CDT Celebrates Ludovic Blain’s 15-Year Anniversary
We’re thrilled to announce that we are celebrating Ludovic Blain’s 15-year anniversary at California Donor Table (CDT) and his life’s work in building people of color-centered movements.
For the last 15 years at California Donor Table, we have experienced Ludovic’s outstanding leadership and impactful contributions to advancing political power and civic engagement across all tax statuses while centering racial equity and justice. His visionary leadership has not only transformed our organization but has also inspired countless individuals and communities.
It will come as no surprise to many of you that Ludovic has a gift for identifying and mentoring countless emerging leaders within California and nationally. Over the years, his guidance has nurtured a new generation of activists and leaders who continue to push for equity and justice.
Under Ludovic’s guidance, CDT has changed the face of California, including mobilizing more than $60 million to ensure communities of color are centered in government and continue to build power for the long term. As Funders Committee for Civic Participation’s LaShanda Jackson said earlier this year: “Ludovic’s visionary leadership and tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on the landscape of our philanthropy, shaping our trajectory for generations to come.” And there is so much more he wants to do.
Ludovic’s accomplishments include anchoring funding to key regional and statewide groups, including Inland Empire United and Building the California Dream Alliance, and championing successful ballot initiatives for progressive causes. He has also played a pivotal role in helping communities of color elect influential leaders across California, like Eloise Gomez Reyes, Tony Thurmond, George Gascón, and Tamisha Torres Walker. Prior to leading CDT, Ludovic was a prominent figure in building people of color-centered movements around the world.
We reached out to colleagues, mentees, and members of Ludovic’s network to share their thoughts on the impact of his leadership over the past 15 years. See their responses below:
- Steve Phillips, CDT Co-Founder, Author, & Strategist
- Quinn Delaney, CDT Co-Founder & Board Chair
I think California Donor Table has always tried to move a progressive vision of California forward. In the beginning we were trying new things, reaching out to new people and experimenting with the best approach to a big complicated goal. In other words, we were a little all over the map, doing good work, but without a coherent game plan. In steps Ludovic. From the beginning, Ludovic has been able to hold the big picture vision with all its many tentacles and nuances, and steer a course of step by step projects building up to a solid plan. Today, we enjoy the fruit of that work built over 15 years of clear-eyed, on the ground relationship building, strategic planning and deft weaving between various organizational players and powerbrokers — including guiding us, the founders and funders of CDT.
It’s hard to believe Ludovic has been leading California Donor Table for 15 years. He has accomplished so much! We all greatly appreciate his vision, his tenacity, his strategic understanding of all the different pockets of power and influence in California, the overriding importance of centering people of color leadership and his ability to bring people together in a common endeavor.
- Tim Molina, Deputy Director of Committee on States (former CDT senior political strategist)
In 2009, I was one year out of college. Organizing for SEIU in the Bay area. We were still high from electing Barack Obama but also in the midst of a financial crisis. We were organizing workers to pressure the Mayor (Gavin Newsome) to not cut critical social services and funding to hospitals, schools, etc. We saw a lot of good programs and government jobs get cut that year — many of which have not been replaced or have been replaced by non-union jobs, making our economy and the city only more fragile. We were also working to elect Jerry Brown as CA Governor. At the time he was running against Millionaire Meg Whitman. We were all terrified about what would happen if Whitman was elected. And her campaign was successful in pulling Brown right. I remember him saying at a debate that he busted unions and would do it again, while our union was knocking on doors for his campaign! This was my first taste in moderate Democrats, and set the foundation for how I understood politics and the need for governing power for the next 15 years.
Since I first heard of Ludovic, it was clear he was the guy you needed to talk to if you wanted anything to do with empowering people of color in California. He was there before it was cool lol.
It’s hard to name one example but Ludovic has made numerous efforts to empower our community and get others to do the same. His time and efforts to build civic engagement tables in SD, IE, and OC are one the core reasons those counties are Blue now. He’s been a national voice in spaces like the DA and FCCP to get donors to be more strategic and less racist. As board chair of SLP, COS’s c3 sister org, he has been a leader in making our network stronger, more sustainable, and more committed to racial justice.
Personally, Ludovic has invested in me like no other. He’s been the most supportive manager and mentor I’ve ever had. He believes in my abilities, needs, and potential. I have learned so much from him and he continues to shape how I see the world and the work. I owe so much to Ludoivic, personally and professionally, for what he’s done for me, for my people, and the country.
- Pablo Rodríguez, Executive Director of Communities for a New California
Ludovic’s work has dramatically accelerated the ability of organizations like Communities for a New California to not only fight — but win in regions formerly thought of as conservative strongholds. His fingerprints are all over California’s Congressional Battleground districts which are poised to unseat conservative elected officials who are out of touch and out of time and don’t serve the needs of our families.
- Irene Kao, Executive Director of Courage California
Ludovic hired me as a consultant for the California Donor Table in 2016, when I had become disillusioned with traditional philanthropy and was looking to shift my career to something that was just as systemic and hopefully more meaningful for me. So much of that year changed my life — my immersion in equity-led progressive politics, the election of Trump, and the birth of my second child — and renewed a passion and drive that was made possible by Ludovic believing in me, mentoring me, and giving me such a defining opportunity. One of Ludovic’s greatest strengths is seeking out, building, and nurturing real power in people and communities who are overlooked by “the establishment,” and I am filled with gratitude for the last eight years we’ve done this together as part of an incredible network of people that he’s brought together to do this important work.
- Erin Egan, Executive Director of Committee on States
Ludovic is one of the main reasons that COS invested in a true racial equity process that transformed both my leadership and this organization. We now define winning not just by looking at election results but by looking at who is running for office, how resources are moving and to whom, and by asking who is actually served by the policies our leaders promote. We view centering equity as part of the strategy to win and build power in this country, and we use our power to interrupt systems of inequity and to educate our donors and practitioners about behaviors that harm our people and weaken our strategies. Thanks to Ludovic’s leadership during the racial equity process and as the Chair of our c3 Board, we have meaningfully changed the makeup of our Boards, staff, and network of over 100 donor alliance staff. Transformations like these require really honest conversations with people who have power and require us to hold ourselves and others accountable, including white leaders and leaders of color. Ludo has supported my leadership by standing by me (literally) and by providing wisdom, strength and advice, as I and COS have navigated these challenges to live up to our vision. We would not be the organization we are today without him.
