. And our final core value of we are for Good is that community is everything. And I think it is so utterly powerful that you have wrapped these girls in complete community and you have not kept them in a silo of girls only. In fact, you've done the opposite and you've opened the floodgates so that they could have allyship from everyone who is championing them, from the men in their family to whether it's the village elder or the teacher. And I think when you just said you don't want to go at this alone, none of us want to go through this life, through any of this work alone. And I think the real genius here is this call to allyship because it looks like a movement. It doesn't look like group of girls locking arms. It looks like a group of people who are standing up and saying, this is how we create healthier people, healthier communities, a healthier world is when we all link arms together. I think it is so brilliant and I absolutely love the theory of change here.
- [31:00]
C
Okay.
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A
This is just our two brains because, you know, you go there be and I'm seeing this mental image of those are the things that maybe we believe we could control, the things that we can see today. But what's unseen is this ripple. And I think, honestly, Tamm, your book cover of like the impact word with literally the ripple coming out from that. And I just think of such a powerful image of this, the ripple effect that's going to be felt for generations from this decision to come together, to lay down ego, to find our commonality. And it's A beautiful representation and model for others to follow. So as y' all think about the funding piece of this and supporters, and y' all are storytellers and so gifted at that, what do you hope that funders and supporters of these missions see in this and see about the possibilities? I'll start with you, Tammy.
- [31:52]
D
Sure. Well, I'll split it into funders and supporters. For large funders, we hope that there's growing recognition that mergers require resources. That's one of the reasons why it's, it's cost prohibitive to many nonprofits. There are many things that have to happen in the transaction that are not part of our operating budgets. That includes the legal support. If you're not lucky enough to get pro bono, which we did, hiring consultants, your database, migration, facilitation between your teams, it's expensive. We were fortunate that we have a couple funders between us who chipped in extra money so we could cover those costs. Girl Rising has a very committed funder, Echidna, that contributed a grant and that we also discovered a funder called SeaChange Capital Partners. And their entire focus is in supporting one time merger costs. So we highly recommend anyone listening to look on their website and submit an application because that was really helpful to us. So maybe funders, if they don't already have a pot of money set aside, we would encourage them to think about creating a fund that they're grantees could access and apply for when they are pursuing a strategic alliance of any type. For supporters, and I would say this is like kind of maybe your everyday donor reminding them first of the impact and making sure that they're well informed of the programs that they support, how they will continue and how they will grow. And in exchange for that, we hope supporters recognize that mergers are inherently complex. There's many, many moving pieces, even when the process is moving along with such ease and joy as it has been between the she's the first and Girl Rising teams. It's a lot of work and the existing staff is already kind of working at full capacity just running the organizations and the current programs. So having Grace, you know, if, if there's an email you need to follow up on or I don't know, a tax receipt you haven't gotten yet, something, you know, small. Just reach, reaching out and kind of knowing that the, the teams are maybe working at a slower speed as they get all of this together and, and work out the kinks. I will say that as we've been communicating our merger to our community, the supporters who have written Back with excitement and kind words. It has meant the world to us. We don't necessarily need anyone's validation because we know we're doing what is right for the mission and we've consulted girls and like our key stakeholders, and that's what matters first and foremost. But it's still really nice to get. So when a donor expresses that excitement, I will copy the message. And we have a special Slack channel at. She's the first. Call it fan mail and I'll drop it in there so the rest of the team can see it. And then they respond with emojis. It just puts a spring in everyone's step. So that would be my encouragement that if you are inspired by, you know, what you're seeing about a merger, let the team know because it'll give them so much energy as they are working beyond their limits to make, you know, a big dream come true.
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B
I just adore you all. I just, I have so much hope in what this is about to launch out because there has been so much groundwork and so much listening and so much understanding that has led to this point. And you know that we wrap up all of our conversations with the one good thing. And Christina, I'm going to start with you, and I'm going to pitch it to everybody here in the group. Can you just maybe in one word, maybe a sentence, what you believe this merger is going to unlock for your mission or maybe something that makes you feel so excited about the future ahead. Christina, what's your one good thing? I'm going to start with you.
- [36:04]
C
Yeah, thank you for the question. So I believe this merger will unlock strength. I think by joining forces, we will be stronger, our programs will be stronger, our foundation will be stronger, our voice will be stronger and louder, and we will be a stronger and more powerful lever in this space.
- [36:27]
B
Incredible. Nidhi, what about you?
- [36:30]
F
Of course, the impact is great, but I'm going to talk about how this merger really provides an opportunity to bring decentralized leadership. Our offices in Kenya, in India, really sort of bringing the voices of those closest to the regions where we work into the forefront of the program. So I'm really excited about leadership.
- [36:52]
B
What about you, Kate?
- [36:54]
E
For me, the word is momentum. Momentum that accelerates growth, that strengthens the girls. Right. Movements, that fuels the feminist movement and ensures that the next generation of girls don't just dream, they lead.
- [37:11]
B
Tammy, bring it home, my friend.
- [37:13]
E
Thanks.
- [37:14]
D
Inspiring radical collaboration. I think in taking a. A road that is less common in the nonprofit sector, we really have an opportunity to illuminate the path and share our learnings along the way and be of service to other leaders.
- [37:30]
B
I think I want to jump in here, John, if I can, and give a one more, one good thing. I've been a member, a monthly giving donor to. She's the first a member of the front row for. I think this is my fourth year now and I want to challenge anyone who's listening, who feels inspired right now to join me in that because let me just tell you, it is one of the most joyful communities that I have the privilege of being a part of. When I see that email come across, when I see that social post hit my feed, I get such a dopamine hit. And if you have heard anything in the power of these big bold moves, please come join me because we want this ripple to grow and grow and become the belief of many.
- [38:17]
D
Thank you, Becky. We love our monthly donors. Yes. Take a front row seat to this merger and supporting the programs. And thank you, Becky, for being and John, for being such leaders.
- [38:28]
A
Well, y' all those listening, I can tell you, are inspired by you. How can they connect? Like, what is the right next step? Obviously, becoming a monthly donor is awesome.
- [38:38]
C
What.
- [38:38]
A
Where else can people find y' all online, connect with your programs? I want to go around Robin, because I want people to know y', all, the individual humans that y' all are. Where do you each show up online and how can someone find the organization? Christina, what would you share?
- [38:53]
C
Yeah. So please, those are listening. Follow Rising on Instagram and LinkedIn and you can also follow me on LinkedIn as well.
- [39:01]
A
Wonderful. Kate, how about you feel free to.
- [39:04]
E
Follow shizafast at Instagram and LinkedIn at shizafas and myself athwithiama on all social media platforms. Thank you.
- [39:12]
A
I love it. Nidhi, where can we find you, girl?
- [39:16]
F
Rising platform, LinkedIn. My own LinkedIn. All social media platforms.
- [39:21]
A
Thank you.
- [39:21]
D
And Tammy, you can find me under my name, Tammy tibbets, on Instagram, LinkedIn, and I'm playing around on Substack. So there too.
- [39:29]
A
Ooh, I didn't know that. I'm adding you now. I love that platform.
- [39:34]
B
I just want to thank you on behalf of my daughters and the women I love for embracing this brave new world. Because I cannot wait to watch the exponential growth and not just that, but the care you're about to unleash into the world. Thank you, beautiful women for what you are doing. Keep going. We cannot wait to follow this journey and watch it unfold in such beautiful ways.
- [40:03]
D
Thank you.
- [40:04]
C
Thank you so much. For having us.
- [40:05]
E
Thank you, friends. Thank you.