Woman Philanthropists: Mai ‘Mother Mai’ Whelan On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful Nonprofit Organization
An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
Heart: To embrace your hard work and tears, is your heart. To love all things and make it matter is the biggest challenge. I won 4.56M and took a big investment to do a 5-week road trip to highlight the hidden gems of nonprofits. My heart was to bring them to your home and find compassion for the work of the nonprofits in helping lives. With my upcoming series, Mother Mai, I hope to bring the connection of one’s work and the viewer’s heart to connect and form a bond to help one another.
The contributions of women philanthropists have reshaped communities and catalyzed change, yet their stories often remain untold. Women bring unique perspectives and approaches to philanthropy, using their resources, networks, and influence to address a wide range of global challenges — from education and healthcare to social justice and environmental sustainability. How do these women navigate the complexities of philanthropy to achieve meaningful impact? In this interview series, we are talking to diverse women philanthropists who have initiated impactful projects or led significant charitable endeavors, to share their insights and inspire others to take initiative and help solve pressing global and local issues. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mai Whelan.
Mai Whelan, at 55 years old, defied all expectations to become the first official winner of the hit Netflix series, solidifying her status as a formidable force and beacon of strength. With her historic win and a record-breaking $4.56M cash prize, Mai is now channeling her success to dig her heals deeper into philanthropy, which includes her latest project, Mother Mia. Over the course of five weeks, she is partnering with over 20 nonprofits to raise awareness for their causes and make a meaningful impact. Fans can be sure to expect this series to come to light before the end of 2024, with more to follow. Before year ends, fans can also look forward to her forthcoming memoir, which promises deeper insights into the experiences that have shaped her remarkable story. Until then, for more on Mother Mia, please be sure to visit https://mothermai.com/
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? We would love to hear a few stories or examples.
- “Mother Teresa” role model. When I was 16, I saw a commercial that showed a malnourished child with a big belly and flies on his face; that was when I knew I needed to make a difference for those less fortunate.
- Navigating my struggles in life, I am naïve, immature, and sheltered. I need to survive as a single mother at 19, so how do I do that?! Can selfishness and humbleness coexist? That was my struggle. I needed to live for my daughter and find her a life that wasn’t poor like mine growing up.
- It took me 57 years to live and learn, quickly, if I wanted to do philanthropy work. I am blessed to have met and be at the right place for a platform to make change.
What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made since you started leading your organization — Mother Mai?
My heart is deeper and wider than my bank account. I’m reverting to survival mode and learning the entertainment industry to make my new philanthropic focused series, Mother Mai, a household show with a fresh heart and mind for change. But the biggest takeaway is that it is rewarding to make a difference one day at a time.
Can you please tell our readers more about how you intend to make a significant social impact?
From early on, I knew I wanted to form my own nonprofit. When the time came to take the leap, I quickly learned through research that there are over 1.8 million nonprofits in the US alone and 10 million worldwide. Therefore, I knew it would be best to steer away from my initial path and lean further into highlighting existing and unique nonprofits for their dedication and unwavering love for helping lives, animals, and the environment. I hope that by working on projects like Mother Mai, I will be able to provide the tools to connect and bring awareness of what nonprofits can do to enrich lives and make a small difference in saving a life one day at a time.
What makes you feel passionate about some of your favorite causes?
I am very passionate about making the world a better place and honing that, but putting the focus on three main causes: animals, people, and the environment.
- Animals — they are the foundation in making our circle of life work. In addition, they promote a sense of calming effect and unconditional love if they are given a chance. Our ignorance grows when we don’t understand their ways. I want to be their voice by providing education and awareness so that we cohabitate with them. We have taken their habitat, so let’s give back by providing kindness to them.
- People (underprivileged) — I have lived and experienced poverty. I am an ambassador who aims to make their lives a little better. A day of hunger seems like an eternity because they don’t know where their next meal comes from. They live in conditions that warrant basic necessities, such as a bed, tables, and chairs. Where are they going to get their medical help if they are sick? Most poverty overseas are forgotten, and they do not have the government to give them supplements to live on.
- Environment — We need awareness now more than ever to promote better choices in sustainability. Our trash and chemicals have become a burden and hazards for animals, marine animals, and plant life.
