In 2017, a mom in Jackson, Mississippi told Aisha Nyandoro she couldn't afford pizza and a movie with her kids. She was working, in job training, and showing up for every program. She was doing everything "right." It still wasn't enough.
That conversation sparked the Magnolia Mother's Trust, one of the country's first and longest-running guaranteed income programs, giving Black mothers $1,000 a month with no strings attached. Then Aisha learned the hardest truth of all: proving it works doesn't move the money. Changing the story does. 🩵
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Why asking "what do you need?" instead of "here's what you deserve" changes everything about how your programs work
- Why proof of concept wasn't enough to unlock funding, and why narrative is the most important (and most difficult) part of the work
- The out-of-the-blue phone call that turned a stalled campaign into a $1 million gift
You'll walk away rethinking who gets to tell the story of your mission, and why it matters for every dollar you raise.
Episode Highlights:
- (3:50) Aisha's story: a granddaughter of the South
- (7:38) Springboard to Opportunities and the question that changed everything
- (11:10) Magnolia Mother's Trust: $1,000 a month, no strings attached
- (15:11) Policies move at the speed of narrative
- (21:31) Leading from a whole place: harmony over balance
- (26:39) The $1 million phone call
- (30:46) Trust is currency: the one good thing
Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/753
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