MUSIC MOTION ~ Non Profit Changing Lives Through Music

We had the honor of sitting down with Stacie Dagostino of Music Motion a 501C3 Nonprofit Foundation in Saint George, UT. Music Motion's main focus is changing the lives of families with children that are on the Autism spectrum. They have literally helped hundreds of families with kids ranging in age of 2-18 with music therapy paid for by the foundation.

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Musical Miles Podcast welcomes all interested in being a guest on our show. Artists, Songwriters, Festivals, Concerts, Venues, Fans - Contact us to request an interview to promote your Band, new single, album, song, historical or new venue or to share your story with us and our fans. We only conduct in person interviews, so check with us to see where we are headed to next.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey music lovers, welcome to Musical Miles Podcast. I'm your host, Byron Duffin, and I am here with Miss Stacy Diang D'Augostino.

SPEAKER_03 0:10

DiAgostino.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

I I I told you I'd foul that up. But anyway, we are in St. George, Utah, and Stacy's beautiful living room, and we're having a visit today because Stacy's how this connection happened, I like to explain that. So Stacy's dad and I went to high school together. And so um uh we've we've been friends our whole lives, and he is a fan of the podcast, and so he told me, he said, You gotta meet my daughter, and you've got to hear her story. So you have a a nonprofit that you and your husband run called Music Movement, which is very cool, and it's all about music and and helping uh mostly autistic children.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Um children on the spectrum, um, neurodiverse children, um, and it's our age is between you know two and eighteen.

SPEAKER_04 1:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Um, so the whole spectrum, um, literally. Yes. And um, and then also, you know, we all we also set aside money for schools, um, special needs academies, um, hospitals, and do a lot of donations on a larger scale that way, um, which is really, really fun. But my favorite is working with the individual families. Like we we talked prior to um to this about providing experiences and providing music therapy and instrument donations and you know, whatever it is, sometimes it's just financial help to keep the lights on. Um so we get intimately involved with the individual families, with the kiddos, say on the you know, the spectrum or whatever, you know, ailment or disability they may have. Um so that's sort of our, you know, that that's sort of the scope of the communities that we serve.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

And but but really the core is the autistic children and yeah, you know, that's kind of where it started. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Um and and has blossomed. Um, you know, back 15 years ago, um, when this, well, it was 16 years ago, it was an idea on paper with 501c3 paperwork that was in, and that is not my forte.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Well, it's not our forte either. That's why we're a little slow again, going on it. That's that's gonna be Ms. Shanda's job because uh I'm a little busy lining up interviews and then uh uh editing and getting getting everything out there. So uh Miss Shanda's gonna be the be the brains behind the uh can I borrow you?

unknown 2:46

I I'm gonna need to borrow you at what we have.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

So we've got we've got a lot to learn. We've learned a lot about the uh podcasting business and about the music business, which is what we love. Yeah, and we're what's funny is that neither one of us are really truly musical. We'd love music, but being musicians it really isn't our thing. Um but Shanda's mother was a songwriter, and she had a uh uh a grand piano, a standard grand piano in her house, and she would play Miss Shanda to sleep every night, and and so we just have a real true love of music. But there's no music talent for generations that I know of before me, uh, on my side of the family, uh other than you know, my parents liked music, and you know, there was always music playing in the house, and so we we kind of got our love of it. But but I I think that the important thing to point out is that how music is such a healing power.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Yeah, it's my favorite topic. Yeah, you know, it's we have a you know overarching um just sort of goal and and mission, but when I really sort of strip it down to its basic core, it's that um music heals, period. And um for me, uh I can relate to I'm not a musician, you know, guitar collector.

SPEAKER_05 4:11

I love guitar ridiculously, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Um and it calls to me. Sometimes I visit it and sometimes I'm like, this is just too much. But songwriting and poetry and writing, I started when I was very young.

SPEAKER_05 4:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

So I'll have it's just and I wrote a song called Write My Way Back. And so it it for me, music just absolutely it felt like it was part of my DNA, but it was more of an outpour of of just feelings and ideas, and it would write, I would write my way back out of really dark times.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Sure. And so I love that.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Yeah, yeah. It it for me, I see now in the work that we're so blessed to do, kiddos that I get so emotional. Kiddos that um are they call them non-verbal, but you play them a song, give them an instrument, and they're singing on key, on cue, and you know, you you have these children that don't even, you know, they you don't know, yes, no, you know, is is difficult, but they will sing happy birthday, you know.

