Donate to this project
project leader
Marvin S
location
Early Maxwell Blvd
(It is a 5-week road trip across 17 states. The podcast is based in Memphis.)
latest update rss
We're halfway to our goal

the project

Champions of the Lost Causes podcast host Marvin Stockwell -- along with his daughter Vieve and his son Cormac -- will crisscross 17 states in five weeks this summer to document stories of people changing the world by championing causes.

"In my first 40 episodes, I've come to feel a real kinship with the people I've had on the show," Stockwell said. "Most of those episodes have featured people in my hometown of Memphis. I've interviewed a handful of people in other cities over Zoom, but nothing can replace face-to-face interaction and seeing the work first-hand. I thought it was time to see what’s happening in the rest of the country."

Stockwell began the podcast in 2019 to take his curiosity beyond his own civic cause – saving and reopening Memphis' shuttered Mid-South Coliseum.

"I first got curious about why I had the fire in the gut," said Stockwell, who began writing the full-length book, Champions of the Lost Causes, in 2018. "I wanted to get another lens on why people champion causes and learn from their experiences. This road trip is an extension of that."

the steps

We will travel along the route below, recording Champions of the Lost Causes podcast episodes along the way.

6/5: Ft. Smith, AR

6/6: Tulsa, OK

6/7: Wichita, KS

6/8: Oklahoma City, OK

6/9: Dodge City, KS

6/10: Drive to Colorado Springs

6/10-11: Colorado Springs

6/12-14: Denver

6/14: Durango, CO

6:15: Santa Fe/Albuquerque, NN

6/16: Flagstaff, AZ

6/17-18: Phoenix, AZ

6/18-20: Los Angeles

6/20-21: San Francisco, CA

6/22: Santa Cruz, CA

6/23: Redding, CA

6/24-27: Christmas Valley, OR

6/27-7/1: Portland, OR

7/2-3: Seattle/Tacoma

7/4: Vancouver, BC

7/5: Spokane, WA

7/6: Bozeman, MT

7/7: Keystone, SD

7:8: Minneapolis, MN

7:9: Des Moines. IA

7:10: St. Louis, MO

7:11: Drive to Memphis

 

why we're doing it

In telling the stories of people championing causes, we will demonstrate that we all have the potential to change the world within our spheres of influence. The lost causes aren't lost, it turns out, because we found them, and increasingly, we are finding each other, for mutual aid and mutual encouragement. When people are encouraged, they are more likely to work to make positive changes in their community. That will resonate back to our hometown of Memphis, too! Listeners to the show tell me they are encouraged about what's going on in Memphis and elsewhere. So much on the news is negative, but my podcast features uplifting stories of hope. Stories of people working to change our city, our nation and our world are uplifting, and it makes people taking action much more likely. More people working to improve their communities will lead to the reform of society and, ultimately, toward bending the long more arc of the universe toward justice, as Dr. King described it.

budget

Final budget

8/9/2023

Total budgeted expenses: $14,720.92

  • Hotels: Total = $3,750
    • 25 days × $150/night
  • Gas: Total = $3,140.92
    • Memphis to Denver = $400
    • Denver to LA = $350
    • LA to Vancouver, WA = $450
    • Vancouver to Spokane = $235.92
    • Spokane to Bozeman, MT = $175
    • Bozeman to Keystone, SD = $230
    • Keystone to Minneapolis = $300
    • Minneapolis to Des Moines = $170
    • Des Moines to St. Louis = $165
    • St. Louis to Memphis = $165
    • Driving around town within cities = $400
  • Food: Total = $3,780
  • Equipment: Total = $2,250
    • Recording gear = $1,100
    • Laptop = $950
    • Podcast editing and post-production = $1,500
  • Extras: Total cost = $1,800
    • Parking = $500
    • Training = $200
    • Admissions = $300
    • Toll roads = $150
    • National Parks = $300
    • Miscellaneous/contingency = $350
 


TOTAL RAISED = $16,001.00
ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) $800.05
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $480.03
TOTAL TO DISBURSE= $14,720.92

Original budget

SUBMITTED BUDGET

Total Expenses: $14,375

Hotels: Total = $3,750

  • 25 days × $150/night

Gas: Total = $1,795

  • Memphis to Denver = $200
  • Denver to LA = $250
  • LA to Vancouver, WA = $350
  • Vancouver to Spokane = $90
  • Spokane to Bozeman, MT = $75
  • Bozeman to Keystone, SD = $130
  • Keystone to Minneapolis = $200
  • Minneapolis to Des Moines = $70
  • Des Moines to St. Louis = $65
  • St. Louis to Memphis = $65
  • Driving around town within cities = $300

Food: Total = $3,780

Equipment: Total = $1,750

  • Recording gear = $900
  • Laptop = $850

Podcast editing and post-production = $1,500

Extras: Total cost = $1,800

  • Parking = $500
  • Training = $200
  • Admissions = $300
  • Toll roads = $150
  • National Parks = $300
  • Miscellaneous/contingency = $350

 



TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING NEEDED $14,375
ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) $781
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%)
(Donation processing fee does not apply to match funding.)		 $469
TOTAL TO RAISE= $15,625

Donation processing fees apply to donations only. 100% of match funding goes to projects. Please note, fees are estimated here and final numbers may change based on the final amount raised and amount of match funding applied to this campaign.

updates

We're halfway to our goal

Posted 06/26/2023 - 10:49am

Hi all, 

We're halfway through our Champions of the Lost Causes podcast summer road trip and we're staying with my sister Abbie and her family in Portland, where we have three interviews over the next four days.

The interviews we've done so far have been incredible, and we could not have done it without your support of our ioby campaign!!

