Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 146| How Authentic Storytelling Drives Nonprofit Growth - Project Street Vet

Transcript

Ep 146| How Authentic Storytelling Drives Nonprofit Growth - Project Street Vet · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: No judgment, just help.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: Wouldn't we all benefit from a world that followed this philosophy?
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Jenna, education and community engagement manager here at DonorBox.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: Typically, we're here each week with practical actions you can use today to take your nonprofit to the next level tomorrow.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: But today we have got a special episode for you.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: We are lucky enough to be talking to Dr.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: Kwan Stewart, co-founder and president of Project Street Vet, who, with his remarkable team of volunteers, provides free veterinary care, treatment, and support to the pets of individuals unhoused.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: His dedication to this cause was recognized in 2023 when he was named CNN's Hero of the Year, a truly well-deserved honor.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome, Dr.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: Stewart.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: I am so excited to have you here with us today.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: This is an interview that I've been looking forward to for a long time and since I first learned about the incredible work and uh that your organization is doing.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm so happy to be here and share more, tell my story and share some tips along the way.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: But yes, it's an honor.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that is a perfect segue for our listeners who may not be familiar.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: Could you take a moment to explain exactly what Project Street Vet does and the services you offer to this very specific community you are so dedicated to helping?
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's pretty simple.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the mission is simply to find, seek out, search anyone in housed who has a pet and deliver free, and we like to say non-judgmental, just free veterinary care to their pet companion.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: So uh sometimes we do it by clinic and we'll host big clinics where people come to us.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the time, and I can tell you my origin story in a second, but most of the time we will walk the streets.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: I will walk the streets and find these unhoused folks who have pets.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then right then and there in an alleyway or behind a dumpster that turns into my exam room, and I just give uh give an exam and free care, whatever they need.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: Amazing.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: That is such impactful work.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, just providing that veterinari to folks who need it most.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'm sure it wasn't always clear what direction you would take, especially when you first started out.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: But I recall reading or hearing something in an interview that you were always going to be a vet.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: But how and when did you decide to focus on this specific community?
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: I think it must have been a pretty transformative moment for you.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, could you share a little bit about the day you knew this was your calling?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I I can.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: It it was.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was like uh the light bulb finally went off.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I will tell you, it came at a very unusual time.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a big believer in destiny.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: However, after this particular day, I started to come around a little bit.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: But I was thinking about quitting the veterinary profession altogether.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: I was working at a shelter, a municipal shelter.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: This is back over the recession.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was a county veterinarian exactly, it timed exactly over the recession.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know why I decided to take this job as county vet, but I'd never done it.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: I saw it as a challenge.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: This particular shelter was without a vet for two years now, and they were drowning.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: They they just could not care for the animals, they couldn't perform enough space and neuters to put up an adoption.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I took the job.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And three years in, I wanted to not just quit that position, but quit being a vet.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: And it's because we were euthanizing so many pets, unfortunately.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't I don't want to give the number, it makes a lot of people sad every time I say the number, but by 10 a.m.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: we were euthanizing so many animals, it's just started to break me.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember sitting outside of 7-Eleven.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I call this my 7-Eleven story.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And this is why, because I was sitting in my car outside of 7-Eleven and I was thinking about I was rehearsing a resignation letter in my head, what I was gonna say to the director.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I went into 7-Eleven, this is my pattern.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: I go into 7-Eleven, I got my coffee, I was walking out, and then outside the storefront, sort of tucked in the corner, as we sometimes see, was this unhoused man and his dog.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And from a distance, I could see his dog had a serious skin issue.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And as I got closer, I could tell it was just a flea allergy.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And if dogs have fleas long enough and bad enough, it really destroys the skin.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: This dog looked like a burn victim on a timed end.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: The skin was infected, the hair was gone, it was red and bumpy.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: The dog was miserable.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: She did not move, she was sort of despondent, uh, tucked next to him.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I took a knee and introduced myself.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a Kwan Stewart, I'm a vet, and I see your dog has some sort of skin issue.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: And the man was just desperate.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: He said, Yes, she's had it for months.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what to do, I don't have any money.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: She's miserable, I'm miserable.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Well, if you're here tomorrow, I'll return with something that I think should work.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: So that took me back to the shelter for another day.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I don't always share this part for the longest time.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Well, it was$3 out of my pocket in five minutes of my time.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: I treated the dog the next day.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: It was actually$3 out of the shelter's pocket because I stole the flea treatment from the shelter.