SPEAKER_05 5:18

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

And um when I saw that come together and I understood what a release it was and a lifesaver for me, and I I just sort of you know connected very early also with the disabled community, and I that's kind of where that came from. So, no, I'm not a musician, and no, I don't have an autistic child or anybody close to me in my family that has a disability. Um so I it it's just kind of strange where the the passion came from, you know, and just like wanting to get that into the world somehow.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

It takes a special person and a special personality of someone who can do what you do and be involved in that in that world because I grew up with an older sister who was mentally handicapped. She was she was oxygen deprived as a baby, and uh so sweet spirit, but that's a challenge. Those families they have that commitment for life, for the life of that child, and my parents dealt with it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Um she passed at 51 years old, but uh but you know there's so much in there's so much in their spirits, um, this community, and uh well let me back up. I'm so sorry for that loss, but aren't the feelings beautiful that they you know if they weren't you know if we didn't love them that much, then we wouldn't miss them that much. And it um, you know that that's a beautiful gift that you take with you and the gift of empathy, also when you can look at a family and truly understand that there is no financial, you know, aid or there's not a second option, and you know, not being able to afford a$50 guitar rips my heart out.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

I'm just like or a ticket to a concert, right, or an experience, because you know, these they often have families, and we're seeing more and more, which I'd be so interested to to learn more about. But we have families that we help that have three, four children on the spectrum, or you know, with some sort of element. And I'll tell you a quick story. So we have a family, the the De Sauzo family that we recently met and fell in love with. Um, three children um on the spectrum, but also in addition, um, one little gal is um nearly deaf, and the other, I believe it's the little boy that is blind as well. So this family, but their light and their joy and the appreciation that they offered us when we um provided the first grant and that first bridge to music for all three of them, right? Um lit up their world.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Um, and then in in situations like that, we will provide an instrument as they start to develop an aptitude for, say, a drum or something if they're more um, you know, a keyboard and and those kinds of things where not a lot of strings and you know that kind of thing, but those instruments they can pick on uh pick up really quickly and they can take them home from, you know, they can have those instruments at home to practice with. Sure. There's no way they would have access to that before, right? Um, so the this beautiful little family that we've helped out, we were able to provide grants for all three children, and we voted um at the end of the year uh to extend it another year. So they'll have two years of you know, completely covered music therapy sessions, the instruments, and um, and for me, it's you know, kind of back to your story, um, not understanding that from a distance, and it's like, oh, that must be hard. But when you're in it and you know that you've got three kids for a lifetime, yeah. Um, you know, and all funding drops off anything that government offers, which isn't much, and sort of slipping out of our hands as we speak, yeah. Um at 18, we call it fall off the cliff. So there's nothing.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Nothing.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

And um, you know, if it it reminds me of um of another sort of program and core um grant that we offer, and that we've set a little bit aside each year in our giving budget for um independent living initiatives for the kiddos that we see sort of transition into young adulthood and adulthood. And we partner with um various organizations that serve that community and help with all kinds of the arts and those sorts of programs that are also hard to fund. Yeah um, so that is really something that evolved over time because you know our focus was the you know younger sweet little children, and then as they grow up, you know, they're not that cute little face anymore. No, and so they drop off the cliff. And so that's but they still have a need.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

They don't at 18, they don't just go, well, they're 18 now, they're on their own.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Yeah, and think if you have early intervention and you start putting either an instrument or dance or electronics or whatever, you know, and music, like as far as writing and being on the, you know, there's so much that goes into building a song.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

You know, we've worked with kiddos that have um started to develop internships and jobs like in, you know, on the that side of um not necessarily holding the guitar, but you know, there's so many talents that these these children can, you know, the early intervention, and then all of a sudden there's a future, there's a possibility.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Well their minds they just need to they need to unlock their capabilities, and I think, you know, music does that, and they may have a they may have a a a career in the recording industry somehow. Right. I mean, I look at I look at some of those control panels in those studios, and they're massive. They got all these knobs and dials, and those are the brains that can run that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Absolutely, and the the yeah, you're right, the producing, the back end, the editing, the you know, I give them you have a runner for heaven's sakes, you know. They just want to be in the environment and creating, and yeah, you know, it's it's so special to watch this community um, you know, or the awareness around it, the acceptance. I mean it's it's rough to see like the diagnosis, but at least there is one.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

