Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am (EDT)
EPISODE SUMMARY:
In this inspiring episode of Philanthropy in Phocus, Tommy D – the Nonprofit Sector Connector – sits down with his longtime friend Dr. Joy DeDonato, Executive Director for the Metro New York region of Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). Joy shares how a lifetime of service began with a simple feeling of wanting to help others, and evolved into more than two decades in the nonprofit sector focused on cancer support, education access, women’s issues, and amplifying the voices of those who are too often unseen or unheard. She reflects on the powerful example set by her parents, who modeled service “before it had a title,” and how that foundation of love, grit, and doing the right thing has shaped her entire journey.
Joy walks listeners through her professional path from Nassau Community College—first as a student, then staff member and later Executive Director of the college’s foundation—to a decade at the American Cancer Society, and on to SUNY Stony Brook working on women’s health and women’s leadership. Throughout, she emphasizes the power of long-term relationships, showing how mentors, colleagues, and friends have stayed connected across roles, institutions, and life milestones. Joy also shares deeply personal stories of losing loved ones to cancer early in her career, and then, 20 years later, watching close family members with blood cancers move from “despair to hope to strength” thanks to advances in treatment—an evolution that called her back into the cancer space and ultimately to Blood Cancer United.
Together, Tommy and Joy highlight the recent rebrand from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to Blood Cancer United, designed to be more inclusive of all blood cancer patients and families. Joy outlines key initiatives including the Dare to Dream project for safer pediatric treatments, the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign, the emotional Light the Night walks, the Big Climb at Citi Field, and the Visionary of the Year competition that rallies leaders to raise critical funds. She also touches on her wider civic leadership as Vice Chair of Dress for Success Long Island and as a commissioner for both Human Rights and Women’s Leadership in Suffolk County. Through humor, Golden Girls and Fraggle Rock references, and real talk about grit and service, this episode celebrates how one person’s commitment to community, equity, and compassion can ripple out to transform countless lives.
Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc
Tommy D kicks off this episode of Philanthropy in Phocus with his signature energy, spotlighting the incredible work nonprofits do and celebrating community events like the Long Island Imagine Awards that uplift mission-driven organizations. He welcomes guest Joy DeDonato of Blood Cancer United, whose 25-year journey in service—shaped by themes of education, women’s empowerment, health advocacy, and giving voice to the unheard—embodies the heart of the sector. Their conversation reminds listeners that nonprofit leadership is built on compassion, grit, and the power of showing up for others, inspiring anyone who serves or supports nonprofits to stay connected, stay involved, and keep making a difference.
Tommy D continues the conversation with Dr. Joy DeDonato by tracing her Long Island roots and her deep gratitude for Nassau Community College, where affordable education, leadership opportunities, and her first role in admissions launched a lifelong path of service. Joy shares how a decade at the American Cancer Society, combined with personal family experiences with cancer, cemented her commitment to mission-driven work and to raising funds that truly change lives. Throughout her story, she highlights the power of long-term relationships and community institutions—like community colleges and nonprofits—to open doors, create scholarships, and build networks that sustain impact for decades, inspiring anyone who leads or supports nonprofits to value connection just as much as contribution.
In this segment, Tommy D and Dr. Joy DeDonato trace how her path from SUNY Stony Brook’s women’s health initiatives to leading Blood Cancer United was shaped by both professional passion and deeply personal family experiences with blood cancer. Joy reflects on watching 20 years of progress transform cancer outcomes from despair to remission for multiple loved ones, underscoring how sustained research, fundraising, and nonprofit advocacy truly save lives over time. Tommy ties it all together with a heartfelt call for grit, mental health awareness, and “doing it anyway,” reminding nonprofits and their supporters that even when the work is hard, staying in the fight creates real hope and lasting change for families everywhere.
In this final segment, Tommy D and Dr. Joy DeDonato highlight how Blood Cancer United—newly rebranded from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to better embrace all blood cancers—walks alongside patients and families from diagnosis through treatment with research, resources, and compassionate support. Joy spotlights multiple ways nonprofits, businesses, and community members can plug in: from the Dare to Dream project for kids’ blood cancers, to Student Visionaries of the Year, Light the Night walks, the Big Climb at Citi Field, and the Visionary of the Year campaign that mobilizes networks to raise life-saving funds. She also shares her broader service as a Suffolk County Human Rights and Women’s Leadership commissioner and Vice Chair of Dress for Success, underscoring how committed, community-rooted leadership can turn donations, partnerships, and volunteer hours into real progress for people facing blood cancer.
00:00:47.820 --> 00:00:55.489 Tommy DiMisa: Back your boys, back to one and only the nonprofit sector connection. I used to say to you, yeah, I gotta go up two flights of stairs.
00:00:55.680 --> 00:01:07.179 Tommy DiMisa: from the kitchen where I get my coffee to the attic. And, you know, if you were with me a couple weeks ago, I had a panic in the attic because I was having Wi-Fi issues with my friend Steve McDermott from Smile Farms.
00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:18.209 Tommy DiMisa: So I start the show in the attic, I end the show on the porch in front of my house, and the Wi-Fi was not working well with me. So, you know what? I was like, until I can sort this thing out and feel 100% comfortable.
00:01:18.210 --> 00:01:40.970 Tommy DiMisa: I'm coming to the office a lot now anyway, so instead of two flights up from the kitchen, just below the roof, I had to drive about 19 miles to the office. Your boy Tommy D, philanthropy in focus, sometimes out of focus, but that's up to you, you figure it out after you listen to the show today. Every single week on the show, I bring a leader of a nonprofit organization to help them tell their story.
00:01:41.100 --> 00:01:47.869 Tommy DiMisa: and amplify their message. And, you know, today is no different. I get to have special people who do important work on the show.
00:01:47.870 --> 00:02:03.579 Tommy DiMisa: who either are my friends, or whether they like it or not, are probably going to become my friends. So, today we have somebody who is a friend of mine, Joy DiDonato from Blood Cancer United. Joy, before I get into all my shenanigans, I want to say hello, good morning, how are you, what's going on?
00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:11.380 Joy DeDonato: Hi, Tommy, thank you so much for having me here today. I'm really excited to be here, and looking forward to the chat.
00:02:11.630 --> 00:02:30.410 Tommy DiMisa: We're gonna have a fun chat. It'll be fun. Gang, I gotta drop a couple of knowledge pieces on you really, really quick. Long Island Imagine Awards, the applications are out right now. Long Island Imagine Awards, the applications are out right now. We're in, like, the final countdown. There's, like, two and a half weeks. I saw an email this morning about
00:02:30.410 --> 00:02:37.130 Tommy DiMisa: how many applications are in, you know, I'm on the committee, but the website is ImagineAwardsLi.org. ImagineAwards.
00:02:37.130 --> 00:02:39.110 Tommy DiMisa: LI.org. If you are…
00:02:39.440 --> 00:02:51.529 Tommy DiMisa: on the board of a non-profit organization that does work in Nassau or Suffolk County, supports people in Nassau or Suffolk County, if you run an organization, if you pass by a nonprofit and you think it would look cool, tell them about
00:02:51.530 --> 00:03:06.359 Tommy DiMisa: the application phase right now. Very important. The new sustainability category in the Long Island Imagine Awards is something we're pretty excited about. We're not going to go into all that now, but go to the website, ImagineAwardsLi.com. We just finished the New York City Imagine Awards event two weeks ago.
00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:10.820 Tommy DiMisa: And that was one heck of an event, really, really ex… like, just…
00:03:10.830 --> 00:03:18.600 Tommy DiMisa: It's such a special night when you're at the Imagine Awards, because you get to see these videos of the incredible work that's being done by nonprofit organizations.
00:03:18.600 --> 00:03:43.440 Tommy DiMisa: And selfishly, as the nonprofit sector connector, I get to spend a lot of time. So last week, we, I… I had a rerun. I had, I had a team from, GA CEO, it looked like, if you… if you thought you were, like, seeing double, you were, because there was two guests on the show, but also, if you thought it was a rerun, it was, because I was at AFPLI Philanthropy Day last Friday with my friend Joy.
00:03:43.650 --> 00:04:00.409 Tommy DiMisa: And it was… that was important, man. So, being me, hanging out in nonprofits, you know, I think I made a really good decision a long time ago to spend my time, invest my time, better said, into this sector, and that's who I get to hang out with. Alright, so let's get into this. So, what we do every week on the show.
00:04:00.910 --> 00:04:20.850 Tommy DiMisa: is I put my guest on the hot seat, and I ask them questions they would never know the answers to. No, I don't do anything like that. I bring my guests on, and I have them tell me their story. I have them talk to me about their journey, what they've done, and how they got to where they are now. So, at this point.