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: I went back the next day, I treated the dog as promised, and then I saw the same man, the same dog, about a week and a half later, and she was transformed.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: The hair was coming back, the infection was gone, the fleas were gone.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: She jumped up and gave me a kiss.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then I kneeled next to the man again.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: And with tears in his eyes, he just said, Thank you for not ignoring me.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the regrettable part of the story for me, anyways, is that I I had walked past this same man and his dog probably six or seven times before, and ignored them before.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: But on this day, he um he just there was there was so much gratitude.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: We had a moment, I started to tear up, and then I told him, uh, I made him a quiet little pledge.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I'm gonna find more people like you.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that was nearly 14 years ago, and it was after that day that I started walking the streets.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_02: That just gave me goosebumps.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I really um can imagine how that was such an eye-opening moment and not just uh just like a moment of self-reflection and then just clarity after that, right?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I imagine too, especially when you first started this initiative, there may have been questions from others, um, whether people without four walls and a roof, I don't want to call it a home, because anybody who loves an animal is their home, right?
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: So without four walls and a roof um should be caring for animals.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's a stigma that I think you work to break all the time.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: How did your colleagues in your family react to the shift in your work?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: And did anyone ever question whether it was right to help people and their animals in this situation, or is it something that just made sense from the start?
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: I got questions.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't get as many as I thought I would.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Here's a little secret I also don't always share is after that day, and this would have been uh 2011, this fall of 2011, after that day, I started doing the work.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell anybody about it for six years.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell my younger brother who helped form the charity with me and helps run it every day.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't tell my mother, I didn't tell my partner, I didn't tell my children or friends for six years.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't, it wasn't for attention.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: For me, if I'm being honest, I think it was a way to heal.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think I felt a lot of guilt from the work I was doing at the shelter, and it was just my thing.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I didn't tell anybody.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: And the other reason I think I didn't want to share it is I didn't want to be judged myself to your question.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't want someone to look at me and say, Why are you helping those people?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: They why are you enabling them?
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: They don't deserve to have a pet, they can barely care for themselves.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't want the questions or the judgments, so I just kept quiet about it until my brother, I finally shared it with my brother about six years later, it's probably 2017.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And he's like, I why didn't you tell me and why aren't we sharing this?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And he started um sort of filming me in the streets and making content, and then he posted it on this thing called Instagram, which I know very little about, by the way.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Everything you see on Instagram is my brother, and then it just sort of took off.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, every once in a while we'd get questions about why and um aren't your services or time better put somewhere else?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I get that.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: But and if I'm being honest again, I had my own judgments.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I would why are they doing this work?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: If I had seen, say, like an able-bodied man panhandling on a corner, shaking a can, my first thought was, why aren't you working?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Why, why don't you why can't you get a job?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: But what I've learned is it's not my place to write their story for them.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what they went through in their uh in their youth or even as adults.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of them, as I've um found out through many conversations, they they just simply didn't have the support that I had growing up.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't have a traditional home, they didn't have parents, they were at foster care, they developed a drug addiction, they did something stupid as a kid that sent them to you know juvenile jail and just on and on.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: The dominoes just they just continue to fall.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't do that.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: And and of course, a lot of them have some form of not a lot, but there's a share or a portion that have some sort of mental illness that they're battling.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So for me to just see a man and say, why aren't you doing this or that is not fair.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I've I've learned that over time.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's why, again, we lead with no judgment, just help.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and no, I just I don't question why they're there if they want to share their story, and oftentimes they do because there's this trusting door that seems to open between this little furry creature and we make a connection, and they'll sometimes share their life story, and sometimes I'll share mine, and we're just we're two human beings.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I think that it's fascinating how people can make assumptions about others.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like you said, this is not your place, you're here to help.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but especially when it comes to something as personal as pet ownership, right?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but trust, as you said, is such a big foundation of what you do.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, what was the initial reaction from the pet owners themselves when you started doing this work?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: How did you build trust among those individuals who rely so deeply on the companionship of their pets?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, and for comfort and security.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think I just uh for me, and this comes from my father, I just have a very easy-going style to talk to people.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and some of this was crafted over years of being a veterinarian.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: You obviously have to develop some kind of bedside manner when you're talking to people and you're talking about very sensitive things and life and death and treatment and and money.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: And and so you just you gain a comfort for talking to people.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: And and yeah, I'll be honest, when when I started doing it, it's this is very different, right?