And yeah, and there's hope, and you're there we're learning more every day uh through programs like your own, you know, to help them look. Music really, really is a healing uh tool. It's a medicine. I I I interviewed a songwriter by the name of James Dean Hicks, who's uh got multiple number ones, I think seven number ones. He had the first three songs he wrote ended up number one for the Oak Ridge boys. And he said, Man, this songwriting's easy. That's easy, you know. But anyway, he said, Man, I found out real quick I didn't have a lot of material, but he he uh he he said to me, he said, Byron, he said, music is the salve that heals all.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Amen. Amen, huh?

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Yeah, so anyway.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

I have um some of the uh most fun um concerts that uh that we've hosted. Um this will be our 10th year of um a big concert that we put on, and it changes from city to city every year. Um, and I um one of my favorite shows was the Libra i show. He's performed for us a couple of times, which is like one of my favorite artists that ever lived. Um Talk About a Dream Come True, and that man's soul and just there for the right reasons, and you know, just shows up and he did a round with one of my favorite song singer-songwriters, Billy Dawson out of Nashville, who's one of our best, dearest friends, and a huge ambassador for music movement. So he was there and he knows um, he knows uh the other singer-songwriter, um, which is Garth Brooks' daughter, Allie Colline. Have you heard her music?

SPEAKER_00 14:06

Do you know that we were we were we were invited to a fundraiser in Nashville in January for uh Project uh Canine Heroes, um which is retired police dogs. And so Jason Johnson, who's the CEO, always been a guest on the podcast, and and really love that guy, and he invited us out. But he had dinner with uh with uh Allie and her mother during the NFR in Vegas this year, and he said, Byron, you need to come because she's performing at the fundraiser. They had 22 artists performed at the fundraiser. Oh, cool! And and yeah, and w they had the ice storms and our flights got canceled and we didn't end up going. So we missed so we missed out uh getting to meet her, but uh I understand she's very talented. But Lee Bryce, what a great guy. And we actually in August we were here in in we were in Vegas for the Las Vegas Songwriter Festival, and Lee Bryce was the headliner, and he brought all the songwriters out on stage that had written or co-written with him, uh, several that were there, several of the hits, but we've had the pleasure of interviewing um uh guy by the name of Joe Leathers who wrote co-wrote um Save the Roses with Lee Bryce. Do you know that song?

SPEAKER_02 15:28

Oh my gosh, another kind of blast from the past.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

I love we love that song. They actually played it at my nephew's funeral, and and then I you know. And then I interviewed Lee, or not Lee, I didn't get to interview Lee. I got to interview Joe, and we talked about that, and I was a puddle of tears.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Yeah, yeah. So I get that too.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Yeah, anyway.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

So that was one of my favorite concerts for all those reasons, but it was just kind of a round, and the the singer, songwriter, and all of them came out and you know, told some stories behind the songs, and that's one of my, you know, those are my favorite little gigs to hit up when you're in Nashville.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

We're hosting our very first singer, or excuse me, songwriter round this Thursday in Ottawa Falls. I don't think it's ever happened in Ottawa Falls.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

Right on, and that's something that you're hosting.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

We are hosting it Thursday with six local songwriters. Well, one's coming from Utah, one's coming from Provo. Um, but uh we're we're we're doing it. We've got two two Thursday schedules. We call it Thursday in the round, and uh this Thursday, and we're really excited. We're hoping we're wanting to bring a full-blown songwriter festival to Idaho Falls and bring in some of our Nashville uh uh songwriter connections that we've made since doing the podcast. So then anyway, I I love that. There's there's nothing more intimate than a songwriter round in a listening room.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