Without naming names, could you share a story about an individual who benefitted from your initiatives?
Through my ongoing work with Unbound, I have had the pleasure of sponsoring six kids from Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Uganda.
I was traveling to Uganda for an awareness trip to visit one of my sponsored children. I saw Jane and her grandmother who is blind in one eye, sitting on the side of the dirt road. I stopped to ask them if they needed help. They said they had nothing to eat all day. I looked at their mud shack and went inside to look. They had one straw bed that was sinking to the floor. I came outside and asked some more questions. I saw Jane was hurt. Her ankle had a cut and was infected. There were flies on her ankle and they didn’t have any money to tend to the wound. Immediately, I took Jane to the nearest medical house. The nurse who was on duty said she didn’t have a lot of medical supplies, but she would look at what she had. She retrieved a bottle of alcohol and some bandages. She took Jane by the hand and plopped her on a chair, and started to pour alcohol on her ankle. Jane was five years old and went through a shock of the sting. Jane vomited, but there was nothing in her stomach but only a few pieces of pineapple that she ate that day. After, I carried her and took her grandmother to the nearest grocery shop to pick up soap, rice, beans, and potatoes so that they had food to eat. Afterward, I worked with Unbound I to make sure they had clothes to wear and add Jane to the sponsorship program. Jane is now thriving, attending a private school and getting good grades. With the help of her uncle and the money we give them every month, their house now has two beds, a table and chairs, running water, and a toilet. Uganda suppresses women, and I hope Jane grows up to change the paradigm for women.
We all want to help and to live a life of purpose. What are three actions anyone could take to help address the root cause of the problem you’re trying to solve?
Bringing awareness, caring, and discipline. It is hard to give up a comfortable life and the regiment of buying what you want instead of need. For example, I am guilty of it. If we can take the money to buy ten purses or ten pairs of shoes, we can scale back and think about what if we scale back the money that we saved to donate whatever our heart is yearning to help. We all want to help, but we have to ask ourselves how to discipline our actions.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things A Successful & Effective Nonprofit Needs to Leave A Lasting Legacy?” Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Volunteering: A person can learn much while working. It really opens a person’s eyes to the intricacy of managing and taking care of day-to-day work.
2. Donation: I personally asked my family to donate to causes they are interested in. One answer I ran into was, “I don’t have the money.” Sometimes, we need to re-evaluate our expenses to see where the excessive spending lies, i.e., on clothes, shoes, purses, and food. To that, I ask, would you be willing to give up one of your favorite things once a week and set it aside for donation? That would work. Unfortunately, some of my family really enjoy their coffee. But with a little discipline and dedication, we can help those in need.
3 . Dedication: There are highs and lows of going through day-to-day operations. When times are low, you must pick your head up and work out the kinks. If it takes heart and soul to make it work, then it takes heart and soul to come out of the lows.
4 . Caring: It takes a village to maintain a momentum of livelihood.
5 . Heart: To embrace your hard work and tears, is your heart. To love all things and make it matter is the biggest challenge. I won 4.56M and took a big investment to do a 5-week road trip to highlight the hidden gems of nonprofits. My heart was to bring them to your home and find compassion for the work of the nonprofits in helping lives. With my upcoming series, Mother Mai, I hope to bring the connection of one’s work and the viewer’s heart to connect and form a bond to help one another.
How has the pandemic changed your definition of success?
The pandemic gave us a “reset” to reflect on our lives. What matters and what we can live without. Success is: What can I do to balance my life and others?
How do you get inspired after an inevitable setback?
Setbacks are usually a great way to improve in areas that need it. Having this mentality allows one to address setbacks and improve the organization’s overall success. It is our drive to succeed that transforms the setbacks into success. We can’t act alone, but with help, we can change and overcome setbacks.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your nonprofit? He, she, or they might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
MacKenzie Scott. She took wealth to distribute to charities. I hope to be on that platform one day and distribute my wealth and make each lives better.
You’re doing important work. How can our readers follow your progress online?
Please visit mothermai.com and sign up for our newsletter. If you want silly stuff about my work and personal life, my IG is @iammai287.
Thank you for a meaningful conversation. We wish you continued success with your mission.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media
Woman Philanthropists: Mai ‘Mother Mai’ Whelan On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.