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm approaching someone, their home, right, their tent or tarp or wherever they're living out in the streets, they don't know who I am at first.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And from afar, I have my own little um the the way I go about it is very simple.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see someone from maybe 12 feet away.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: I always wear scrubs, so at least I have somewhat of a professional look.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll just announce myself.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'll say I'm Dr.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Kwan Stewart, I'm a vet.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: I just I come to this area, walk the streets, and I look for people who have pets.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have any needs, I'd be happy to take a look.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd say 98% of the time, they say sure.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then I just get to work.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: I don't wake, I don't, there's no more small talk for about three to five minutes.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: I take out my stethoscope, I get down, I start listening to the heart, and I just start doing a thorough exam, just like I would in a clinic.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: And as I'm doing the exam, I'm describing what I'm doing.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, heart sounds good, the lungs sound clear, uh, the ears are healthy, and I'll just I'll just sort of go through the normal normal exam process.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, that's when this quote-unquote trust develops and they see I am who I say am.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not there with agenda, I'm not trying to take your animal from you.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Some people, of course, are worried about that.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think the people that say no are initially more worried about that.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Are you animal control?
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Are you gonna see something wrong and then strip my pet from me?
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I let them know from the beginning, no.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: That said, and I just have to stick this in real quick.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: That said, my obligation, responsibility, my oath is always to the pet first.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because that is another question I get.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Have you had to remove a pet from somebody because they were neglecting the pet?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: They were abusing it, you saw signs of abuse.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I have.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's very rare.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, it's more rare in the streets than it is in a clinic setting, surprisingly.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but yes, if if I see that a dog has been beat or abused, and I'm pretty certain of that, and then I will take action to protect the pet.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: But outside of that, no.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're a normal client of mine.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: I give them all the time and respect, and we just go through the motions.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: Are there any pet person relationships you've witnessed through your work that have really stood out to you, that have motivated you to continue through this mission?
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'd say most of them.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I have, I mean, I've been doing this, you know, again, close to 14 years.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I have hundreds of stories.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think I've seen close to 2,000 cases, just me personally, one-on-one in the streets.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: And a lot of them are very moving.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, when you see a human being struggling like this, but they still are hopeful, they're still kind, they're still empathetic.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I see that probably more in the streets than I do in clinic with people that have means and resources and quote unquote normal life.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: But you see this person, the stranger who just um opens up to me, and it there it is for that reason a lot of these interactions are just so much more meaningful, right?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's one thing to do something on the job to receive pay for it.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I may be doing a good thing, helping another pet, another client.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: But when you're doing something in the streets and I don't have an agenda, I don't expect anything, it's for passion, not for pay, as I like to say.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: The reward is so much greater.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why I keep doing it.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's people ask, well, you've been doing it for so long.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: You when are you going to slow down?
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I do it because it gives me something too.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: When I sit and have dinner with the kids and the family, and I'm able, I share these stories of gratitude and remind them how lucky they are and remind myself how fortunate I am.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: I get as much out of it, I think, as they do.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: I think that some people are just born to serve.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: We have seen this, you know, in the work that we do here, how many you have to have passion for it, right?
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what continues to drive you.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, there will always be a need.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's that passion that powers you through.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: So I really appreciate that reflection.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: Now, through all of this, you've been serving this community, you've also been uh working at the clinic.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but then looking back, at what point did you realize that this would need to be a more formal service and structure to make the impact that you knew was needed?