It's it's I mean, they should have multiple podcasts about this because it's I think well, you know, country music is so different. Um, not that all genres don't tell a story, but um, you know, I bet 90% of the artists that we've booked over the years have been country music artists, and there's a lot of reasons for that. Um they're very rarely pre Madonna Um and asking a charity to buy a$500 bottle of tequila so they're there for 45 minutes. Right. Like, seriously. Um but you know, very rarely do you have someone that isn't there for the right reason and that won't, you know, that will donate um, you know, their time, you know, at a very discounted rate, and they just work, they're so easy to work with. And I have that's all the experience that I've had with that community. And so when you branch outside of that and you experience a rock band or something, and you're just like, wow, this is intense.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Oh yeah, no, uh 100% agree. The the the the country music world, whether and and we've kind of experienced a little bit because as you look at country music, there's kind of the Texas country scene, yeah, and the the the Texas country, the red dirt, Americana, you know, it's kind of a mix and like an indie sort of uh indie, yeah. But but they're all pretty cool and they're all pretty chill. And these songwriter festivals that we do that we go to interview the the songwriters, and now you know we've been blessed to they've asked us to participate and interview the artists in front of a cr the part of the crowd as part of the show. Oh cool. We've done that in Red Lodge and as well as Whitefish. But it's cool because those people are all just so genuine. I really have have yet to meet someone, and then and then the next guy says, we get done with his interview, and he goes, Hey, you need to meet my friend and interview him. Yeah, and it's this our whole deal has happened very organically, which I think is what happens in especially when you're going doing something for a good cause. You know, I'm sure your deal has grown uh uh amazing because just by word of mouth.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

It's you know, we speaking being blessed, um so our fundraisers um we don't really seek out you know grants once in a while, you know, but that's just so much red tape and paperwork, and like, you know, we have a lean machine. Um so uh you know that sort of branching out and and uh you know it it's it's just there's so much there's so much uh growth that it's so hard to believe. So our funding has come from we do um we host two golf tournaments a year. So we do one in Dana Point and then um East Coast, we do, we're actually this is our first year in Myrtle Beach whim. So we kind of yeah, it's it's gonna be wild. No, it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Um so anyhow, we does John Daly participate with you guys because he's a songwriter and a golfer. You did you know that? Did you know John Daly is actually a songwriter? No, and can play the golf and can play the guitar. He actually cut a song with Aaron Lewis that Justin Andrews wrote, who's been on our podcast, and uh in fact his episode just launched yesterday. Justin's did, but anyway, he wrote a song. And John Daly, speaking of golf and music, and he he he uh he cut that song with Aaron Lewis.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Well, I have a golf course across the street. I have plenty of guitars. Do you think we can get it?

SPEAKER_00 20:29

Let's get John Daly here. You gotta listen, it's gonna take a little bit of beer and I think some tequila or whatever. So convinced or vodka, I think, uh anyway. But we can manage, you know.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

Yeah, we're we're here to please. No, it's it's fun to it's fun to talk about, you know. I'm a cowgirl at heart being, you know, from southeastern Idaho and you know, living in the Rockies. I lived in Salt Lake City for a while, and so we found our way back. Um, my beautiful husband and partner and my traveling, like, let's just go try a city. Yeah, it was so fun. Um, but we've settled here um and uh it's it's fun to reach out to the local community, and um, I just had a great meeting with um a partner that we're going to sync up with that provides uh you know right in alignment with our goals, and um we're gonna work on a fundraiser, possibly golf tournament, but trying to do a concert series at Tuacon.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Oh wow, yeah. So they have you need to please keep us in the loop on that deal because um uh and and especially the the the music and the songwriter deal. You know, I know Lyle Lovett's played here, and and I've known Lyle for like twenty five years, have not uh interviewed him on the podcast yet, but we we've hung out with him several times, and he's such a sweet guy. And and and anyway, there's lots of great artists, and this is there really are, and it's it's uh part

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Of the the concert, oh so the other two we host a concert um in the Midwest, and this year it's in Kansas City. Okay, and then our big concert's coming up in May, and that one is uh that one is just so fun. Um, this year we're doing it's the first time we're doing a cover band, but they're like world-sought after like 10-piece band. They're called the Yacht Rock um review. They're wow, they're gonna be amazing, but it's it's like one of those, it's different. Usually we kind of have the name recognition and the you know that kind of a poll, but they're they are seem incredible.

SPEAKER_00 22:35

So and that's gonna be in May where?

SPEAKER_02 22:38

It's at this year it's in Fort Lauderdale.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Fort Lauderdale. Yeah. So you move it each year, the concerts in a different and what what's the what's the reasoning for that?

SPEAKER_02 22:48

I mean, are you just so we partner with um one of the largest wireless infrastructure association conferences? So they have about 3,000 attendees. Okay. So it's primarily and we do kind of a we call it a private party, but it's um, you know, those individuals coming from the concert. So we kind of open up the week with a charity concert and we promote it within that, you know, the exhibitors and that makes sense. So it's yeah, it's one of the largest um, you know, telecommunications wireless um conventions in the you know the world. It's it's like a big one, and we've been partners with them for 10 years now.

