← What the Fundraising
What the Fundraising
260: Building Resilience Through Play, Love, and Community Power with Cicley Gay
00:25:57
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- [00:04]
A
The truth is, I wanted to throw up before every donor meeting. Fundraising is high stakes and deeply human, vulnerable and tender. What I needed more than anything was a place to practice. So I created one. Practivated is the first ever donor conversation simulator where you have a private and safe space to put in the reps, refine your messaging, and build your confidence. Learn more@practivated.com.
- [00:34]
B
It'S interesting. I mean, you know about fundraising and philanthropy, and I never miss a moment to tell folks about the true definition of philanthropy, that while they hear that I am a philanthropist or in philanthropy, they immediately think about money. I think about the love of humanity, right? The true definition of the word. And I say that love is my superpower and I stay anchored in love even when the climate can become hostile. Because boldness is not about being the loudest or the biggest or the most aggressive. It's about willing to take those risks and to make decisions that might not always be popular, but they are necessary when we're thinking about the longevity and sustainability of the movement.
- [01:15]
A
Hey, my name is Mallory and I'm obsessed with helping leaders in the nonprofit space raise money and run their organizations differently. What the Fundraising is a space for real and raw conversations to both challenge and inspire you. Not too long ago, I was in your shoes, uncomfortable with fundraising and unsure of my place in this sector. It wasn't until I started to listen to other experts outside of the fundraising space that I was able to shift my mindset and ultimately shift the way.
- [01:43]
C
I show up as a leader.
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A
This podcast is my way of blending professional and personal development so we, as a collective inside the nonprofit sector can.
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C
Feel good about the work we are doing.
- [01:54]
A
Join me every week as I interview some of the brightest minds in the personal and professional development space to help you fundamentally change the way you lead and fundraise. I hope you enjoy this episode, so let's dive in.
- [02:10]
C
Welcome everyone. I am so excited to be here today with Cicely Gay. Welcome to what the fundraising.
- [02:17]
B
Thank you so much for having me, Mallory. I am excited to be here as well.
- [02:20]
C
Why don't you tell everybody a little bit about you and your work and what brings you to our conversation today?
- [02:26]
B
Yeah, I am so proud that since 2022 I have been the Board chairwoman of Black Lives Matter, the Network Foundation. However, I rarely miss a moment to share that I am a mom, first of three amazing sons, and someone who has dedicated my life's work to philanthropy and nonprofits. I've spent over 20 years serving in under resourced communities Both as a program leader or program officer and bring all of that expertise to bear as I help usher this organization into new chapter. I'm also a social entrepreneur. The reason I got here was because I'm leading my own company called the Amplifiers, where we amplify the good and working with nonprofits, particularly black led nonprofits in underserved communities to leverage resources and to build power. And so my personal and professional background all align very much through service. And I'm so excited to talk to you about Black Lives Matter and why I'm here and what work to move us forward.
- [03:27]
C
Oh my gosh. There's so many, so many things I want to ask you about with that intro. But I also, I love hearing that you like about your boys and that it sounds like they're such a big part of why you do what you do. I have two little girls and they are my north star in the social impact work. So I love that, I love that.
- [03:44]
B
I say I see often. Mine are my magnifying glass or my mirror. Sometimes I have but my mirror and my compass. Right. And they're in fact my oldest one is the one who, when I thought about taking this role on the board, I didn't know then that I was going to be voted board chair. But that said, how can you not? Your entire life has been about preparing us as three young black men for the world. And now it's time for you to prepare the world for us. And it was a beautiful full circle moment when he said, yeah, mom, you can do it.
- [04:15]
C
And oh my God, oh my God, I'm tearing up. That's so beautiful. That's so amazing. And wow. Okay, so talk to us. You all have a really incredible initiative.
- [04:28]
B
Yeah.
- [04:28]
C
Black Lives Matter right now. That is always timely, but I think particularly right now, I was so excited to learn about it. Tell us a little bit about what you guys have cooking up.