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, like, how long had you been doing this work before officially registering Project Street Fet as a registered nonprofit?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I want to say it was sometime in 2020 that my brother um officially formed the 501c3, so about four years ago.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: And it was just because there was, you know, I realized then this was a thing.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: It more than me just walking the streets.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: If we were to form a a nonprofit, then I could stop um paying out of my own pocket and passing up on my student loans some months because I would do that.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: I, you know, for the better part of what was it, 2011 to 2028, nine years, I just it was it was me paying for it.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't asking for money or support.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: And and yeah, I I think financially it started to um put some tension on me personally because I'll tell you, I'd be in the streets and there's a dog that had a tumor, right?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I would see this case in LA.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: I live in San Diego.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to get this dog in and get it treated.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd refer these cases to hospitals.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I'd have a relationship with the doctor.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the time I wouldn't.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes they'd give me a break, sometimes they wouldn't.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: But I would pay for the service out of my own pocket for the care of the pet.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, you know, you think about for anyone who has a pet, they know this.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do gender, then you know that uh, you know, dental procedure is over a thousand dollars.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: You remove a tumor, it's eight, nine hundred dollars.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, sometimes these simple procedures are hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I just hated to say no sometimes.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: I just sometimes I just could not do it.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, it, you know, maybe I'd be in a very similar situation, sad to say.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I at some point just we my brother and I realized look, we can we can make this a 501c3 and start start fundraising.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: We did.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: It is no small feat to become a registered nonprofit.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: So um it's amazing that your your brother was able to guide you through that process.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: I imagine um that it came with its fair share of learning experiences and challenges.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's also amazing um that your mission has grown to this point now, but we all know how challenging it can be to get things off the ground.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: You have built an amazing dedicated team of volunteers and formed partnerships with other nonprofits to expand your reach and reduce those costs.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_02: How did you go about finding and creating these relationships?
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: What was the key in building such a strong loyal network of partners and volunteers?
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I can say this in a word, Jenna.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Instagram.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Instagram.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_02: I wasn't expecting that.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: For better or worse, Instagram is what sort of launched me into this sphere of visibility.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: And my brother knew this from the beginning.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, I tell the stories, people will come.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: And we did.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: We built the content, we told the stories, just very simple moments I had in the streets.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then veterinarians from around the country started reaching out and engaging me.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, start as a DM.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: We slid into my DMs, and then it would turn into a phone call and a Zoom, and and they'd say, Look, I I'm really inspired to do what you're doing in Atlanta, or I'd love to do it in Orlando or San Francisco.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: These, by the way, are new cities that we have, street teams.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how it grew.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: That the network started that way.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: I know I say sort of tongue-in-cheek Instagram, but it when you when you watch a nine, just a 90-second story of what we post occasionally, there's nothing better, right?
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I could sit here and explain the mission and talk, but when you see the need, when you're a veterinarian and you already have that oversized area of empathy inside of you, and then you see it and you feel it, I mean, it's then it's just a phone call to me or the the charity, and they're like, I can I do this?
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's how it starts.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_02: That is such a smart and unexpected strategy.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I was expecting like one word passion, right?
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so that's great.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, what types of what types of content did you find um were motivating people to reach out?
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_02: What were those stories like uh at the beginning?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: My brother's magical at doing this.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: He, by the way, he that's what he does for a living.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: So we compliment each other very well.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: He edits, he, he um photography, and then he just has a way of sort of crafting these very short, sweet stories.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: And they're simple.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's just me interacting with someone and treating the pet and maybe explaining what I'm doing, and then them, you know, giving me a hug and saying goodbye and thank you.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: And and that's that's really it.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's there's not uh we we don't overthink it.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's just a matter of really what we've learned though is is this generation's this younger generation's attention span.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a Gen Z or millennial?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: Can I ask you real quick?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a millennial.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you're a millennial.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to put you in the Gen Z.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm an elder millennial.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you're an elder.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't guess that.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: I would not uh we're a very youthful looking elder millennial.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: I appreciate it.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, it's they have a short attention span.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: So we just learned over time we have to sort of keep the you know short sweet.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, and yeah, that's that's sort of what grew the uh the charity.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: I imagine too.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and these are my favorite types of content to consume, right?