00:04:20.850 --> 00:04:43.259 Tommy DiMisa: Dr. DiDonato, because I did my homework, I was telling you that this morning, I want to hear about you. There was a show I used to watch on A&E, and my regular listener's like, yeah, Tommy, we know, biography. We know, Tommy, you like the story about Milton Hershey. When you go to Hershey, you watch that story again and again on a loop, yes. Because I like stories. I like to be told things, I love Audible.
00:04:43.460 --> 00:04:48.469 Tommy DiMisa: I like to read, but I'm not a very fast reader, because I get distracted pretty easily.
00:04:48.590 --> 00:04:59.950 Tommy DiMisa: shout out to all my neurodivergent folks out there, hashtag ADHD. So, I love to be told stories, and I love to hear people's stories, and the journey of my guest
00:05:00.410 --> 00:05:25.339 Tommy DiMisa: is informative to people who might want to work in the nonprofit sector, who want to learn more about different opportunities and how they could come to a place where they can really be of service and be servant leaders. So, Joy, I want to hear where this all starts for you. Like, how do you end up working in nonprofit? We'll get to Blood Cancer United, recently rebranded and renamed, which was the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, but we're going
00:05:25.340 --> 00:05:30.780 Tommy DiMisa: to get into all that, but who are you, my dear? I want to find out about you. I want to know your story.
00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:41.020 Joy DeDonato: Okay, well, my story starts out that, my connection to the nonprofit sector is
00:05:41.020 --> 00:05:56.509 Joy DeDonato: probably similar to yours, that it started as a feeling. The feeling of really trying to help people. I've been active and within the nonprofit sector in many different facets, probably for nearly
00:05:56.830 --> 00:06:07.800 Joy DeDonato: 22, 23 years, probably closer now to 25, actually. But anyway, over 22, 22 years, within the nonprofit sector.
00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:16.730 Joy DeDonato: Things and people and experiences that have been important to me in my life that have really shaped my journey, are…
00:06:17.820 --> 00:06:24.160 Joy DeDonato: Things related to… Helping people who are going through their own…
00:06:24.270 --> 00:06:42.700 Joy DeDonato: health or cancer journey, it's been a common theme throughout the over 20 years. Education is a huge factor for me, and having the, you know, the access and the equitable process of having access for people to get into college, wherever they may start and continue.
00:06:42.960 --> 00:06:48.479 Joy DeDonato: women's… Issues, and… and having their…
00:06:49.030 --> 00:06:57.310 Joy DeDonato: platform so that they can really be seen is something that's important to me. And when I say women, I mean girls and women.
00:06:57.400 --> 00:07:00.990 Tommy DiMisa: And then also, providing a voice for people.
00:07:01.010 --> 00:07:06.380 Joy DeDonato: That may or may not have the ability to utilize their voice, or…
00:07:06.700 --> 00:07:15.520 Joy DeDonato: just haven't been seen. So, these are things that have been real common threads throughout Nearly 25 years.
00:07:15.810 --> 00:07:24.770 Tommy DiMisa: Why does that even happen? Why does that even happen? Like, I'm writing notes, education, women's issues, providing a voice for people who need a voice provided for them.
00:07:24.770 --> 00:07:46.230 Tommy DiMisa: growing up, what was it for you? Is it your family, your parents? Who was that person advocating for other people? Or, you know, or was it you? Did you have your own battles and challenges? I mean, I live by this credo. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind always, and I think we must live by those types of ideas. So, you know, we talk a lot about
00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:55.399 Tommy DiMisa: AI, we talk a lot about social media these days, we talk a lot about bullying, and tragically, the kids can't get away from the bullying, adults can't get away from the bullying, and, you know…
00:07:55.400 --> 00:08:08.810 Tommy DiMisa: Was there some catalyst in your youth that, you know, you saw your parents doing certain things, your family doing certain… was there stuff like that that… because I don't… I think, like, my opinion on a lot of things about life is…
00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:11.779 Tommy DiMisa: I think left who…
00:08:12.350 --> 00:08:21.350 Tommy DiMisa: think about humans and compassion and love, and not think about Madison Avenue, I think we would… we were that way already, right? But, like.
00:08:21.580 --> 00:08:33.419 Tommy DiMisa: we get drawn by things, here he goes, soapbox time. We get drawn by things like that, we're told we're not enough, so we need to buy this new pair of kicks, this new pair of sneakers, this new jacket, we gotta go, right?
00:08:33.929 --> 00:08:39.239 Tommy DiMisa: you know, However, I think at the beginning of it all, we were just…
00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:51.039 Tommy DiMisa: people looking out for each other, right? In this society, though, I think we get caught up on a lot of different things and focus on things, the shiny car, the brand new this, the that, right? Especially in a generation
00:08:51.040 --> 00:09:11.690 Tommy DiMisa: with Instagram and influencers and all this type of stuff, we get very dizied by it. Was there something that you, like, remember growing up, or some point in your life, where it became important to you to speak for the people who didn't have a voice, or couldn't get a voice, and make education accessible, and putting those platforms out there? What was that for you, Joy?
00:09:11.850 --> 00:09:18.980 Joy DeDonato: Sure. First and foremost, I have… The most incredible parents
00:09:19.060 --> 00:09:35.090 Joy DeDonato: That I could have ever asked for. I mean, they… they have sacrificed so much for my entire life, and continue to lead by that example of service first, helping people first. They have…
00:09:35.090 --> 00:09:48.660 Joy DeDonato: been the most instrumental influence in my entire life. And what's unique about them, that may not be unique to other people talking about their parents, I'm sure, because we all have different feelings, is that
00:09:48.930 --> 00:09:50.360 Joy DeDonato: they were…
00:09:50.410 --> 00:10:06.819 Joy DeDonato: giving in service and sacrificing before we put titles on it, before we call… before it had cool names. It wasn't called nonprofit, it wasn't called service, it wasn't called philanthropy. It was doing the right thing.
00:10:06.860 --> 00:10:25.849 Joy DeDonato: And that's how I was raised. It was a house full of love in which my parents just really instilled, you work hard, there's grit involved. If you want something, you go for it. There's no crying in baseball, meaning you're tough, you gotta get through it, people are gonna be throwing…
00:10:25.850 --> 00:10:46.589 Joy DeDonato: stuff at you all day long, you can't complain about it, you just keep going, because you never know, to your point, what somebody else is going through. You don't know who's getting a diagnosis. You don't know who didn't, you know, have that same upbringing. You don't know who needs help, so you give what you can, you do what you can, you don't complain about it, you…
00:10:46.590 --> 00:10:53.799 Joy DeDonato: You be there for people, you be the best friend you could be, you be the best daughter you could be, wife you could be, mother, you could be, whatever it is that is your path.
00:10:53.900 --> 00:10:57.079 Joy DeDonato: Give it your all, and, just…
00:10:57.550 --> 00:11:06.440 Joy DeDonato: try to be as good of a person as you could possibly be, because, again, you just don't know what somebody else is going through. And so, be open to that, and help where you can.
00:11:06.820 --> 00:11:28.069 Tommy DiMisa: I love that. Thank you for that. And that's why I push a little bit on those questions, because I think it's important for people to know that, and I think it's important when your parents do listen to this and hear about this, you know, they're going to cry, because they realize how impactful. And, like, you know, it's interesting, because I'm raising four children right now. They happen to be mine. I don't know why I say I'm raising four children, and don't just say that my wife and I have 4 kids.
00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:46.080 Tommy DiMisa: But I'll tell you, I mean, it's… it's interesting, like, I try to think in terms of what it is like growing up. I know what it's like being an adult in this time in history, and it's a bit challenging, right? So growing up at this time in history, with so much coming at people, and yet social media being what it is, you know, I…
00:11:46.280 --> 00:11:51.989 Tommy DiMisa: We have no idea how bad it will be until, like, down the road, right?
00:11:53.060 --> 00:12:07.769 Tommy DiMisa: And it's not even just, like, your old, you know, like, your parents' Facebook or whatever. It's much more intense than that, with all the stuff coming at these kids right now. But I bring it up just to say, like, I'm raising… I'm in the game. I'm trying to figure it out each and every day, and I think that's what most people are doing. And…
00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:30.679 Tommy DiMisa: you know, one of my kids says to me, he goes, you know, Tommy D? He calls me Tommy D. You know, Tommy D, you're a pretty chill guy. And I thought that was kind of a funny thing, because, like, they're watching, man, they're watching everything we do, and there are some times your boy is not exactly a chill guy. So it's nice that one of my boys, one of my sons, thinks I am a chill guy. Because a lot of times I am, but then there's some times when life is a little challenging, and we're not. So my point, I guess, is they're always watching.
00:12:30.790 --> 00:12:42.930 Tommy DiMisa: Right? They're always watching. And, you know, what we do, they pick up on. And I will tell you a quick story, Joy, and then we'll take a quick break, come back, talk more about you and the organization. But quick story.