- [04:38]
B
So if I could just take a moment to level set around Black Lives Matter, the movement and the organization to provide some clarity on which I represent and how the movement itself became a response to racial injustice and state sanctioned violence. I think many of us participated either you know, financially or in the streets in 2020 during those uprisings. But even before that, there were uprisings in Ferguson that became a catalyst and finally showed the world what happened was not isolated, but part of a broader crisis. Right. And so there were many organizers who built a network that and movement that continues to grow today. And from that movement birthed AN organization, a 501c3 nonprofit the Global Network foundation. And the movement has evolved to also not only demanding that Black Lives matter as it relates to fighting against black death, but now under this new leadership for black life and black love. And so we're building a world that I believe in as a social justice advocate and change maker, that we can truly thrive with access to joy and art and opportunity and everything that makes life fulfilling. And so this organization is making critical and ongoing investments, both in the US and around the world that reflect our belief that we have to rebuild even as we resist. And if you dream of a world that you believe is true one, that is where people are free from fear and oppression and poverty and inequality, that means mutual aid. That means community, self determination. And that is why we launched Black Play Matters, because it also means joy. Right? We're healing the past, we're reimagining the present, and we're investing in the future. And we also know is that oftentimes joy is something that many communities, particularly when they're struggling, don't believe that they have either access to or deserve. And so Black Play Matters is a direct investment in joy. We are literally thinking about play as a way in which to fight some of the challenges that we are experiencing. We believe they're tools for survival and resistance, whether that's music and dance and sports and. Or even storytelling. So even when, you know, joy is policed or criminalized, we've got to create spaces for play, because those become acts of dignity and liberation. That's what Black Play Matters is all about. It's a lot.
- [07:02]
C
I know, I know. I'm like, there's so many questions I want to ask you. Which one do I want to pick? Wow. What do you think, sort of, before we move on to, like, focusing a little bit more specifically on Black Play Matters, I think what you're saying about kind of the evolution of the organization and trying to, like, reset expectations there and, you know, is so important. What do you think? I mean, other than what you already said, like, what are other pieces of that that, like, you want to make sure people understand and know about your identity and how the foundation wants to be showing up and the space where it wants to be.
- [07:40]
B
Thank you for that. I know we got into the nitty gritty of the campaign, but I've learned a lot in my, you know, 20 years of nonprofit leadership, both through service, but also as a program officer who was writing checks. And I was completely unprepared for the amount of misinformation and disinformation that now exists in this current climate. We're fighting it every day. And so it's been very important for us to lead with truth and transparency. We have a transparency center on blacklivesmatter.com and. And we also are really proud of our track record. We've already invested $40 million into communities which a lot of people don't know. I still get asked, where's the money? Right. Through investments in frontline organizations, some direct aid to people who were struggling from the burden of student loans to HBCU students who, frankly, were sleeping in their cars before school started. We gave them gift cards. And so we are operating as a traditional foundation, but we're doing it through truth and transparency. And then a part of the reason I'm here is because I just want people to know the truth. I don't want to just defend. I want to reframe and redirect the narrative away from false claims to spotlighting the work that is actually happening and then provide receipts. Right. So we implore people as it relates to BLM to allow us to reintroduce ourselves, to know that we have leaders who are at the helm who are trying to build this organization for the long run. And we don't want misinformation to thrive. We are challenging it. And we're equipping partners and grantees and everyday supporters to be our amplifiers so they can be armed with the tools that they need to move us into the next phase of leadership and, frankly, build this world that we believe that we deserve.
- [09:19]
C
Okay, can I ask you one other question here? So I'm curious about how you think about and sort of handle the fact that so much of the different issues that you're tackling are complex. And one of the things I'm watching in this age of misinformation is the fact that when we need hold space for transparent but nuanced conversations, right? Like, when we need to hold people's attention to hear the whole story around something, it's hard to, like, have that narrative heat with a clickbait headline that is binary and ruthless. And this is something I am sort of constantly thinking about as I watch kind of marketing campaigns of misinformation compete with real social change work. And it's like real social change work is never going to be as, like, cookie cutter, like, click headliney as a marketing campaign of misinformation. How do you think about that or hold that or continue to invite people into the complexity and the nuance of the work?