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: Is when someone walks with the orange slip down the animal shelter and they say, You're getting adopted today, and the job's jumping up and down and they get to go see their owner.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: It is such a bright spot when you can otherwise be doom scrolling, right?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: But it's not only like, oh, this is nice content.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's wow.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there are change makers on this platform.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's beyond the superficial content that we can tend to consume.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: And um I think it's really just amazing that you're able to connect with like minded individuals, you know, and build that community for your mission.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: This platform, so that's phenomenal.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, okay, now getting the word out and raising funds to support the work is always a challenge, especially in these early days, as we've said before.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: Could you tell us a little bit about your first fundraiser and what specifically did you need?
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: And did you raise the full amount?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: I imagine up until this point it was probably uh pretty informal.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: And so you've had to keep it simple and anchor everything, what you you know, anchor everything in that storytelling that was so true to Project Street Vet um to take that online community to online campaigns.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we got lucky.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I was named very early on when we first formed the charity, we we launched a GoFundMe.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: And in four or five months' time, we made uh a whopping, we brought in a whopping$120 in five or six months.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we realized this is gonna be harder than we thought.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: This is this is really when you're talking about pushing the rock up the hill for any charity out there, they know this.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, okay, what's this?
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: I thought I was just gonna like tell my story and the money would flood in.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: That didn't happen.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: But then GoFundMe recognized me as a hero of the month.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is now very soon after we launched the charity, almost four years ago.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: And that was this windfall of attention donations.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so that again, four months on GoFundMe,$120 or so.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then within 24 hours of being named Hero of the Month, it was like 50,000, then 80,000, then 100,000.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: And not only that, I just got the word out.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then the Instagram grew.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I was very fortunate that doesn't happen to every charity and every every person, obviously.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really that was really the wind in our sales.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: That must have been a really big moment for you, especially since this was like your first foray into fundraising.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, how did you feel when you were recognized as a hero of the month?
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: I was surprised.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: It was really the first big attention grab, I think, or moment that I had had in that whole long 10 years plus.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it felt it felt good.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_00: It uh you know it was validating.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: It felt like I was actually doing something that mattered and it was important because you ask yourself that sometimes, right?
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: I you go home at night sometimes with doubt, and how long can I do this?
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: And am I really making a difference?
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: And is this an imp causing impact?
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, these are trust me, again, you probably know this.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to the people that you do.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: This these are like this is the other mind in your head.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like, when am I just gonna stop?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: And is this taking away from like my family, my normal duties?
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: You mean the sacrifices you make to do these things?
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think people always realize.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, there was there was that.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that I think that's just normal.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: But then when that happened, I thought, all right, I'm I'm doing something that's making a difference.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm changing something.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm changing minds because again, I had my own moments.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: Talk about self-reflection.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: I thought, I don't know if I should be doing this.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be helping these people?
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: And now I realize I should, and for very good reason, and I'm helping other people understand the same why.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I imagine that must have been very invalidating.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: I think that no nonprofit worker is uh stranger to imposter syndrome.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: And also um, you take that home with you.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_02: There's no way that you get home and you just release it and you're able to just be right.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: It is who you are, it is part of who you are.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: So um it's great to hear that your first campaign was so successful and that it was, you know, that spark of reaffirmation for you as well.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_02: And since then, your efforts in fundraising have really taken off.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: And today you are growing your fundraising to match the expanding services and new locations that you're providing.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_02: Are there any specific tools or strategies or approaches that you found work really well in inspiring your community to give or support in a way that feels meaningful to them?
• 26:14
  unknown: Okay.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna say Instagram again because I feel like we've touched on that too many times.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: But we we have a lot of tools or tool belt, I feel like now.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: The the the grassroots boots on the ground, right?