Thanks to you, I've talked to people championing the causes of homelessness, blight, lack of access to healthy food and more. I've talked to artists building community, and educators thinking outside the box to better educate neurodivergent kids through risky play. I've talked to hockey team owners giving back through youth sports while adaptively reusing vacant spaces. 

All that and more, plus more on the horizon in the second half of our trip because you kicked in on our campaign to make it happen!

Thank you! 

To follow the road trip more closely and listen to the episides as they post, follow Champions of the Lost Causes on Facebook, or follow show host Marvin Stockwell on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Also check out championsofthelostcauses.org to learn more.

Many thanks, all!

Marvin

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Penelope & Allan Fisher
  • Ellen W.
  • Jennie L.
  • Christine W.
  • Meg C.
  • Daniel C.
  • Marybeth L.
  • Kerri Campbell
  • Kelly F.
  • Anonymous
  • Sasha B.
  • John F.
  • Kristin F.
  • Charles Levingston
  • Jeffrey Westhoff
  • Rob C
  • John K.
  • Beth H.
  • Anonymous
  • Rob & Gina
  • Richard W.
  • Doan D.
  • Grace byeitima
  • Anonymous
  • John G.
  • Debra Bartelli
  • Nicole C.
  • Michael Z.
  • Josh R.
  • Chris Wrist
  • Cole E.
  • The Blondis Family
  • Wyatt G.
  • Anonymous
  • Ethan W.
  • Walter A.
  • Betty Lawyer
  • Amber C.
  • Janet W.
  • William W.
  • John C.
  • Leanna M.
  • Karen C.
  • CA
  • Anonymous
  • Susan M Andrews
  • Monica S.
  • Lori T.
  • Mark Brimble
  • Amy H.
  • Connie B.
  • Miki S.
  • Aaron Broughton
  • Sandi B.
  • Brian H.
  • Sophorn
  • Dorchelle Spence, Author
  • Holli W.
  • Jaime G.
  • Austin B.
  • Patrick C.
  • Shelby S.
  • Anonymous
  • Kim C.
  • Thomas W.
  • Mindy and Alex T.
  • Justin Breeden
  • Julie Green
  • Anonymous
  • Richard and Pamela O’Brien
  • JC Thurman
  • Mary F.
  • Mark C.
  • Temiika D Gipson
  • Diane Terrell
  • Aaron James
  • John Michael McCarthy
  • Allen E.
  • MacKenzie S.
  • Eric M.
  • Kelly K.
  • Mike F.
  • Carrie H.
  • Audra O.
  • From your friends at Murphy's Memphis
  • Beth Trouy
  • Anonymous
  • Robert Jethro Wyatt
  • Anna Ellis
  • Alexandra G.
  • Susanne S.
  • Jeremy Graham
  • Chris H.
  • Anonymous
  • Marina R.
  • Huey's Restaurants
  • Linda H.
  • Lindsey S.
  • Susan L.
  • John W.
  • Bob W
  • Lauren R.
  • Cousin T
  • Wendy C.
  • Anonymous
  • Lori McStay
  • Ward A.
  • Diana Fedinec
  • Anonymous
  • Yuletide Office Solutions/A-Z Office Resources
  • Jason Piche
  • Joel F.
  • Courtney Ellett
  • Sharon L.
  • Annette B.
  • Kelly Schrank
  • Anna M.
  • Steve Fracchia
  • Michelle K.
  • Rogean & Jonathan
  • AWright
  • otherlands coffee bar
  • Stacey B.
  • Linley Schmidt
  • Amy R.
  • Patricia F.
  • Melissa S.
  • Bryan J.
  • Eric G.
  • Scott & Stephanie Thompson
  • Ric Din
  • Georgene C.
  • Gottschalk Family
  • Nedra R.
  • Kim Halyak
  • Frank B.
  • Michael W.
  • Jeannine G.
  • Jefferson D.
  • Robbie House
  • Marilyn L.
  • Tatine D.
  • Sarah S.
  • Anonymous
  • Leah D.
  • Shawn M.
  • Anonymous
  • Peggy M.
  • William M Bearden
  • Burks Fam
  • Leslie S.
  • Cousin T
  • Tad P.
  • Brad Phelan
  • Harry K.
  • Karen C.
  • Sarah T.
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Your Lector buddy at St. Pat's
  • Alan C.
  • John C.
  • Alejandro P.
  • Anonymous
  • Collins D.
  • Ann L.
  • Isabel R.
  • john sklba
  • Natasha M.
  • Russel W.
  • Kim Cherry
  • Lauren Holtermann
  • Nick Oyler
  • Anonymous
  • Cleo Griffin
  • Katrina Turner
  • Champions Supporter
  • Bud R.
  • Kenneth B.
  • Anonymous
  • Sandy T.
  • Madeleine E.
  • Louis G.
  • Barrie & Michaell Simpson
  • Anonymous
  • Willy Bearden
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Warren
  • Dennis Black
  • Chooch P.
  • Judith Pfeiffer
  • Darrin Hillis
  • Barbara S.
  • Salvador C.
  • Chad M.
  • Wendy S.
  • Susan N.
  • Cousin Terry
  • Shannon Briggs
  • Savannah B.
  • Roy Barnes
  • Michelle M.
  • Jumas
  • Paul Young
  • Paula C.
  • Patrick E.
  • Penelope H.
  • Mark J.
  • Mark J.
  • David Higgins
  • Dorian S.
  • Angelica R.
  • Isabel G.
  • Kerry H.
  • Brian V.
  • Don F.
  • Jen Frank
  • Chloe Evans
  • Kelli C.
  • Vibrance Farms
  • Claudia S.