SPEAKER_05 23:27

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

So they move the conference every year and we kind of tag along. Sure. We've been riding on their coattails for a long time. No, but it's it's been so much fun. We know we get five, six hundred people um that are there for you know raising funds and partying and and mingling and networking, and it's a blast, it's a blast. Um, not sure where next year's gonna be, but this year we're gonna raise the roof in Fort Lauderdale.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

Well, I yeah, I I like the to understand how you've done this and and you know, kind of what your what your format's been because you know, as we try to put together a a you know, a nonprofit of our own, um in with with you know that's music related, um, but uh, you know, how do you how do you put that? I know a lot of people. I know a lot of people, whether it's in the ag industry or the even now in the music industry, in the rodeo world, the horse world, we know a lot of people. So, but as you talk about this, that's very much uh, you know, uh Bill Bill had a career in the wireless industry, didn't he? I did as well. Oh, you did as well. Okay, so that's how you met. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:35

Yeah, it was the it was we knew each other in business, and then I roped him into helping me. He we're a great yin and yang. Oh, yeah. He's the operations spreadsheet, you know, like he helps me keep my ducks in a row a lot in the back end. And he also is a relationship, he's been in the wireless industry for well, give me a guy that's been in the industry and they know Bill.

SPEAKER_05 24:57

Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

Um I was in it for 20 years, so you know that's kind of naturally how the funding came about. And our sponsors have been with us for you know 15 years, a lot of them. Like every year for each event, they've shown up for us.

SPEAKER_05 25:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Um, and so they are truly part of the cause. They, you know, the the secondary is that they're there to network together. We've been so blessed because kind of the leaders in the industry have supported us, sure. And so they drive a lot of the attendants and other sponsors. So, like on our West Coast um that we just had in October of 25, we had 36 companies sponsor us. Um, and so that kind of following is what we kind of grassroots started with, and then it's built obviously over the years. Um, and then it's you know, we again like five, six hundred people come to the concert. We keep trying to kind of, you know, it's just like anything, right? You learn something new, you take away what worked and what didn't. So now we're in a great rhythm. And I'll tell you, you know, I'm the only employee, but I do have um I outsource our event planning and execution, incredible marketing team. Um, all of our accounting is outsourced, so like I'm not touching any of the money. Also highly recommend that.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Because your, you know, your donors really want to know that um their funds are going directly to your programs. And when we have an independent um uh accounting firm, they are running the tight ship, right? And um they it just gives us and our donors' peace to know that that that money is you know flowing through without us touching.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Well, it's it's total transparency, so you don't have to you don't you don't have to worry about and and you know because we hear it every day in the news about somebody who's ran a fund uh uh a nonprofit and then they absconded with the with the funds. That makes me ill. And it makes me ill, and because there's so many people that those funds could have really truly helped. And and so but we we've done a little bit of research, and so I know that that that's uh very important. I actually have uh a friend who's uh an investor, an investment guy, who I just said, hey, you know, one one, would you be on our board, and two, would you handle the funds? Would you would you invest the money so that once it comes in it goes into a solid, safe investment? He's got a very good uh track record and he's very trustworthy. And then, you know, as that money grows, that also helps perpetuate more funds to help.

SPEAKER_02 27:38

Right, yeah, and the board seeking out the board is extremely important. Sure. But at the same time, don't let that hold you back from taking the steps because it takes a minute. I mean you've got to wait for your 501c3, but I wouldn't even start a nonprofit without it because your donors want to know that they're um it's tax deductible, they want to know that it's a legit charity, you know, they want to be able to look you up on chat uh charity navigator or some of those that you eventually start reporting into. Um one of the biggest, I think, accomplishments that we've arrived at, um we have we like at the end of the year, um, after reconciliation, we've kept our um the every every dollar that's donated flows directly to our program. 94 cents of every single dollar flows directly to our programs.