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about just the clinic being in my own neighborhood here in San Diego, my own community, and or Skid Row.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: I do a lot of my work in Skid Row.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: People ask, where do you spend most of your time?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: Skid Row has the most densely populated area of pets, of unhoused pets in our entire country.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and people, by the way.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: So they're just, yes, there's um any given moment, I think 7,000, 8,000 people living in a few square blocks on the streets in Skid Row, Los Angeles.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: And estimates say that about 15 to 20 percent of the unhoused have a pet.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: So you do the math, and there's hundreds of pets in Skid Row alone.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: I could just I could walk endlessly for weeks and probably not serve that area.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: But yes, I do a lot of my work in Skid Row.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: We were fortunate enough to this was a cool.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: I have to describe this one because this is this was like a watershed, this is legit.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna be around for a while.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: I love what I do.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: We flew in the other other veterinarians from around the country that have been doing the work in their cities.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: It was the first time we all met in person.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it was like it felt like a little family gathering, and we hosted the biggest clinic that I've ever done in my career in Skid Row on that day.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: We had seven veterinarians, probably 25, 28 assistants and techs and volunteers.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we were giving away food and wellness services and microchipping, and we had some services for the humans, for the people on the other side.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: It was amazing.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: And and now it is, it feels like this.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: What was once just me is now like this sort of family, right?
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: We had a chance to look in each other's eyes and you know, inspire one another.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: We you feel it.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: And when you're a vet, again, I think vets are sort of made different.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's why we go in this profession.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: We I you could almost like sense their heartbeat and their kindness being that close to them.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I needed that, right?
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: I've been doing this a while, and that was the most inspiring moment I've had in 13, 14 years.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I just know we're gonna keep doing this, we're gonna bring on more.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: We we all have this like cheering, raw moment, which I will post on Instagram at some point, by the way.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'll share that moment because it was very special to me.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I just I was like, I knew this is this is it.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're gonna be around for a while.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: That that community, I think, is such an important driver and keeping up, you know, the energy, and especially during times of COVID, and we could really get into the weeds there.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure you've got a lot of insights from that, but coming out of that and being able to all be together, I imagine was very impactful.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: How many um people and pets were you able to serve at that time?
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: Just over 100 in the span of like uh four hours.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: Did you have a special campaign to support that project?
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there is uh there is a services, a homeless services agency in the middle of Skid Row, and we partnered with them so they could get the word out.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, they just came.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: And to make it even more fun, what I did is I took my other city veterinarians, so again, vets from other pockets of the country, and I walked them through Skid Row and let them see firsthand through my lens what I do, what I see.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's it's different in Atlanta, it's different in New York, different in the Bay Area, but I I wanted them to see Skid Row and experience that.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_00: So we went out as a group on the street.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: It was a big entourage.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of people, uh, which can feel a little intimidating.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: But I took them out and they got to see it.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: And they, again, it was just uh, you know, some people were um just wide-eyed, some people were crying, but it was it was nice to all experience that together.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's very special.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: And I can only imagine the relief from the people who the pet owners um had after they had visits with you, and um what an amazing thing to do.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, okay, so I think it's so inspiring how you've built such a strong, engaged community, um, including, you know, your volunteers, your partners, and your donors.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: So, speaking of fundraising, I know that you are currently running a year-end campaign called Fetch 101.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that you've got a matching donation from a major sponsor.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think that is such a great way to amplify your impact.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so far, you've already raised, and maybe this number is updated since the last I saw, um, you've already raised$75,000.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, could you tell our audience how they can support you through this campaign and how these funds will help expand your services in the coming year?