00:12:43.680 --> 00:13:02.119 Tommy DiMisa: I did a thing called 60 Days of Service, I think it was before you and I knew each other, and I was running around Long Island volunteering, and it wasn't, like, 60 days in a row, although that would be a cool feat to do, but it was, like, 60 days during mid-COVID type stuff, so outside, wearing a mask, doing things, masks, everybody. So, like.
00:13:02.800 --> 00:13:12.540 Tommy DiMisa: And one of my… both my sons were with me this particular day, and we were up at the Waterfront Center in Oyster Bay, and they had asked me, could you come up and paint… help us paint the basement?
00:13:12.610 --> 00:13:29.100 Tommy DiMisa: So, I got a picture of my kid, the littlest guy, and he's behind, there's, like, a fish tank, everybody. So picture this, close your eyes, picture this. Oyster Bay, 2022. That's like a throwback to Golden Girls. You know, picture this, Sicily, 1923. Picture…
00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:31.320 Joy DeDonato: My favorite show, by the way.
00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:50.799 Tommy DiMisa: I love Golden Girls. I'm not… I'm not embarrassed to tell you, it's not even a guilty pleasure, it's just a pleasure. I love those four. They would make me… Favorite. From Rose to Blanche, like Dorothy, Sophia, the whole thing, big Golden Girls fan. So, picture this, Oyster Bay, 2022.
00:13:51.000 --> 00:14:04.579 Tommy DiMisa: gigantic fish tank, like, probably 500-gallon fish tank. It wasn't moving. The only person that could fit behind there was my little guy who, at the time, was, like, 7 or 8 years old. So I got a picture of him behind the fish tank with the roller, painting the wall.
00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:17.980 Tommy DiMisa: And that is the coolest thing, because he knows, hey, Dad, when are we gonna do another day of service? Last year, I'm out there with the Rotary Club, and we're… we're filling these bags of food, where they got, like, the assembly line, and you put in the rice, and you put in the beans, and you put… and you do the, like.
00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:31.770 Tommy DiMisa: hair closer thing at the end, I don't think that's what you call it, the, like, sealer, the heat sealer. Those are the things they remember, gang, so get your kids out there. I saw my friend Christine Deska take her girls up to, up to the Bronx recently and do something at, at,
00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:43.689 Tommy DiMisa: at a pantry, you know? Again, get them out there, because that's the stuff that sets them on this path for life. So, you know, they're gonna remember these things. Your kids are gonna remember, the young people you impact are gonna remember.
00:14:43.690 --> 00:15:01.630 Tommy DiMisa: So, Joy, we're gonna go to a quick break. When we come back, we're gonna go back into your story, talk more about your path. Where did you start? Where did you go? Where are you now? That's where we're gonna talk about. The organization is Blood Cancer United. The show is philanthropy and focus. Your boy is the nonprofit sector!
00:15:01.760 --> 00:15:03.700 Tommy DiMisa: Connector. We'll be right back.
00:15:03.900 --> 00:15:04.530 Tommy DiMisa: Bye.
00:16:43.920 --> 00:17:01.040 Tommy DiMisa: Alright, being a guy who listens to a lot of music that somehow has foul language in it, I don't know what we have to do. Do we have to, like… or, like, when you watch a movie that has a lot of cursing, and then they just put in, like, maybe watching, like, Goodfellas, and you watch it on, like, a network or something, and they have to, like, bleep out the words, like, they take, you know, the…
00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:20.709 Tommy DiMisa: that F-word, and they say fudge or something like that, we might have to, like, take out the word attic and put in the word office somewhere. So, I might have talked to Fee Pham, who was on the show a couple months ago, you know, from Building Beats in New York City, one of the winners of the New York City Imagine Awards, by the way, and I got to do their interview and have them on the show. We might need to do a little, like.
00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:44.769 Tommy DiMisa: scratch the record, I don't know, we'll figure that out, but it seems like we're gonna be in the, in the office more often. Anyway, that's a whole rant about nothingness right there. But, you know what? Jerry Seinfeld made a whole show and made a whole bunch of money about nothingness, so I guess it's all good. Joy, Dr. Di Donato, welcome back to the show. All right, we now know that we set the stage how important service is for you and was for you, how important education is.
00:17:44.770 --> 00:17:47.820 Tommy DiMisa: So, what did you do after you came… did you grow up on Long Island, by the way?
00:17:47.820 --> 00:17:51.510 Joy DeDonato: I did. I grew up in Plain… I grew up in Plainview, Long Island, and…
00:17:51.510 --> 00:17:55.079 Tommy DiMisa: I knew a guy who used to go right there in plain view.
00:17:55.080 --> 00:17:56.130 Joy DeDonato: Yes, exactly.
00:17:57.300 --> 00:17:57.860 Joy DeDonato: I agree.
00:17:57.860 --> 00:17:58.520 Tommy DiMisa: Clean view.
00:17:58.520 --> 00:18:01.679 Joy DeDonato: I grew up in Plainview, and
00:18:01.890 --> 00:18:08.930 Joy DeDonato: Yeah, so from Long Island, and I went to Nassau Community College, so SUNY Nassau Community…
00:18:08.930 --> 00:18:10.429 Tommy DiMisa: So did I, shout out!
00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:11.310 Joy DeDonato: Shout out!
00:18:11.310 --> 00:18:27.799 Tommy DiMisa: Nassau. Shout out to Nassau. Now, I'm not gonna age you, but I'll age me, so I graduated high school in 96, and then I went to Nassau. And the thing about Nassau back then was the parking lot was not big enough, and it was, like, a big dirt mound, also, same era. So, okay.
00:18:27.800 --> 00:18:29.249 Joy DeDonato: Same exact time, yep.
00:18:29.250 --> 00:18:31.069 Tommy DiMisa: So, alright, good. So…
00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:43.379 Tommy DiMisa: there was, like, not enough parking spaces, and you had to, like, park up sometimes on the dirt, but as long as you waited until the second week, it was cool, because so many people just dropped classes so you could get parking. That was my experience at Nassau. Look.
00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:53.850 Tommy DiMisa: shout out to the whole SUNY system, they're like, community, thank you. But, like, the jewels of New York, SUNY and CUNY, and, you know, and…
00:18:53.850 --> 00:19:08.210 Tommy DiMisa: just such an opportunity to get an incredible education, and Nassau's such a… shout out to Suffolk, too. Suffolk Community. Just a great place to start and… and get your… grab that two-year, you can make, you know, inexpensive, great education. Tell me about Nassau for you.
00:19:08.210 --> 00:19:25.190 Joy DeDonato: Ugh, I had… I have to tell you, their… SUNY Nassau Community College will always have an enormous piece of my heart, forever and ever. I was fortunate to be part of their leadership program there, going right into college, because, frankly.
00:19:25.310 --> 00:19:37.049 Joy DeDonato: For our family, it, you know, it was the choice of where I was going. I mean, you know, cost-effectiveness was number one, it was, it was paramount. And so, I went to SUNY Nassau.
00:19:37.150 --> 00:19:46.710 Joy DeDonato: And, I was part of their orientation program. I ended up… love… I adored it, made friends for a lifetime, but more than that, I…
00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:51.210 Joy DeDonato: I also got my first job there, and so that takes us a little bit on our…
00:19:51.210 --> 00:19:53.409 Tommy DiMisa: So, were you working at the college?
00:19:53.410 --> 00:20:12.880 Joy DeDonato: I… so I went to NASA for 2 years, I then went on to LIU for my bachelor's and my master's degree. But while I was going, I worked at NASA in admissions, and was part of a team in the admissions crew to help recruit people to go there, and I loved it, it was amazing. And, I really…
00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:17.380 Joy DeDonato: I will forever be grateful. And, you know, it's interesting because
00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:36.749 Joy DeDonato: the things and the places and the people that have your heart, you never know when you return back, so part of that story I'll get to a little bit later, but spent some time there in admissions, loved it, went on, and then, moved towards the American Cancer Society, and…
00:20:37.070 --> 00:20:40.450 Joy DeDonato: spent 10 years at the American Cancer Society.
00:20:40.780 --> 00:20:46.449 Joy DeDonato: And in that role, there were multiple roles throughout multiple years during that decade.
00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:53.020 Joy DeDonato: And, just really… the mission of cancer really kind of came…
00:20:53.780 --> 00:21:04.820 Joy DeDonato: full force. We had people in our family who had passed from cancer while I was there, and, you know, it was just incredible to be part of that mission, and it was something that just really, you know.
00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:20.570 Joy DeDonato: really was a part of my soul, honestly, and so raising money to help people go through their cancer journey and be there for them was something that I will forever be grateful for, and the people that I knew there still talk to to this very day.