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B
Yeah, I mean, I was really excited. Everything you're saying is right. I was really excited to see recently that there's now a new initiative, at least like in the last week or so of a commitment of about $36 million to protect public media that I'm sure you've heard of it. I think MacArthur is a part of it and Knight is part of it. And I think about this all the time. If I had a blank checkbook, I would probably start doing things like just funding truth. Right. Funding good bots. Right. Or funding influencers in the DMs and the chats to tell people the truth about this bite sized misinformation. I think it's really important that we know that there is an active, there are active campaigns to misinform. It's not by mistake. And we've got to constantly continue to bite back in the spaces that we can, through our dollars, you know, through, through philanthropy, but also through communications mechanisms that we all have access to. We're meeting people where we are. I haven't forgotten that BLM started as a hashtag. Right. It started as a social media campaign, which is why it took so long for us to kind of form our identity through a nonprofit. And so it's not easy. I wish I had the answer, but I believe that, you know, we have to own space where we are and continue to tell the truth and, and not be afraid of it and leverage the same platforms that people who are spreading misinformation and disinformation are and then having a collective and unified voice as much as we possibly can so that drumbeat of truth becomes louder and louder.
- [11:57]
C
Yeah, I so appreciate that. And I feel like that actually leads in a little bit to the black play matters. Right. Because like, this work is big and heavy. And so I was excited about this initiative. A lot of what I focus on with fundraisers is around emotional regulation and understanding our nervous system and the way stress impacts our, our inability to be in connected relationships and the role that that plays in the burnout in the sector. And so the pieces that you're talking about here, the like, regulation that comes from play, the things that opens up for connection. Tell me more about, like the question.
- [12:42]
A
I've been asked the most in the last five years is how do you always know what to say to a donor? And the truth is because I've navigated donor conversations thousands of times, unfortunately I had to learn what to say the hard way. Live with a donor in high stakes conversations. It was uncomfortable, messy, defense feeding, and definitely led me to burnout. I want Better for fundraisers. Which is why I built Practivated, the first AI powered donor conversation simulator built just for fundraisers. With real time feedback, customizable scenarios and coaching from your AI guide, Coach Tivi, you can practice donor conversations in a safe, judgment free space. I want to help you build confidence, reduce stress and and strengthen donor relationships all at the same time. Are you interested? Book your demo with me, Mallory erickson today@practivated.com demo.
- [13:42]
C
Why this is such a critical piece of the foundation of this work.
- [13:47]
B
Yeah, thank you for asking that. I don't really often get to talk about the science of play, but I spent 10 years working at the Women's Sports foundation. And I came to the foundation not as a champion female athlete. I was a cheerleader growing up and a dancer. But that was part of the reason that they identified me as someone who could serve in community. It was because I understood the power of play as it related to health and wellness and connectedness. Play and sports became the carrot right, to the stick of health. And through that experience, I learned a lot statistically about how not only have joy and play in our community been tools for survival and resistance, but also that the kind of over criminalization of black children starts younger and younger and younger and we've got to bite back. Right. It's interesting. You don't hear a whole lot about, you know, black boyhood. You hear that they're young men. Right. Or young women. Right. And so we want to reclaim that. And this campaign does exactly that. It creates spaces for where play can become acts of dignity and liberation, where they are not considered extracurricular but essential. Right. And we are funding, we're putting our money where our mouth is, funding youth sports and arts and wellness so that black children and adults, frankly, have the freedom to play and live and thrive without bias. And we know to your point about the science of play that transforms play into a pathway to health and empowerment and opportunity. So we're addressing systemic barriers to deny play. We've got an advocacy initiative, some policy work that we're doing, some community partnerships, but then we're also directly investing in community. We have some great grantees that we partnered with, one of them called Africax, which is actually in Ghana. So this is us and abroad. I was there a couple of months ago. We built three water wells and introduced soccer to some of the communities. Well, they call it football, of course. We have another initiative with the Ebony Beach Club out in Santa Monica. We had 2,000 people come together on Juneteenth and We gave swim lessons to black children because we know that black kids die at higher rates than others from drowning. And then we have some more traditional grantees like Tuff Teaching Us Fitness and Fundamentals, which is a nonprofit in New York that works across the boroughs to connect physical activity, play and finance. And so those kinds of partners are helping us create this ecosystem of play that is undergirded by love and care and, frankly, joy.