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'd love to.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: The this is probably our our most important, biggest time of the year is year-in giving.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we had Giving Tuesday that just passed, and that was a big day, but this is this is the month, December, that propels a lot of the work that we do in 2025.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: And we have a wonderful sponsor, corporate sponsor, and fetch pet insurance.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_00: We've been together for three years now.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: They're largely responsible for a lot of the expansion to the other cities that we've had.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: And we're, yeah, this this whole matching donations, it was a play on words that someone created.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't me, it was uh it was you know 101 donations off 101 dalmations, and they match.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: And and yeah, it just doubles the impact.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: So if someone gives$10, it's really$20.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_00: And as I said, I don't.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is an important distinction I would like to make about my charity.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I've never paid myself, I've never taken a dollar.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: And there were moments where I thought to keep doing it to survive, to pay my own bills, I need to, but I haven't.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: I've made the pledge that I won't.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: And none of my veterinarians um take pay.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: They all volunteer.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: This is all for passion.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: So the money, so much of the money goes directly to the care, which I'm proud to say.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: So, again, I see a pet in the streets that has a tumor that needs to be taken off.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: It comes at a cost of$2,000.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: We get it to a hospital, we pay the entire$2,000.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so I just want people to know when they donate, their money is going to the care of the pets.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's not to cover a bunch of salaries and overhead.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I have an executive director, I have to pay a couple people, but it is driven by people giving their time out of just passion.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's an exciting opportunity for people to give back in a big way.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: Now, um, I've seen this a bit, um, learning more about Project Street Fat.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: People who would like to support you in fundraising for you, is that something that you've experienced in your work through the organization?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, people have done little fundraisers.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's like the the old school lemonade stand, and then sometimes on a bigger scale, like a veterinary school, uh, or there have been little corporations that have their year in fundraising moment.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: They want Project Streetvet to be their charity of choice.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, so yeah, it's very cool.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: I it that's the work that keeps us going.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: And for individuals who do want to donate, they can just go to the website.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think I failed to mention that.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: They can just go to projectstreetvet.org and the the giving is pretty easy.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we now can have people donate in other forms such as stocks or bonds or state planning, and it's um it's a deduction um to them as well.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm finally put that in place.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: We bought we brought who volunteers her time, a board member who's a financial planner, very good at what she does.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_00: She's written books and she set all this up.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it just allows multiple ways to give and make it easier for people to give.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then again, it it's it's also a deduction.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_02: Speaking of being modern connectors, that stock in crypto is a good way to get those younger, those younger donors.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_02: So that's the way as well.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: We'll take crypto.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: Wonderful.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we'll be sure to link that in the show notes.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_02: And as we wrap up, I would love to hear your thoughts on something serving a cause that's often defined by stigma must come with as challenges.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_02: You've shared some of those.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_02: What would you say to someone who wants to help others see beyond their assumptions?
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: In we're talking specifically in my work or in general?
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: Both or in general?
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: I the this is something I give a lot of thought to, and I don't know if I have the best answer.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: I can just speak through my own experience.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_00: I had that moment where I I judged the unhoused, anyone homeless, and thought you can do better.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: And it was only through years, uh, and there was a steep learning curve for me, that I I realized we I think it's our nature to initially to judge people.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: We want to put things in a box.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's how we make sense of the world is you're homeless, you have probably made very poor decisions, and this is your fault.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we do that across the board all the time, every day.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just how our brain processes things.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_00: What I've started to do now, and and and I have to thank the work I've done in the streets, is before I make an initial judgment about somebody or something or their place, or an assumption, I think an assumption is a better word.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: You said assumption, and and that's very accurate.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's so easy for us to make assumptions about people.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_00: I have just taken a step back and I don't do that.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it took a lot of training and time, it didn't happen overnight.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: But my initial reaction to meeting somebody new isn't, oh, you're driving this car, you must be wealthy.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_00: I don't, I don't see people like that or situations like that now.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: Or just the opposite.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: You see somebody who drives an old truck and you must not be made of of money or have means and been wrong about that many times.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: So so yeah, I I don't know.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_00: It takes time to rewire the brain to think that way, but it can happen.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_00: And it you just have to start by catching yourself in those moments and saying, I'm I'm just I'm not gonna do that.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be a little bit better than that.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for those wise words.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think you are truly a change maker.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_02: And it has been such a pleasure to have you on the podcast today.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for all that you do.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you to you and your team for the commitment to both people and animals you serve.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's truly inspiring.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Daniel.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_02: And thank you for joining us on the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you've left with the confidence to take a small step today that will make a big difference tomorrow.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to click the download button on your podcast player, then leave the nonprofit podcast a review, or give it a thumbs up if you're listening to the nonprofit podcast on YouTube.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_02: You're here to help others, we're here to help you.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, stay inspired.
• 37:28
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• 37:32
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• 37:39
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• 37:41
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• 37:43
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