00:21:21.110 --> 00:21:31.490 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, I just want to stay there one second, just to go through, like, what you just said, you know? So you started that back in 2010, something like that, it shows on LinkedIn, right? So,
00:21:31.950 --> 00:21:34.240 Tommy DiMisa: My question there is, like, how much of…
00:21:34.360 --> 00:21:43.959 Tommy DiMisa: you know, our network gang, is so critically important to us, and these relationships don't go away. Yes. You know, like, I mean, I was… I spoke at a,
00:21:44.280 --> 00:21:46.570 Tommy DiMisa: A professional lunch last week.
00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:50.820 Tommy DiMisa: And it was a CPA colleague of mine, who I know, going on
00:21:51.600 --> 00:22:10.090 Tommy DiMisa: 21 years, maybe? Right. Something like that? You know, like, literally, like, when I was a kid selling payroll in Queens, when I was, like, 24, 25 years old, I met this man, and we reconnected, and long story short, he asked me to speak in front of a room full of CPAs and attorneys a couple weeks ago, and it's like.
00:22:10.090 --> 00:22:22.679 Tommy DiMisa: that's just… and he met me, I was a kid, literally, 24 years old, no children, right? Yep. Like, and then now, years later, 4 children, like, and I'm not a kid exactly anymore. And those relationships can last forever, so…
00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:23.110 Joy DeDonato: Forever.
00:22:23.110 --> 00:22:31.200 Tommy DiMisa: You talk about, you know, when you started at there, were you in development? Because you talk about fundraising, you're doing a lot of development work?
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:43.300 Joy DeDonato: Yeah, so when I was at NASA, I started there, I was 20 years, you know, I was 18 when I went, but then when I worked there, I was 20 years old. And then when I moved on, when I finally moved on and at the American Cancer Day, I was…
00:22:43.530 --> 00:22:50.610 Joy DeDonato: I was finishing… I had finished up my degrees at that time, and I was 24 years old. I mean, so 24 years old.
00:22:50.680 --> 00:23:08.389 Joy DeDonato: And the people… I just want to make it a really clear point that I am grateful to the… to the fact that I never lost… I never lost touch with the people I was close with at Nassau, and I never lost touch with the people that I made connections with at the American Cancer Society.
00:23:08.390 --> 00:23:11.769 Tommy DiMisa: Why is that so important? Why is that important? Because I think you and I know, and I think.
00:23:11.770 --> 00:23:28.099 Joy DeDonato: Yeah, I'm gonna, yeah, I'm gonna share. The reality is, is that if you look through my LinkedIn, or if you look through the, you know, just my timeline of career, I know a lot of people, you know, they spend a few months here or a few months there. Mine's pretty packed with
00:23:28.100 --> 00:23:32.420 Joy DeDonato: 10 years at the American Hand Society, 10 years at Nassau Community College.
00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:39.179 Joy DeDonato: And now I'm where I am, but the, the, the, the, you know, at Blood Cancer United, but the, the tying…
00:23:39.310 --> 00:23:57.850 Joy DeDonato: piece of that is I cannot tell you how many people who were at either the American Cancer Society or at Nassau Community College, have been through me being at Stony Brook, me being at Blood Cancer United, me being a commissioner for Suffolk County. I mean, my…
00:23:57.950 --> 00:24:02.489 Joy DeDonato: My roles have gone on this journey.
00:24:02.670 --> 00:24:06.970 Joy DeDonato: But the people, even though their titles and roles have changed.
00:24:07.100 --> 00:24:13.519 Joy DeDonato: They have been a constant. I have had connections with the same people for 25 years.
00:24:13.530 --> 00:24:29.900 Joy DeDonato: Whether I was a student, their student, they were a mentor, I was a mentor, we were on a journey together, we were getting married at the same time, having kids at the same time, buying houses at the same time, looking at the lens of transformation of organizations at the same time.
00:24:29.900 --> 00:24:37.439 Joy DeDonato: Being Girl Scout leaders at the same time. You know, so whatever that was, you stay on that journey with people.
00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.070 Tommy DiMisa: percent.
00:24:38.070 --> 00:24:43.450 Joy DeDonato: and… they remain. And those… those people become…
00:24:43.950 --> 00:24:52.360 Joy DeDonato: Your leads, they become your connections, they become your mentors, your friends, they're there with you for every piece of your life.
00:24:52.530 --> 00:24:54.550 Joy DeDonato: And, if you're lucky.
00:24:54.650 --> 00:24:58.910 Joy DeDonato: they stay a part of your life, and I'm very fortunate to have people who have stayed a part of my life.
00:24:59.150 --> 00:25:07.899 Tommy DiMisa: I love that, I love that. Yeah, I mean, I see… so I was misreading something on LinkedIn, but I mean, so you were… from 2004 to 2013, I was looking, that's how.
00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:08.240 Joy DeDonato: Yeah.
00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:16.320 Tommy DiMisa: at American Cancer, but there was a role where you would senior director of youth initiatives, that's what I was saying, 2010, 2011. So.
00:25:16.900 --> 00:25:21.560 Tommy DiMisa: you know, I want to get to when you get to Nassau, and then we can get
00:25:21.690 --> 00:25:30.649 Tommy DiMisa: Bloodcant United, but… You know, it's so interesting, because I really don't love the fact how,
00:25:31.210 --> 00:25:34.559 Tommy DiMisa: How there's a negative connotation to community college or junior college.
00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:44.149 Tommy DiMisa: and things like that. It's… it sucks, man, that… that they… that people talk about it. You know, remember, again, I… so let me tell you my story. So, I was a public school kid.
00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:51.229 Tommy DiMisa: Right? So, what I'm about to say is going to be really relevant to Long Island people. If you're not on Long Island, think of that
00:25:51.230 --> 00:26:06.390 Tommy DiMisa: all-boys Catholic school in your neighborhood, somewhere, wherever that is. So, you know, I was a public school kid, and then I went to Chaminade, right? And then from Chaminade, you know, that was quote-unquote, I remember the messaging in my mind, this is so I get into a good college, this is so I get into a good college, all that kind of stuff, right?
00:26:06.650 --> 00:26:19.039 Tommy DiMisa: So, when I decided to go to Nassau for a variety of reasons, not that we have time for now, but, you know, it was not exactly what maybe the expectation would have been, right? So,
00:26:19.150 --> 00:26:26.420 Tommy DiMisa: so people don't say the nicest things, but it was a wonderful experience, and it is a great school, and you want to talk about value.
00:26:26.550 --> 00:26:31.629 Tommy DiMisa: value is right on. I think I was paying, like, 1300 bucks a semester or something like that.
00:26:31.630 --> 00:26:33.489 Joy DeDonato: $33 a credit at that time.
00:26:33.490 --> 00:26:35.160 Tommy DiMisa: $33 a credit, man.
00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:36.789 Joy DeDonato: At that time. Yep, that sounds about right.
00:26:36.790 --> 00:26:58.440 Tommy DiMisa: And this is a time period where, remember? So, like, again, you remember when your mom or dad told you you need to know your social security number? My kids don't even have a clue what their social security numbers are, right? Because we don't use it, like, that way anymore. But that was the thing. When you go to college, you're gonna need to know your social security. Everything was driven by your social, you know what I mean? Like, remember, like, you go to Bursar, you go to this one, you go to that one. But,
00:26:58.550 --> 00:27:10.750 Tommy DiMisa: I think it was a great experience. Tell me what happened, you know, leaving American Red Cross to go to, to be the executive director over there at the foundation for the college, right? Talk to me about that.
00:27:10.750 --> 00:27:30.609 Joy DeDonato: So, that was, again, serendipitous. I was at the American Cancer Society at the time, and, we were working with Nassau County to put on a large county-wide event, and I reconnected with many of the people that I had worked with and went with, you know, 10 years prior. So, again, important to keep those connections.
00:27:30.650 --> 00:27:39.030 Joy DeDonato: And at that point, they had an opening. They had said, would you be interested in coming back to your alma mater? We have an opening.
00:27:39.030 --> 00:27:56.310 Joy DeDonato: for the executive director of the foundation, and I said there would nothing… there was nothing that would make me happier. It was, an opportunity for me to raise funds for students who were needing scholarships. Guess who needed a scholarship to go to college?
00:27:56.470 --> 00:27:57.110 Joy DeDonato: I do.
00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:04.370 Joy DeDonato: So, you know, you've got… at that point, when I came back, I think we were probably hovering,
00:28:04.370 --> 00:28:21.870 Joy DeDonato: you know, recruitment there was… you're talking over… and it shifts, and you can ask them what their… what their enrollment is now, but probably at the time, anywhere between, like, 18,000… they had students at the time. Just the number one community college. It was the number one in the SUNY system. It…
00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:35.399 Joy DeDonato: gave me an opportunity as a student, it gave me an opportunity as an employee, it gave me an opportunity as an alum, it's given me every opportunity, moving forward with the people. I couldn't be any more thankful.
