108: From the Drug War to Psychedelic Research: How 140 Million Dollars in 36+ Years Made a Dream Into a Reality with Rick Doblin

With a goal of ending the War on Drugs and reducing trauma all over the world, Rick Doblin is on a mission to liberate psychedelics and make them accessible to all. Rick is the Founder and Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Research (MAPS). MAPS has raised $140 million in donations and grants over 36.5 years, with plans to increase that exponentially in the coming years. Rick is here to shed light on how he went from fearing LSD to trying it, loving it, and advocating for it until it became a global movement of human rights, freedom, and healing. He shares with you his wealth of knowledge and experience in fundraising for controversial research on LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, and more. By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to strategically innovate a fundraising mission to tell a more influential and relatable story to donors. You’ll learn Rick’s greatest tips and advice on reducing stigmas and staying true to your purpose while advocating for a heavily stigmatized movement. Rick is an absolute legend in psychedelic research, fundraising, and drug policy reform, so tune in! In this episode, you will learn the following: 1. How did psychedelic drugs become illegal in the United States, and what is the current state of psychedelic research? 2. How have psychedelic drugs been used in psychotherapy over the past 50 years, and how can they be used to reduce trauma? 3. What strategies have been used to raise money for psychedelic research, and how can donors be inspired to join the cause? Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Many thanks to our sponsor, Keela for making this episode possible. Our friends at Keela offer nonprofits like yours a comprehensive fundraising and donor management software, equipped with powerful tools to expand your reach, increase fundraising revenue, and foster a dedicated community of supporters. Want a user-friendly platform that provides actionable data? Look no further than Keela. Check out Keela at keela.co/mallory.  Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point