SPEAKER_04 28:34

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 28:35

So we because it's a lean machine, right? Right um, we're watching every single penny down to the penny, right? And so having an accounting partner that does that, I mean that's a full-time job.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

Um, but do those do those people donate their time and services? Okay, I'm just curious about that.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Yeah, um, we're in no position to you know pay a board member. Um, it's important though, as it grows, I mean, identify some key players that are good at what you're not good at. Yeah, you know, that have more relationships and that can kind of help you with different verticals of like target sponsors and and people that you can bring in, other artists or you know what I'm saying? Like it, you know, maybe pick a couple that that could jump on board and then fill it as you go. I mean, it doesn't have to be by the book, and so I think that when I just release the pressure of starting it, and like it doesn't have to be you know perfect, imperfect is fine because you're starting.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Do you meet as a an entire board physically? Do you you sit down how often?

SPEAKER_02 29:40

We just once a year. Once a year, yeah. We all can um come to Dana Point. Okay, and then we have regular board meetings, um, just Zoom.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

Zoom. Yeah, yeah. Okay, no other way to do it than I know. Well, yeah, it's it's very simple. The the world's a very small place anymore. And and the fact that most of us, but you know, as I look at that, you know, and try to put put this together in my mind, a board, you know, I I think about with with ours, we should include uh a songwriter that's oh absolutely someone who's been in the industry a long time and successful, probably a Nashville songwriter that can serve on the board as well as an accountant and and an investment banker and those types of lawyers like um it's it's great to how many board members, excuse me.

SPEAKER_02 30:30

No, that's okay. We have there is 12 of us.

SPEAKER_00 30:34

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Um so you know it's it's decent size. And there's we don't ask a lot of our board. Um we you know they sit in, they weigh in, um and uh you know, we we just get their help with relationships. Um, you know, on a board you either give or get.

SPEAKER_04 30:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Right? And so that's kind of the formula that has worked for us. Um we're gonna we're starting to kind of ramp up in um needing a couple more just for that same like a lawyer or you know, it's it's tough. Um, you know, it's just hard to find those individuals that are deeply um involved and care deeply about it. Um and I've been lucky enough to find, you know, some of those that that just have our best interest at heart that will jump in, you know, and help us form relationships we don't have, give us advice and guidance, find other opportunities for fundraising, um, et cetera, et cetera. So that's important, but again, just let it grow. It you know, naturally, it just keeps opening doors, right? Sure. Yeah, and sure. Um, so that that's you know how you get started. It's just who's your community? Who cares? You know?

SPEAKER_00 31:45

So when you decide, my my question would be to now, how do you how do you decide who to give the funds to? Do people apply?

SPEAKER_01 31:53

They do, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

They do apply. Okay, so there's an application process, and then the board reviews those, or you review them and narrow it down, or how's that going?

SPEAKER_02 32:02

So uh it's just me. Um, and uh obviously we report into the board like what we're doing, and then over a certain amount or threshold, then I get a vote. But if I had to vote on every single one, it just would be absolutely impossible. And so it's like, okay, I know what I'm doing, and I you know, report re-report the numbers. Um, it is quite overwhelming, and so I'm gonna bring in some hopefully some interns and some help with that. Um, but it does require that's the piece that requires the human process. I mean, it's manual in that we take the we receive and we deeply care about every applicant. I've never come across one that didn't deserve it and that didn't need it, which is real hard.

SPEAKER_05 32:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:46

But um, you know, I went from having maybe like 20 to 50 a year to last quarter, I have over 500 applications.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

Oh my goodness. So how do they find out about you?

SPEAKER_02 32:58

You know what? You start to kind of, it's a search engine sort of a thing, and then other organizations like um Autism Speaks is a huge um organization, and like they're on we're on their resource list. Okay. So when parents are looking for, you know, um grants and things like that. Um, so we kind of and like we didn't even approach them to do that. It just kind of starts popping up. It's like I heard from you, it's referred from you, you know. So and then we also so we're the way that we're organized, which is probably the reason why um we can run a lean machine mostly, is um, you know, we we just we keep everything, you know, as simple as possible. And we um are just the bridge for the the grants. So we essentially pay for it and we help kind of connect the music therapist, but the family usually, I mean, because we do it from California to New York, right?

SPEAKER_03 34:01

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Um, so we don't have the ability, um, and it's not it's not an avenue I'd want to go down. Um, so we connect them with the local music therapist that can be, you know, on site, they help select, and then we pay the music therapist. And so we're just that bridge of funding.