00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:53.579 Joy DeDonato: or have gratitude for SUNY Nassau Community College. But what it does for their students is it provides scholarships if need, the ability to transfer anywhere a student wants, anywhere. You can go anywhere. I had friends who left Nassau, transferred to Columbia, transferred to Cornell, transferred to NYU, Villanova.
00:28:53.580 --> 00:28:56.280 Tommy DiMisa: What a great opportunity! You grab those credits!
00:28:56.280 --> 00:28:57.070 Joy DeDonato: Absolutely.
00:28:57.070 --> 00:29:00.499 Tommy DiMisa: inexpensive price, and you come out with a degree from NYU or Columbia.
00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:08.030 Joy DeDonato: Absolutely. And our friends over at Suffolk Community College, same situation. They do a phenomenal job, and I think that
00:29:08.030 --> 00:29:23.579 Joy DeDonato: what we need to be doing, what's imperative is that we really need to be sharing with students, and I'm on the college journey now with my senior. I don't know if students really have a clue how much all of this costs, and how much you could be saving.
00:29:23.580 --> 00:29:28.429 Joy DeDonato: And so, you know, I just want to, you know, again, just highlight the fact that
00:29:28.490 --> 00:29:35.289 Joy DeDonato: Just the people, the professionalism, the incredible,
00:29:35.520 --> 00:29:39.410 Joy DeDonato: Background of so many of the people there, the heart.
00:29:39.410 --> 00:30:01.880 Joy DeDonato: go there first, do what you gotta do, and then do your next step, but I will be forever grateful. And so, in that role, we made sure that students had an opportunity to have scholarships, we raised money for their foundation, provided opportunity that may or may not have been available, and it was a real huge pride point that I will forever be grateful and grateful.
00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:06.540 Tommy DiMisa: I love that. I love it. So, you know, I had a couple friends from the Nest, I'm sure you're familiar with.
00:30:06.540 --> 00:30:08.249 Joy DeDonato: Oh, Sharon, yes!
00:30:08.250 --> 00:30:18.839 Tommy DiMisa: Sharon and Helen. I had them on the show a couple months ago. They were, they were semi-finalists in the Long Island Imagine Awards last year, so I got to be friendly with them. Also,
00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:29.719 Tommy DiMisa: you know, I've been to events. There was this one time I was at the Tower. You know, the Tower gang is a big building on the campus, you know, and I was there because a friend of mine, Ray Schwetz, you know my buddy Ray Schwetz.
00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:31.129 Joy DeDonato: Of course, he's on the board, yeah.
00:30:31.130 --> 00:30:33.310 Tommy DiMisa: So, Ray, and
00:30:34.780 --> 00:30:43.389 Tommy DiMisa: God, Sharon is involved, she's an insurance broker like me, and I was up there one time, and this is a long time ago, actually, come to think of it.
00:30:43.390 --> 00:30:48.269 Tommy DiMisa: But for whatever reason, you were probably running the show, if I look at the dates and things like that.
00:30:48.270 --> 00:31:12.669 Tommy DiMisa: And we were up in the tower, and it was, like, in the summertime, and the air conditioning wasn't working, and it was something they were doing, scholarships or something like that, but it was, like, 115 degrees on the top of that building where we were in. Like, we were, like, smoking hot. But that's what I remember, but, you know, Ray does that show, Tower Talk, you know, Ray Schwatch, Jovia, the whole thing. He's been on Long Island Changemakers with me. So, we gotta take a quick break, because it's part of the show, as Tommy uses more time than he's given.
00:31:12.740 --> 00:31:27.980 Tommy DiMisa: Welcome to my life. And, we're gonna take a quick break. We come back, we're gonna move into, you know, these next steps in this journey, and get to Blood Cancer United, and talk about programs, talk about the impact the organization's making, talk about what's upcoming.
00:31:27.980 --> 00:31:36.859 Tommy DiMisa: And, I've been doing a lot of thinking in the last 48 hours, and I know we have a meeting this afternoon, so I want to talk about some different things that are coming up, and
00:31:36.860 --> 00:31:44.990 Tommy DiMisa: some things that might be exciting for everybody involved. So, we'll be, we'll be right back. It's your boy Tommy D, the nonprofit sector connector. Right back.
00:33:23.210 --> 00:33:41.040 Tommy DiMisa: Right, all right. That's my buddy, Uncle Brendan Levy from the Queens Chamber of Commerce, who's the singer there. He's also the lead singer of Damaged Goods, which used to be called The Goods back in the day, but because they're old men now, they call themselves Damaged Goods. Damaged Goods plays, like, 4 or 5 times a year. I get to go see them. We go down to that place on the South Shore here on Long Island.
00:33:41.040 --> 00:33:59.259 Tommy DiMisa: Which, for some reason, escapes me, right now, but it's out in Atlantic Beach, right over the bridge there. It'll call… Docs, D-O-X, Docs. That's where we go see Brendan and the boys, and they… we wrote that song together, Brendan gets to sing it, but I'll sing it for you. Nonprofits need connections to move in good directions.
00:33:59.280 --> 00:34:12.050 Tommy DiMisa: Pretend like Tommy's in the attic, even though he's not. All right, Joy, let's get into this. Let's keep going. Nassau Community College, we did that. That was great. What happens next, and how did we get to, Blood Cancer United? What are the next steps in this journey?
00:34:12.050 --> 00:34:16.199 Joy DeDonato: So, the next steps in this journey, we are… we then,
00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:32.259 Joy DeDonato: we see that there, you know, there is a… there is a need sticking in with our SUNY system, and SUNY… SUNY Stony Brook had a position opened in regards to women's health and women's issues, and… and sticking up for women as somebody who is…
00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:44.429 Joy DeDonato: I'm the vice chair of the board of directors for Dress for Success on Long Island, and… Really? Yes, and so women… so, so women's health, women's priorities are something that,
00:34:44.429 --> 00:34:56.599 Joy DeDonato: is super important to me, and I have two girls, two daughters, and, same thing with Suffolk County Girl Scouts, just really implementing girls from young age all the way, you know, to…
00:34:56.600 --> 00:35:11.539 Joy DeDonato: to 105, and beyond. Just making sure we're there for them. So, spent another two years over at the SUNY flagship, which I am grateful for. They were amazing. Some of the best fundraisers in the world are there, and some of the most…
00:35:11.600 --> 00:35:16.579 Joy DeDonato: Technologically advanced, pieces of research are getting done, and just.
00:35:16.670 --> 00:35:30.470 Joy DeDonato: I'm grateful for that, time. But, so it's 12 years within the SUNY system, and then the whispers of, where I… I am at now really started becoming
00:35:30.650 --> 00:35:33.450 Joy DeDonato: I don't want to say you know.
00:35:33.560 --> 00:35:44.780 Joy DeDonato: the whispers became louder, let's just call it that, and then they became louder and louder. I want to say that within, the last few years, I want to say
00:35:45.140 --> 00:35:59.450 Joy DeDonato: Unfortunately, we had a few of our family members be touched by blood cancer, and they were pretty close family members. We had my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, and my nephew, all within a very short time frame.
00:36:00.100 --> 00:36:17.229 Joy DeDonato: And I see that the opening over at Blood Cancer United, formerly known as Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, has this opening for their executive director, and that would be managing their Metro New York and Long Island… their Metro New York region, which consists of Long Island and New York City.
00:36:17.370 --> 00:36:20.809 Joy DeDonato: And, what it did for me.
00:36:21.010 --> 00:36:37.290 Joy DeDonato: why I… I kind of moved towards this… this realm was that when you look back 20 years ago, when I was 24 years, you know, 20-plus years ago, when I was 24 years old, and I was working at the American Cancer Society, and I promise this story will make sense in about 1 minute,
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:56.040 Joy DeDonato: you know, I had lost my aunt, my mother-in-law, my grandmother, all to cancer, and I was working there during those times. And I remember thinking to myself, I really have to work hard because we want to save the people we love, like, we, you know, and… and they didn't, you know.
00:36:57.210 --> 00:37:04.379 Joy DeDonato: sometimes you don't see progress in real time. You need the clock to show you the future.
00:37:04.580 --> 00:37:09.190 Joy DeDonato: And so, during that time, I lost…
00:37:09.760 --> 00:37:21.850 Joy DeDonato: family members. But now you fast-forward, pretend like you're on a VCR, and you fast-forward the timeline, and now I have 3 family members, 3 different family members, who are going through their blood cancer journey.
00:37:22.010 --> 00:37:25.930 Joy DeDonato: And yet… Their outcome is different.
00:37:26.140 --> 00:37:41.060 Joy DeDonato: And I've now fast-forward the VCR tape, and thankfully, we've got a father-in-law in remission, a brother-in-law in remission, I have a sister-in-law in remission, I have a nephew in remission, and you see what 20-something years of progress…
00:37:41.060 --> 00:37:42.870 Tommy DiMisa: And 20 years is a blip.