- [16:18]
C
Wow. I love the piece around. I mean, I love all the programmatic pieces, but I really love the, like, stance of if we prioritize this as a funding initiative, we are making a statement that this matters for all of these other pieces. Right. Like, that there's an interconnection here that's so important. I got my career as a middle school educator, and my master's thesis was about safety and joy and play in the classroom and the way it impacted math outcomes. Right. It was like, everything comes back to how we feel. And so I love what you're talking about here, which is like, yeah, not only is this not extracurricular, but this is part of the like foundation. This is part of the fabric of what will allow these other things that we care about also to be able to be realized or these other programs around financial literacy to resonate with folks.
- [17:17]
B
That's right. Yeah. I mean, I love your background around it and how it's, you know, you've seen it in practical terms. It's so fascinating to me that these are the first programs that are cut oftentimes. Right. In organizations. I mentioned that I'm the mom of three sons. My oldest is an actor. My two younger are Division 1 athletes. Sports and arts have changed my family's life, and I've raised them, I often say, without the benefit of a partner for 20 years. And I don't call myself a single mom because there's nothing singular about the community that has supported me and my family. But I've seen in real time, from the football field to the lacrosse field to the stage, how the relationships that have been built with my own children, how the self efficacy and self esteem and frankly, those things are some of the, you know, kind of intangibles. But all of those activities funded my children to go to college, all three of them. So there's some very tangible outcomes of investing in some of their passion as well. And that could have a whole nother conversation about, as it relates to our economy and how finding your passion can impact that and your life. Right. And your livelihood. But you're absolutely right. It's so fascinating that many of these things are not seen as necessary, but we believe that it's our responsibility at Black Lives Matter in many ways to disrupt systems. And we've done that from the very beginning. We've shaken things up. And so we're also, in many ways, disrupting philanthropy by putting a separate stake in the ground and saying we're not going to necessarily do things the way that they've always been done. And we recognize that this world is, you know, swimming around us with a lot of scary policies. It feels like whack a mole is happening that we're trying to combat, but we're going to stand firm in a foundation of joy and play and freedom in that regard so that we can have the stamina to get through when all of these other things are coming at us that we may feel unprepared for.
- [19:10]
C
Yeah. Wow. And it's so interesting. Like, you're right. Like, that's the first stuff that gets cut in public school settings. Right. And it's interesting to me because there's such privilege when it comes to play.
- [19:24]
B
Oh, gosh. Yeah. Yeah. It's pay to play now, right? Yeah. That's a real thing. I have a child who decided to fall in love with lacrosse, one of the most expensive sports. Right. I mean, I remember looking at the price of his stick and his helmet and fees to, you know, to just. To register. And, I mean, that is completely out of reach for so many families just to play. And so to be able to literally level that playing field for folks so that they can have access to play is something that we can't forget about. And we've got to continue to partner with organizations who are doing it. Right. And invest in where we can.
- [20:00]
C
Yeah. And that there's this, like, structure to it, too, that really is connecting these pieces. I worked in Latin America for a long time, long time. And, you know, people would come and visit me, and they'd be like, oh, like, they're so happy with so little.
- [20:13]
B
Right.
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C
And I was always like, it just, like, there's an excuse.
- [20:19]
B
Right.
- [20:19]
C
Like, Right, right. And it's like. But what you're saying is actually, like, intentional play and joy and structure and the spaces for those things and the way it's woven into the fabric of how we think about this movement. That's what's critical. And I just. I'm so here for it.
- [20:37]
B
It's good. I mean, you know, we're learning along the way. Right. Like, I mean, obviously, we've done the research, and obviously we're seeing it in community, and everyone is certainly not aligned with this as a methodology. There is a history of this organization being solely an activist organization that is in the streets doing grassroots work. And there are Black Lives Matter named organizations. The organization doesn't have a copyright around its name. So you and I could literally start a Black Lives Matter chapter tomorrow if we wanted to and have different agendas, frankly. And so it hasn't been completely smooth sailing in terms of setting the framework and priorities and strategy around this and some of the other initiatives around Black Life and Black Love, because it feels like a complete shift from the disruptive nature, activism nature of the organization's origins. But we believe that this is revolutionary, too.
