A Fundraiser's Tribute to Gloria Steinem
This photograph represents one of the most thrilling hours of my life.
It was June 2020 during Covid and, like many fundraising professionals at the time, I had to toss out our spring plans for a live fundraising event and come up with something else.
That’s something else involved Gloria Steinem. But our program wasn’t the most thrilling hour. It was the hour I spent with Gloria one-on-one in pre-production.
For once in her life, Gloria had no place to go and nowhere to be because of Covid. She told us she was on a plane 90% of the time but in this moment, she had all the time in the world for our conversation.
I told her that she was my mom‘s personal hero, that my mom who grew up in an era where the only thing you could be professionally was a teacher (or a nurse) finally broke through that barrier and became a lawyer when I was in middle school. And that Gloria had given my mom a lot of strength to do exactly that, to follow in the footsteps of her dad.
Gloria then said “She sounds like an amazing woman. I’d love to meet your mom. Can you get her on the call?”
Gloria patiently watching me on Zoom pick up the phone and invite my mom to join the call -- my mom who only wanted to know how my call with Gloria had gone -- and I replied, “Actually Mom, Gloria wants to meet you.”
And for the next 40 minutes, just as you can see in this photo, my mom got to talk to her personal hero, with only me and my producer listening in.
I get emotional just thinking about this moment. What struck me then and sticks with me to this day is what a good listener Gloria was. This feminist icon listened to my mom. It was the most powerful thing she brought to the conversation (along with a few priceless quips).
My mom felt heard by Gloria Steinem.
More than her glamour, I do believe that this is why so many people fell in love with Gloria Steinem over her long life. She made women feel heard, and then she turned what she heard into powerful journalism that elevated those voices and made them feel heard on a national level.
Strangely, this power hour with Gloria feels a little predestined. I have worked with not one, but two organizations who were responsible for publishing Ms.magazine, and carrying her torch forward.
And yes, my dog’s middle name is Steinem. And yes, I have Gloria’s phone number in my Contacts. And yes, Gloria is featured on the Donor Boom website.
Thank you, Gloria for leading such a bold life and being there for my mom. And for me.
You are the real deal, and we will miss you.
The virtual fundraiser that Gloria helped rescue, along with another icon, Dolores Huerta, who is still going strong.
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