SPEAKER_04 34:19

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

Um, and it's simple because it's kind of transactional. The human side of it is, you know, kind of narrowing things down. You know, it's like, you know, it it's it's really difficult to do. You know, some are just aren't filled out correctly, so unfortunately they'd have to go on the next cycle and things like that. But it, you know, I I did this television interview with um, oh gosh, where were we? Nashville. I can't remember. No, we were living in Dallas at the time. Um, anyhow, it was a you know, it was fun, it was terrifying to be on the news. I'm not so good at it. Um, anyways, I I was talking, he said, what's your biggest ask? And I at the time I said, We need applications. Like, I I you know, I we need to bring the people in and attract the people in that need us. And now I'm like, we don't need any more applications.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

We don't need more applications. The the the challenge is, yeah, and I'm sure you reached a point where you probably had all kinds of funds to to help people, and you didn't have the people to help. Now, now there's that's the limiting factor is yeah. I can only imagine. Well, you know, we we have an idea what we'd like to do with our foundation, and and but you know, there's lots of things to learn, and the process is gonna take time, we know that. Um, but you know, we just see the value in in the music and the healing.

SPEAKER_02 35:52

Yeah. So well, it allows you to host, you know, even pop-up events and and that kind of thing. And it, you know, it is a motivation for um donors and attendees of events to know that their donation is going to a legitimate 501c3 and is truly a tax write-off and helps them, you know, it you know, whatever motivates people, right? You're I believe that you know you're giving them um people want to give.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

Yeah, they do.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

And if you provide that opportunity, you're gonna get people that care and that want to give. And so it it's for me, it's a privilege just to say, you know, hey, we have a safe place for that to land.

SPEAKER_00 36:34

Yeah. Um, and so well, because there's there's millions of dollars, Stacy, that you know this, and and and I think the general public probably knows, but they still like, oh, that sounds like a good cause, and they donate and it and it doesn't land where it belongs, or a very small percentage of their donation actually gets to the people who need it. And so we want to I I yeah, I love that whole idea. You know, we're we you know, I I know some people start nonprofits to make a living, and that's not what we're after. We're after right, you know, we truly want to help.

SPEAKER_02 37:08

Right. So and we want it the charity to evolve um as really truly a legacy, and we want it to continue. Um, I forget the numbers, but I think only like less than 50% of charities um survive past like five years, and then 80% don't survive past 10. Or I don't quote me on these numbers, but they're kind of astonishing. So for us to be turning 15 this year, I I like I didn't even realize that. And it was my my sweet Bill and partner that mentioned it at our last event, and my jaw was just like, wow, we have a lot to celebrate. Yeah, you know, and we just want it to go on and to live on. So we're you know, we're trying to get to a place from a revenue and um uh you know our our assets, etc., so that it's working for us. So we have the you know, we can hit our giving budget and you know the the funding.

SPEAKER_00 38:11

Well you would love to build a perpetual fund that like you said that just lives on that will just that lives on. And so, you know, that's the important thing is that is that it continues to grow and continues to build that nest egg so that if someone you know maybe doesn't want to put as much effort into it as Stacy and Bill have, that that it still will carry on and help fund these these uh these children. So well, it's so cool and it's very admirable. And thanks for sharing your story with us.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Of course. Well, it's an honor to sit down with you, um being a lifelong friend of the the family.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Well, I mean I I knew your grandparents. I mean, you know, the the the oh yeah, your dad and I ran amok when we were younger and and uh and had a lot of fun. And uh um but yeah, yeah, I knew I knew your grandparents and and I've I've just you know like say I've been friends of the family forever and ever. And so but um I I had no idea that you were doing this until Ted shared.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

So it's it's been uh you know honor of a lifetime. So if there's anything I can do, advice on on the building of the five one, it's it's not rocket science, it's just the commitment and you know kind of taking it a step at a time.

SPEAKER_04 39:30

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Um, you know, don't yeah, don't let it intimidate you, or if it's not all built perfectly together, right? It's just find the people that you know have the the um the skill sets and talents to bring to the table that you know you can call on and just kind of you know gradually build it and before you know it, you know, it's it's a great story to tell, and you'll get support because your people will be like, that's you know, that is going to a legit place.

SPEAKER_00 39:58

So let me know if I can. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Hey, for Musical Miles Podcast, I'm your host, Byron Duff, and here with my new friend Stacy, old family friend Stacy. We will see you somewhere down the road.

SPEAKER_02 40:13

Thank you.