Today is my birthday. I officially turned 37 very early this morning. There is not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for how far I’ve come in life, and every year, on my birthday, I can’t help but reflect on the kid in Central Texas who dreamed big things.
When I was 13, there was nothing I wanted more than to participate in one of those programs where young people travel to D.C., meet Members of Congress, learn about politics, and receive support to start their journey into public service.
It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten the name of the program we learned about in my school, but I’ll never forget the feeling I had when I realized I’d never be able to participate.
With travel and lodging and programmatic costs, it was a few thousand bucks. My mother could barely afford our necessities, and so, I came up with a plan of fundraising for a scholarship-of-sorts to participate after a teacher suggested the idea.
When I came home from school, excited by the idea that maybe this wasn’t out-of-reach for me, I told my mother, and she flatly forbade me from fundraising.
My mother, who struggled with no shortage of personal demons, told me she’d feel embarrassed if I asked others for help on this. I tried to reason with her, and she wouldn’t budge. I can still picture her smoking a cigarette on the couch and shaking her head, promising to punish me if I didn’t do what I was told.
I didn’t argue with her. I knew better. I went to bed and cried myself to sleep, and that was that.
Nine years ago, as a 28 year-old gainfully employed with a federal job, I remembered that crushing feeling long ago and decided to celebrate my birthday that year by helping some young person be able to do what I couldn’t.
I reached out to Running Start, a D.C.-based organization that offers political leadership programs to young women in high school and college. Their program alums include the brilliant Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14).
I told them what I wanted to do, and they enthusiastically agreed.
That year, through my friends and colleagues, we raised enough money for two young women in need to have full scholarships to attend Running Start’s Young Women’s Political Leadership Program, a week in D.C. learning essential professional skills in politics and meeting women leaders on the Hill.
We did it again the following year, except we were able to fund FOUR young women who wanted to learn about politics but didn’t have the money.
Every year for the past nine years, I’ve done a birthday fundraiser for Running Start, and over that time, we’ve raised well over $100,000 in scholarships for young women in high school and college who otherwise couldn’t afford the opportunity to grow as leaders.
Last year, Running Star and their partner org Xceleader—founded by a young woman who went through Running Start’s program—asked me to dedicate my birthday fundraiser to their HBCU Women’s Leadership Summit, focused on empowering young Black women to go into politics. We raised more than $22,000 — covering all the travel costs for participants who couldn’t afford it.
Next month, hundreds of women will gather in Iceland for the 2023 Reykjavik Global Forum, an invitation-only global women’s leadership conference. The Forum convenes women leaders from all sectors, including politics, business, civil society, academia, the arts and media, to share ideas and solutions on how to further advance society towards gender equality in leadership.
Every year, Running Start brings a delegation of young women to the Forum to meet their peers from around the world, on every continent, participate in leadership training, build bridges for gender equality, and imagine a better future for all people.
I’ll be blunt: I don’t want any young woman to decide she can’t participate, despite being qualified and working hard, because she doesn’t have the money. I don’t want any young woman leader to have that crushing feeling of disappointment I had when I was a kid all those years ago.
So, the goal for my birthday this year is to raise $20,000 — enough to cover all expenses for young women who want to participate in this life-changing program but can’t afford it.
Look, I know I do a lot of fundraisers on causes that matter to me, and it probably gets exhausting for y’all—totally fair—but this one is especially meaningful for me. The thing about politics is that your life can dramatically change just by meeting the right person at the right time.
I wouldn’t be as successful as I have been if certain wonderful people hadn’t helped me out in critical moments in my career, and I wanna do everything I can to help out the next generation of young women leaders who have the drive to change the world for the better but not the resources.
So, I am asking with all humility and gratitude for y’all to make a donation to Running Start to support their delegation of young women to the Reykjavik Global Forum. I really do believe we can be the catalyst that sets these young women on a path to being global leaders someday.
Here are some incentives:
Every donation gets a personal thank you note from me. There is no such thing as too small a donation. You got $10 you can spare? That covers a meal for one of these young women. I’d be grateful.
Every donation of $100 or more gets a personal phone call from me.
Every donation of $500 or more gets an hour-long chat over Zoom with me OR if you live in the D.C. area, I’ll treat you to lunch.
For those who go way above and beyond and donate $2,500 or more, I will gladly travel wherever you want for a speaking engagement. Got a gala or a company event and need a keynote? I’ll happily do it if you support these young women.
Not really finding these interesting? Got something else in mind? Send me an email with your idea. I’m completely open to suggestions. I’ll do anything to ensure these young leaders can participate. (My email: cmclymer@gmail.com)
This is obviously an ambitious goal. I get that. But I think it’s absolutely worth it. And, after all, it makes that 13 year-old in Central Texas all those years ago feel a bit better about the world.
I appreciate the fact that y’all always show up. It really does mean a lot.
Here’s to 37 and making it count. Love y’all.
Because Sometimes It Can Mean That Much