00:37:43.020 --> 00:37:44.670 Tommy DiMisa: It's a blip.
00:37:44.670 --> 00:37:45.340 Joy DeDonato: Feels like it.
00:37:45.600 --> 00:37:46.549 Tommy DiMisa: Right? It is.
00:37:46.910 --> 00:37:50.859 Tommy DiMisa: But that's… it's such advancement in such a short amount of time, different outcomes.
00:37:50.860 --> 00:38:08.060 Joy DeDonato: Without a doubt. And so, for me, as much as I love the education piece, and I love, you know, being part of nonprofit in whatever realm there is, I saw in real time, fast-forwarding that 20-something years, despair go to hope.
00:38:08.060 --> 00:38:09.420 Tommy DiMisa: go to Strength.
00:38:09.490 --> 00:38:27.130 Joy DeDonato: And for me, the whispers of how do we help those with cancer, became so loud, it was screams, and it was like, we gotta keep getting in that fight. And it goes back to my father and my mother saying, you want something, you gotta fight for something, you gotta have grit, you have to get in there. And so…
00:38:27.660 --> 00:38:41.120 Joy DeDonato: this opening was… was like a rocky moment for me of just getting in that ring and trying to do the best I possibly can with whatever I got to be part of this amazing team to help in this fight against blood cancer. And so that leads us here to today.
00:38:41.120 --> 00:38:41.970 Tommy DiMisa: I love that.
00:38:41.970 --> 00:39:06.759 Tommy DiMisa: I love that. Gang, check this book out. Woman's name is Angela Duckworth. The book is called Grit. If you haven't read Grit, or if you haven't even just googled it, or no, not to take away from Ms. Duckworth's book sales, but just put on YouTube and, like, learn about grit, man. Grinding things out, getting it done. Like, so much… and she's got a TED talk and all this kind of stuff, but I love that word, and I try to tell my children that word.
00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:11.640 Tommy DiMisa: because, you know, it's like, I don't wanna… like, a lot of us, I'm not saying my kids
00:39:11.640 --> 00:39:29.800 Tommy DiMisa: We all… I don't want to… there's a lot of things Tommy D doesn't even want to do, but, like, you know, like, actually, I tell you all… now I'm gonna really share, I tell you all, you know, that hashtag ending the stigma together, all about ending the stigma around mental health, and we talk about that so much, it's critically important. I got a whole show about that.
00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:31.730 Tommy DiMisa: So I was…
00:39:31.790 --> 00:39:39.990 Tommy DiMisa: I see my therapist twice a week, and he was telling me about this song by the Ben Folds 5, Ben Folds 5,
00:39:40.220 --> 00:40:05.190 Tommy DiMisa: with the Fraggles, if you know what the Fraggles… first of all, if you have any idea what my friend Joy was saying when she said VCR, then you would know Fraggles. So let me tell you this. Google VCR if you don't know what that is, because she's talking about fast-forward, rewind. You probably all don't know what that is. Think about, like, streaming. Like, if you fast-forward the thing you're watching on Netflix, that's, like, kind of what we used to have to do. But Ben Folds5, the song's called Do It Anyway, and the Fraggles are in this video.
00:40:05.190 --> 00:40:10.139 Tommy DiMisa: So I was talking to my guy, my therapist, talking about just, like, you know, sometimes we don't want to do things.
00:40:10.140 --> 00:40:11.859 Tommy DiMisa: Cool. You don't want to do it.
00:40:11.860 --> 00:40:34.810 Tommy DiMisa: Guess what? The people who are super successful, they probably didn't want to do it either, but they freaking, and I'd use a different word if this wasn't a family show, they freaking did it anyway. So that's the difference, and that's great. Grind it out, get it together. I don't want to get out of bed, it's chilly, great, so do it anyway. You know, Mel Robbins has that thing, that 5-second rule. When you gotta get up, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, get the heck out.
00:40:34.810 --> 00:40:42.699 Tommy DiMisa: out of bed, get your feet on the floor. I have to… I wake four children up every day to get them to school, and my wife does too, because some days
00:40:43.010 --> 00:40:48.349 Tommy DiMisa: it's difficult, it's more difficult, and it's a two-person job getting these kids. But…
00:40:48.390 --> 00:41:06.430 Tommy DiMisa: The thing is, because it's really nice under the covers, it's warm, and it's nice, and you'd like to stay there, but you're trying to make the world a better place, so you gotta get up and do it. I'm trying to stop preaching, gang, but this is what I'm thinking about when I hear my friend talk about grit. Alright, now I'm all over the map. Ben Folds5, the song is called Do It Anyway, Fraggle Rock.
00:41:06.430 --> 00:41:09.499 Tommy DiMisa: Joy, your face lit up when I said Froggle Rock. Do you remember the Froggles?
00:41:09.500 --> 00:41:11.880 Joy DeDonato: I mean, Gobo and Red. Let's go!
00:41:11.880 --> 00:41:12.720 Tommy DiMisa: I scoped!
00:41:13.040 --> 00:41:14.389 Joy DeDonato: Kobo and Red!
00:41:14.390 --> 00:41:19.009 Tommy DiMisa: And you had the dozers, right? And then you had those big ogre people outside.
00:41:19.010 --> 00:41:20.750 Joy DeDonato: Your cares away.
00:41:20.900 --> 00:41:23.160 Tommy DiMisa: That's… look at you, oh my god.
00:41:23.160 --> 00:41:24.260 Joy DeDonato: Another day, that's it.
00:41:24.260 --> 00:41:41.470 Tommy DiMisa: You're the best! Dude, you watch a lot of TV like I did, but that was, like, on, like, HBO, like, oh my god, gang, if you don't know Froggles, just Google Froggles. I don't have time to teach you everything. I'm here to talk about this nonprofit organization. All right, I think we probably have to go to a break soon, in a few minutes. We'll go to a break in a minute.
00:41:41.910 --> 00:41:48.490 Tommy DiMisa: You told this arc of a story to us today, to your audience. I'm part of it, Joy.
00:41:48.490 --> 00:41:49.970 Tommy DiMisa: this arc of
00:41:49.970 --> 00:42:09.990 Tommy DiMisa: 20 years ago, we had these cancer diagnoses, and you're with a cancer organization. Now we have these cancer diagnoses, and you're back in this work. However, the sea change in outcomes is what is really blaring and, you know, screaming. You said, I wrote it down, you know, despair to hope to change, right?
00:42:10.780 --> 00:42:13.150 Tommy DiMisa: We're… see, I'm one of these guys who says.
00:42:13.180 --> 00:42:17.709 Tommy DiMisa: dumb things sometimes. And, like, I think, like, in a lot of cases.
00:42:17.730 --> 00:42:24.410 Tommy DiMisa: the society… I will… now I'm gonna get in big trouble. Big Pharma, I don't always think, is… is looking to
00:42:24.410 --> 00:42:42.820 Tommy DiMisa: change the outcomes, but I'm… I'm realizing more and more that that's not necessarily true, because I convince myself sometimes, no, no, we don't want to get rid of cancer because companies make so much money. You don't have to comment on that. This is just Tommy D stuff, Joy. Don't even… don't have… you don't have to buy in, say anything. It's all me just ranting right now. However, my point of bringing it up is.
00:42:42.820 --> 00:42:53.230 Tommy DiMisa: there's so much more to this. There are advancements, there are better outcomes, people are living longer, and people are beating this terrible disease. So,
00:42:53.230 --> 00:43:02.819 Tommy DiMisa: Everyone's family is touched by this. Everyone's family is touched by this. Everyone on this conversation's family is touched by this. So…
00:43:03.380 --> 00:43:05.030 Tommy DiMisa: I just did a lot of things.
00:43:05.030 --> 00:43:09.199 Joy DeDonato: Yeah. We talked Fraggle Rock, we're gonna get into that another time, we'll talk offline about the Fraggles.
00:43:09.200 --> 00:43:10.080 Tommy DiMisa: So…
00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:31.249 Tommy DiMisa: you're in this incredible opportunity, you're in this incredible space. I do want to… we're gonna take an early break, because we're gonna give us extra time for the last… that final segment when we come back, so we'll take a break now. I want to talk programs, I want to talk initiatives, I want to talk what's upcoming, I want to talk about visionaries, I want to talk about all that sort of stuff. We're taking an early break, which is, like, unheard of on this show. We'll be right back.
00:44:59.160 --> 00:45:08.859 Tommy DiMisa: Every single Friday morning, your boy brings you a leader of a nonprofit organization on a program called Philanthropy in Focus, and yes, I spell it with a PH, because that's the correct way to spell it, in my mind.