- [21:31]
C
Totally. Yeah. That's what I. Everything I'm hearing you say, I'm like, yeah, but that's what systems disruption looks like. Right. People are going to be uncomfortable. They're going to be like, this doesn't make sense to me. And there's this tension in our sector where we're like, we are change agents, but then we switch something up and we, like, run for the hills, you.
- [21:51]
B
Know, not that kind of change.
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C
Yeah, right, right. And so everything. I mean, it's like, to me, the more angst or the more uncertainty, the more revolutionary it really is. Because it's like, yeah, this is uncomfortable because this is not always how we've thought about grassroots activism. So we know all the reasons why it's a really critical part of it. And to be honest, so many of the things we've been doing for so long have had. Have not been working or moving us forward as fast. So why would we not? Like, I love that you said we don't have it all figured out. Great.
- [22:23]
B
How could you.
- [22:24]
C
You know, like, it's something so new, and I want more organizations to adopt that mindset that, like, we have all this reason to believe this will be effective in moving our mission forward. There's tons of science to back it up, all the things. And now we're going to try and test and figure it out, and we're here for the work.
- [22:42]
B
Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, you know about fundraising and philanthropy, and I never miss a moment to tell folks about the true definition of philanthropy, that while they hear that I am a philanthropist or in philanthropy, they immediately think about money. I think about the love of humanity. Right. The true definition of the word. And I say that love is my superpower, and I stay anchored in love even when the climate can become hostile. Because boldness is not about being the loudest or the biggest or the most aggressive. It's about willing to take those risks and to make decisions that might not always be popular, but they are necessary when we're thinking about the longevity and sustainability of the movement. And so that's how I'm trying to lead with love and transparency and boldness. And it's really been fascinating to see how people have received now this new wave of leadership, even with Black Lives Matter. I know that there's been controversy around the organization in the past, and there are many folks who said, we don't want you at the table because you're going to knock it over. And now we're getting invited back to those rooms because they have seen the value of having different frames of thought. They've certainly seen the value of people who are willing to take those risks. And it's really exciting to see that we can actually build together, even if we have different methodology, to reach the same goal.
- [23:56]
C
And what incredible examples of, like, repair or reconciliation or like, staying in connected relationships through hard times and figuring things out. I'm so grateful. I know we don't have more time together today, but I want to just thank you so much. Tell folks before you go, where can they go to support? Where can they go? Like, where are all the places you want people to arrive at?
- [24:18]
B
Yeah, thanks for asking. You can get more information on the campaign@blacklivesmatter.com if you want to know more about some of our grants and how money is being spent and distributed to communities, you go to that same website and look at our Transparency Center. We put it all online. And then please follow us on social media, particularly Instagram, BLK Lives Matter. We'd love to see you there and to engage with you and to learn more and to grow together.
- [24:42]
C
Thank you so much for your time and sharing all of this with us today.
- [24:45]
B
This is a lot of fun. I could keep talking to you, Mallory. I know.
- [24:48]
C
Me too.
- [24:49]
B
Me too.
- [24:56]
A
I hope today's episode inspired or challenged you to think differently. For additional takeaways, tips, show notes, and more about our amazing guest and sponsors, head on over to Malloryerickson.com podcast.
- [25:08]
C
And if you didn't know, hosting this.
- [25:10]
A
Podcast isn't the only thing I do every day. I coach, guide, and help fundraisers and leaders just like you. Inside of my program, the Power Partners Formula Collective. Inside the program, I share my methods, tools, and experiences that have helped me fundraise millions of dollars and feel good about myself in the process. To learn more about how I can help you visit mallorykson.com powerpartners last but not least, if you enjoyed this episode, I'd love to encourage you to share it with a friend you know would benefit or leave a review. I'm so grateful for all of you. You and the good, hard work you're doing to make our world a better place. I can't wait to see you in the next episode.
- [25:56]
D
Fundraising doesn't have to feel like a solo battle. My book what the Fundraising Embracing and Enabling the People behind the Purpose, offers practical strategies and frameworks to help you navigate the challenges of fundraising with each other, ease and impact. And with our free discussion guide, you can deepen learning and collaboration with your team or book club ready to transform the way you Fundraise? Head to Mallorykson.combook to order your copy today anywhere books are sold and you can grab the guide there too.