In this episode of the Living for Purpose podcast, we are joined by Stacey Street, the Chief Operations Officer of RCF Connects. Stacey graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University. From her high school to college years, she had been involved as a classic vocalist and still sings with the local choir. It seemed natural to start her career in the arts, and Stacey gained extensive experience in arts administration, including having served as Executive Director for the California Symphony for over 7 years. Stacey also served as Executive Director for the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, where she successfully helped the organization traverse the aftermath of a devastating fire in the shelter. Most recently, she was Director of Capital and Major Gifts for Planned Parenthood where she coordinated a significant capital campaign that raised $6.5 million. Today, she is serving as a full-time COO of RCF Connects (formerly Richmond Community Foundation). RCF Connect’s ultimate goal is to mobilize the power of connection to build healthy, thriving communities with equity as its core value. Stacey shares her journey for 25 years, transitioning from the arts, development, marketing, to community building with equity as its core value.

Listen to this episode and learn some simple tips you can follow if you plan to walk the same path as Stacey’s.

From Arts to Community Building – Career Journey

2:53

Stacey entered into the nonprofit world right out of college with an interest in arts, because she had been exposed to a lot of managing of her choirs when she was in high school and college. She believed that there was a job meant for her in that field even for a short period of time. Stacey always wanted to do something where she could help people, be a volunteer, and make a difference in people’s lives.

3:48

Stacey was captivated by the first orchestra she worked in because they had a phenomenal education outreach program that went into communities that didn't have classical music, and worked with them directly and inspired them with the beauty and art of creation.

4:28

Stacey had a goal of becoming an Executive Director where she can be at the helm of an orchestra and help make a difference with the work and expand on that kind of education, outreach, and touch more lives and inspire particularly people especially the young ones who need hope and inspiration now more than ever.

5:52

Stacey ended up having the opportunity at Berkeley Humane Society, which was another learning journey for her. During her first few months in the job, they were hit by a huge fire, which led her to learn everything at once. Despite being overwhelmed, Stacey is grateful for that opportunity to work Berkeley Human Society.

6:53

Reflecting on her experience working with Planned Parenthood, it was a privilege for Stacey to be able to work with those officers. They were passionate and fearless. They were vigilant about everything related to supporting particularly marginalized women. She has learned so much from them about policy advocacy and its importance, and how getting engaged in politics on at least a local level is critically important to actually help achieve the change that she was always hoping to see.

9:05

When Stacey was hired at Richmond Community Foundation, RCF was really in an evolutionary state. They only had recently become a Community Foundation. She ended up being successful in her job as Chief Development Officer, and was an integral part of helping build infrastructure. As part of that, they had to identify what their core value was and what their big WHY was for the work that they did.

9:34

When equity was really identified as the core value of RCF, that’s where it really started for Stacey. That was the AHA moment for her to recognize that she was in the right place. Their work involves connecting resources, connecting people and helping diverse groups of stakeholders to work together, elevating ideas and generating true solutions to community issues and policy change.

The Role of Partnership and Building Community

11:47

West Contra Costa County and East Contra Costa County are the two parts of their county that are the most under resourced. Geographic Community is really figuring out how to connect the people that are doing the good work on all sides of the county, bringing the whole county together around important issues.

12:26

Geographic Community was not a traditional funder. Most of the community foundations operate from donor funds. But Geographic Community was born from community work. They were helping create a school and proving that the children at that school, given the right supports and resources could be as successful as any other kids anywhere else. In the process of really making that school successful, Geographic Community had to work with neighborhood partners with the local city government, with the police, with the community leaders and with philanthropy. In that process, they learned that it was really a Community Foundation work. When they shifted to being a Community Foundation, in that moment, there was a feeling to be a typical Community Foundation and build funds and do what all the other folks do.

14:03

Geographic Community recognized the incredible need to being the third party facilitative type organization that can really be a convener and a backbone for collective impact groups and Coalitions. If there’s really going to be long term change, it has to happen on all the levels. You have to have stronger, better resourced organizations that are doing the good work that needs to be done within their communities. You need to have the coalitions that come together so that you can have the shared knowledge and coordinated goal. You can have the drive towards bigger systemic issues and policy change and narrative.

The Personal Change That Transpired in Her Life

18:56

Stacey holds her own personal universal values that she stand for. Simultaneous to the work the RCF was doing, she was really fortunate to participate in a program called The Leadership for Equity and Opportunity, which is using the Radical Transformational Leadership Framework created by Dr. Monica Sharma.

19:34

The whole foundation of the work is that everything is sourced from and begins with an individual's stand in their universal human values. And when you figured that out, you can connect with other people from the basis of their universal values. You can start to think about projects and organizations from the standpoint of values.

20:41

Stacey always knew that compassion is one of her values. That’s what drove her to want to help other people. But she also discovered that love and courage are also her core values and they're actually all connected.

24:26

Stacey recognizes that she has been held back by a lot of fear. But she has no reason to be afraid. Being able to recognize her own fears is really important. Because courage is acting in spite of fear, not in the absence of fear.

25:05

Stacey is really learning the need to step back, give up her power, and just deeply listen.                            

Simple Steps to Take to Walk the Same Path

26:43

One thing is really accessing all the wealth of resources that are out there right now. There’s so many wonderful books and podcasts, even movies and training programs that exist, that people can really avail themselves of, without having to look too deeply.

27:09

Connect with people in life who are different from you – different experience, different point of view, and different backgrounds. Connect with them and listen to them.

28:05

Build time into your life to be able to reflect when you encounter a challenge or a hardship

29:01

Have the courage to notice your fears

What’s next for RCF?

35:39

RCF is in the process right now of figuring out the best way to deeply engage with the community that we serve.

36:39

RCF wants to hear as much as they can from the people that they want to serve, because they have the solutions. RCF wants to uplift their voices as part of the process.

38:18

RCF also has an initiative that they have recognized that black women and girls in Contra Costa are not being served in the same way that other marginalized communities have been. And that's going to be a really interesting opportunity for RCF to talk about intersectionality

Go to https://www.rcfconnects.org/ to know about RCF’s upcoming grants, workshops, and RCF news! Together, let’s build healthy thriving communities.

You can also connect with Stacey on: LinkedIn

Resources mentioned:

Book: Monica Sharma – Radical Transformational Leadership

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