00:45:08.860 --> 00:45:23.470 Tommy DiMisa: P-H-O-C-U-S, if you want to reach out to me, send me an email, TommyD at philanthropyandfocus.com, hit me up on one of those social medias, like, Instagram, TommyD.nyc, the Nonprofit Sector Connector, or Ending the Stigma Together.
00:45:23.470 --> 00:45:28.160 Tommy DiMisa: So picture this. Long Island, 2025.
00:45:28.160 --> 00:45:49.710 Tommy DiMisa: Blood Cancer United. I love doing that. Like, I actually looked for a t-shirt, and it's like a Sophia t-shirt. Yeah. If you don't know, you don't know, gang, Golden Girls, we're back to Golden Girls again. Like, picture this, Sicily, 1923. I love it. And then you… and then you got Rose with St. Olaf. So this one day in St. Olaf, and I got… gang, just a classic show, and it's a weird show for, like.
00:45:49.710 --> 00:46:00.859 Tommy DiMisa: like, it was, like, on, you know, like, TJIF on, like, Channel 7 or whatever. It's a weird show, I would think, for, like, a 12-year-old boy, like I was, like, watching that show. It's these four, like.
00:46:00.860 --> 00:46:21.229 Tommy DiMisa: apparently they were, like, middle-aged women, but looking at the show, they were old ladies. Like, they weren't… but these, like, I think… this is one of those things, Joy, we gotta get back on track, but this is one of those things where, like, that is a show where… you ever see these memes that come up, and they go, oh, such and such was 41 years old in that show. 41 years old! That's, like, 7 years ago for me, man.
00:46:21.230 --> 00:46:21.700 Joy DeDonato: Great.
00:46:21.700 --> 00:46:35.399 Tommy DiMisa: I thought that was an old man, like, what's Ben Matlock? Ben Matlock was, like, 39. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Anyway, if you don't know Matlock, I can't help you all. All right, let's talk about this organization, what's upcoming, what are the programs, the impact, how we can help, all of that, please.
00:46:35.540 --> 00:46:43.739 Joy DeDonato: Alright, well, as you are aware, Leukemia Lymphoma Society changed its name to Blood Cancer United on August 28th, 2025.
00:46:43.740 --> 00:47:08.589 Joy DeDonato: This is a big… this is a big piece, yes, I'm so glad you asked me why. This rebranding took place, to be in advance of September's Blood Cancer Awareness Month, so it was… it was on purpose for that timing, but the most important thing that we need to share is that this was intended to be more inclusive, for the blood cancer community. Many people, and I'm gonna just share, including, like, my father-in-law, who, you know, has multiple myeloma.
00:47:08.750 --> 00:47:20.779 Joy DeDonato: wouldn't have identified as somebody that would be able to be helped by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at that time, even though they were working with and covering all different types of blood cancer.
00:47:20.780 --> 00:47:22.730 Tommy DiMisa: So it kind of evolved, I guess.
00:47:22.730 --> 00:47:23.340 Joy DeDonato: Yes.
00:47:23.340 --> 00:47:27.130 Tommy DiMisa: It was LL only, and then it wasn't, but they never got around.
00:47:27.130 --> 00:47:41.419 Joy DeDonato: They were covering all, but I think people may or may not have felt is inclusive. So this Blood Cancer United, this new rebranding, really is a more inclusive brand and image and message for all of those going through blood cancer.
00:47:41.420 --> 00:48:06.129 Joy DeDonato: So, that's really… that's what we're doing, that's what we're here for, that's what we're excited about, and there's so many different avenues for people to get involved and to be a part of this organization, whether it's through peer-to-peer fundraising, whether it's through our advancement efforts or legacy gifts. Again, there's so many through a corporate sponsorship or partnership, so I'd love to kind of share with you the different
00:48:06.130 --> 00:48:11.220 Joy DeDonato: avenues and arenas. Yeah, before we… before you talk to me about how to get involved, which we're gonna definitely talk.
00:48:11.220 --> 00:48:25.240 Tommy DiMisa: I just want to know, like, so when would somebody seek out Blood Cancer United? Someone gets this diagnosis where, you know, you hear that C word, which nobody wants to ever hear, then you reach out to the organization and get different levels of support. Talk about that.
00:48:25.240 --> 00:48:38.740 Joy DeDonato: Sure. So there's different avenues. So, I mean, here's the thing. You've got your research component, right? So, obviously, the raising of funds is helping us work with the most incredible researchers to help work on
00:48:38.850 --> 00:48:41.859 Joy DeDonato: Help with cures, and with,
00:48:42.190 --> 00:48:50.970 Joy DeDonato: you know, navigating that process. So we have our researchers, we have those for our patients, so you have, if you wanted to, you know.
00:48:51.110 --> 00:48:53.329 Joy DeDonato: reach out to…
00:48:53.490 --> 00:49:06.000 Joy DeDonato: us directly, there's avenues so that if you needed resources, educational pieces, connections to different, say, hospitals or different doctors,
00:49:06.750 --> 00:49:16.509 Joy DeDonato: also, some, obviously, the research, they have trials that they're working on as well. So, so really just trying to, as you're the nonprofit connector.
00:49:16.510 --> 00:49:16.830 Tommy DiMisa: Absolutely.
00:49:16.830 --> 00:49:28.830 Joy DeDonato: Really, this… this would be for you to… to really connect with us if you were in need of help, and talk with your doctor, etc, and we want to make sure that you'd get to the right… the right place.
00:49:28.830 --> 00:49:36.660 Tommy DiMisa: I love that. Yeah, I mean, listen, gang, it's a very difficult time when somebody gets that diagnosis, right? You know, and I've heard, you know, when you hear that, and
00:49:37.060 --> 00:49:48.070 Tommy DiMisa: it's almost like they can't even hear the words anymore when they're sitting in that doctor's office, or they're on that telehealth call, or whatever. It's just a terrible situation, and you need… excuse me, individuals need support, they need…
00:49:48.070 --> 00:50:05.499 Tommy DiMisa: people who are in the know that can help them navigate, so that's critically important. How do I get involved if I wanted to be involved with this organization? Specifically, the work that's going on here in the metro, as you say, New York City and the two boroughs, or the two counties out here on, as I like to say, Strong Island.
00:50:05.500 --> 00:50:15.039 Joy DeDonato: That's it. So, there's different… I'm gonna go through a few different avenues, and kind of connect you with the most amazing team and staff who's working on that.
00:50:15.040 --> 00:50:16.060 Tommy DiMisa: Fire away, let's hear it.
00:50:16.060 --> 00:50:29.329 Joy DeDonato: Thank you. Alright, so, just know, Blood Cancer United's been leading the organization for everyone affected by blood cancer, and we've been doing so since 1949. We've been around a while, and excited to be around and here for everybody, so…
00:50:29.530 --> 00:50:31.219 Joy DeDonato: We've got our advancement.
00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:44.320 Joy DeDonato: team, right? And that's led by Megan Doyle. She is phenomenal. And right now, her efforts for advancement, just to give you a background, we have our Dare to Dream project, okay? So that's Kids Deserve Better, Safer Treatments.
00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:52.909 Joy DeDonato: Blood Cancer United's Dare to Dream project is a bold effort to transform care for children with blood cancer, because a one-size-fits-all approach simply just doesn't work for kids.
00:50:52.910 --> 00:51:05.859 Joy DeDonato: Right now, they're in the process of trying to raise $175 million to fuel cutting-edge global research, including the first-ever pediatric acute leukemia master clinical trial. It's called the LLS,
00:51:06.130 --> 00:51:27.950 Joy DeDonato: P-E-D-A-L, it's designed specifically, it's pedal, designed specifically for children. The mission goes beyond the research, but that project is amazing, and she's really doing such an incredible job in leading, leading those efforts for our advancement. We've got, next, we've got our Student Visionaries of the Year, and now this, our Student Visionaries.
00:51:27.950 --> 00:51:40.100 Joy DeDonato: They are phenomenal. They… they're the look to the future. I mean, who do you know that is in school right now that's really looking at seeing infinite possibilities? They challenge the status quo, they make the impossible possible.
00:51:40.100 --> 00:51:47.300 Joy DeDonato: We're looking for student leaders that we can highlight, and, these students are the best of the best, and
00:51:47.300 --> 00:51:58.680 Joy DeDonato: The thing that ties them together is the mission for fighting blood cancer, but they get highlighted, and they go on a 10-week journey of campaigning, and you're gonna see their… their faces…
00:51:58.880 --> 00:51:59.940 Joy DeDonato: Yeah.
00:51:59.940 --> 00:52:01.409 Tommy DiMisa: When's that? That's coming out?
00:52:01.410 --> 00:52:13.059 Joy DeDonato: We're kicking off. I mean, their workshop is this weekend in New York City, and then a week later for Long Island. That's the workshop, but the kickoff starts end of January-ish, and they kick off.
