Leah Franklin, Development Associate
When did you start working for Mamatoto Village?
Leah Franklin: I started in June of 2021!
What made you want to work with Mamatoto Village?
I was always incredibly interested in Black maternal health since I was a little kid fawning over my pregnant older sister. That interest didn’t go away. While in graduate school, I was working on my thesis that centered Black maternal health disparities and how Black doulas effects adverse maternal health outcomes. Simultaneously, I was volunteering at a Black maternal health research collective based out of Boston (while I was living in DC). Though I loved the work at that research collective, I really wanted to be involved in my own community. My PI (principal investigator) suggested that I look into an amazing org called Mamatoto Village, and luckily they were hiring! And the rest is history.
We donated $32 from a t-shirt order and were really surprised to know that made a difference. It’s easy to think you need to donate $100s to move the needle. Can you share a little bit about where the money goes and how exactly it helps support moms?
Thank you again for your donation! Those $32 dollars donated can truly go a long way. With $32 dollars, we can purchase emergency food bags for clients that may be dealing with food insecurity, or baby formula for families. Donations allow us to support our clients and staff, so we can continue to carry out our mission. Every dollar is so appreciated and valued, and we are so thankful for the support!
Many organizations rooted in the care of Black people experienced an increase in donations in 2020. What was that like to experience as an organization?
In 2020, many people went through a racial reckoning of sorts which resulted in people wanting to connect with Black-led and Black-serving organizations. In 2020, we had the most “First Time Donors” in the organization’s history, with new people around the country supporting our mission. Roughly 28% of first-time donors from 2020 re-engaged in 2021. That’s why at Mamatoto Village, we really try to push for transformational giving and not so much on transactional giving. We want our donors to know that the donation helps our organization and our clients, but it also helps the donor. A gift allows donors to be transformed and be a part of this mission. A gift given is the opportunity to be a part of something special, to be in community with us, to support their neighbors, to be a part of the village. And though some people have moved on from the racial reckoning of summer 2020, for those of us that truly align ourselves with racial health equity, the movement is not just a moment, the movement is forever.
What are your hopes for Mamatoto Village in 10 years?
My hope for Mamatoto Village is that we are helping even more Black birthing people and their families! I would love for Mamatoto’s team to expand to aid and connect with more families. It would be amazing also for more people to know about our work and to support us in our mission. For Mamatoto Village to be a household name for people all over the nation would be so special. I know many people around the world would support our work if they knew about us, so to be able to connect those people with similar values as us to our work is always a goal!