00:52:13.060 --> 00:52:31.889 Tommy DiMisa: I got an idea that I'm just gonna throw this out to you. I'd love to… maybe your comms team is already on this, but I'd love to maybe highlight these campaigns as they're happening, like little check-ins, like, on a monthly basis, or whatever, like a Tommy D, like, extra project, because I don't have enough projects. But I gotta shout out a couple people. Adam Wood came on Long Island Changemakers.
00:52:31.890 --> 00:52:32.870 Joy DeDonato: Amazing!
00:52:32.870 --> 00:52:48.709 Tommy DiMisa: And you know who else came on the show? Actually, after him, and it was more exciting, Adam, I love you, but it was more exciting. Penny and Lucy came on my show on Long Island Changemakers in the studio. I'm getting emotional as I even talked about it. Well… I mean, they gave… they both gave me bracelets, not these bracelets, but they both gave me bracelets.
00:52:48.710 --> 00:52:49.170 Joy DeDonato: Yes.
00:52:49.220 --> 00:52:54.080 Tommy DiMisa: Sunrise Day Camp, and I got a Penny Power bracelet. Shout out to… they're the sweetest.
00:52:54.080 --> 00:52:56.219 Joy DeDonato: Well, and he was our walk chair.
00:52:56.220 --> 00:52:56.710 Tommy DiMisa: He's amazing.
00:52:56.710 --> 00:53:01.250 Joy DeDonato: I know. For Light the Night, which brings us to Light the Night, which is awesome.
00:53:01.250 --> 00:53:02.160 Tommy DiMisa: See how I did that? I didn't.
00:53:02.160 --> 00:53:03.300 Joy DeDonato: I love that!
00:53:03.300 --> 00:53:05.890 Tommy DiMisa: That's the universe, man, it just happens, man.
00:53:05.890 --> 00:53:06.290 Joy DeDonato: Organically.
00:53:06.290 --> 00:53:07.610 Tommy DiMisa: Tell me about Light Tonight.
00:53:07.610 --> 00:53:23.150 Joy DeDonato: Light the Night, that's our annual… that's the evening walk hosted by Blood Cancer United to support people affected by blood cancers. Participants carry illuminated lanterns, white for survivor, red for supporter, gold in memory of loved ones, and that happens each fall, and, Jacqueline
00:53:23.260 --> 00:53:40.899 Joy DeDonato: Gil Bride is our director on that. She's phenomenal, and she leads a team for Long Island and Manhattan, and Adam, as you are well aware, and his daughter, they were leading the efforts, and it was amazing. That was this fall, and just to give you a clue, I mean, really.
00:53:40.900 --> 00:53:50.149 Joy DeDonato: the… the night events brought together more than 8,000 community members, and will have had an impact of over $4 million. And so, it's…
00:53:50.330 --> 00:54:03.590 Tommy DiMisa: Incredible. Yeah, and shout out to my buddy Ray Schwatz, because Ray Schwatz… Yes, he was there! …for so many years. Ray, I love you, also a guy who's been on Long Island Changemakers, who is over at Jovia, just such a good friend, and so impactful in the…
00:54:03.590 --> 00:54:05.779 Joy DeDonato: He's a supporter. Joby's a huge supporter.
00:54:05.780 --> 00:54:23.899 Tommy DiMisa: I know they are. They are a great organization. Shout out to Jovia. I am a member. I, in fact, have a case of Joviitis, which I… I don't know how it's cured, but I have it. So anyway, if you don't know, that's a local credit union, gang, so if you're in the other part of the world, just checking out Philanthropy and Focus. I'm just being silly. All right, take it away.
00:54:23.900 --> 00:54:40.039 Joy DeDonato: Take it away, Big Climb coming up. This is a huge event, that's run by John Adams. Climb, it's basically Climb, Conquer, Cure. That's at Citi Field, June 7th. We take over Citi Field, it's amazing, but this is the important fact to understand. It's called the Big Climb, and…
00:54:40.040 --> 00:54:45.109 Joy DeDonato: In the time someone can climb 5 flights of stairs, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer in the U.S.
00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:49.709 Joy DeDonato: So, come on out. Citi Field, June 7th.
00:54:49.810 --> 00:54:54.379 Tommy DiMisa: By the way, let's go, Mets. So, are the Metsis involved in any way? I mean, of.
00:54:54.380 --> 00:55:00.009 Joy DeDonato: Well, we're gonna be at Citi Field, so I think that there's a piece of them involved. Last but not least, Tommy…
00:55:00.010 --> 00:55:02.549 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, tell me about that. What's coming up? What else is there?
00:55:02.550 --> 00:55:16.589 Joy DeDonato: Visionary of the Year, Tommy! So, Visionaries of the Year, it's a 10-week philanthropic competition where leaders across Metro New York rally friends, family, colleagues, and community members to raise critical funds for Blood Cancer United. What's really important, it's, again, it's a 10-week
00:55:16.970 --> 00:55:35.250 Joy DeDonato: It's a 10-week situation here that concludes with our grand finale. It's an evening of mission moments, celebration, and community. And here's the interesting part about being a visionary. It's not that I select people, or somebody on our staff selects people. What's really impactful about this is that…
00:55:35.470 --> 00:55:46.680 Joy DeDonato: leaders in the community have to nominate somebody to even be considered to be a visionary. And the real requirements is that that person can really
00:55:46.770 --> 00:55:57.529 Joy DeDonato: Be mindful of the mission, of course, but that they connect the mission to everybody, and they're spreading, you know, awareness, of course.
00:55:57.530 --> 00:56:09.089 Joy DeDonato: And that's our campaign, and that is New York City is… that goes February 26th to May 8th, and Long Island is March 24th to June 3rd. Who makes a visionary, Tommy? I'm just gonna go through that with you.
00:56:09.090 --> 00:56:11.869 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, tell me about Visionary, what would that look like?
00:56:11.870 --> 00:56:28.240 Joy DeDonato: dynamic, philanthropic, influential individual who's community-focused, team-oriented, highly motivated, and ready to rally all their networks to create in the change in the fight against blood cancer. So, that's… that is a piece of.
00:56:28.240 --> 00:56:28.570 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah.
00:56:28.570 --> 00:56:30.020 Joy DeDonato: We do, and just…
00:56:30.020 --> 00:56:46.419 Tommy DiMisa: gang, if you ever saw a movie, yeah, if you ever saw a movie called, Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross, there's a scene, you know, always be closing. A, B, C, always be closing, always be closing. You know, that's the Baldwin, Alec Baldwin character. I feel like I'm…
00:56:46.420 --> 00:56:57.220 Tommy DiMisa: being closed. Gang, I will be meeting with the team at Blood Cancer United this afternoon to discuss with Joy and her colleagues, because I have been, nominated, is the right word, right?
00:56:57.220 --> 00:57:00.319 Joy DeDonato: Oh, it certainly is, Tommy. It certainly is.
00:57:00.320 --> 00:57:19.209 Tommy DiMisa: be a visionary, so, you know, while that is an incredible honor, I have to just get the details and work with your team, because I am known to say yes to things before I get the information, but this time, I'm getting better. In 2025, I try to just get the only information, but, I'm sure we'll be announcing something pretty exciting soon.
00:57:19.210 --> 00:57:27.000 Tommy DiMisa: Joy, Doctor, Joy, DiDonato, I love that you're a doctor. My mother would be like, the woman is a doctor. Don't call her Joy.
00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:33.590 Tommy DiMisa: But I want to… we are totally out of time, but tell me about the commissioner thing really quick before we go, at what you do in Suffolk County.
00:57:33.830 --> 00:57:44.639 Joy DeDonato: Sure. So, real quick, I had the opportunity to be, brought forward to the county legislature and, and, from the county executive.
00:57:44.640 --> 00:57:57.279 Joy DeDonato: they have a… the commissioners for Human Rights, and that got voted in, and was a unanimous vote, and I am a commissioner for Human Rights for Suffolk County, and I couldn't be more proud, to be a part of that.
00:57:57.280 --> 00:58:08.510 Joy DeDonato: lending a voice, being able to be a voice for those who need a voice. Very proud of that, and I'm also a commissioner for the, for the Women's Leadership Commission for the county as well.
00:58:08.820 --> 00:58:17.250 Joy DeDonato: And, that's basically just, again, just trying to be a part of our community, along with the Vice Chair of Dress for Success.
00:58:17.250 --> 00:58:36.720 Tommy DiMisa: Gotta leave it there. Because I ran out of time, so we gotta leave it there, because you're an incredible person. Long Island Changemakers, I'd like to have you on the show on December 5th, we'll talk about that offline. Gang, this show is philanthropy in focus, or out of focus, up to you. You be the judge, I'm just the guy on the show. I wish you all a happy weekend, Joy, I'm so glad you're my friend. Make it a great day, everybody.
00:58:36.980 --> 00:58:38.209 Tommy DiMisa: See ya. Bye.
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