How to Win a Campaign 7 Questions with Cesar Toledo
In this episode, Joe sits down with Cesar Toledo, Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, to talk about what it really looks like to make local impact. Cesar shares his journey from national politics — including the Harris-Walz campaign and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund — to leading a small but mighty DC nonprofit serving homeless LGBTQ+ youth, where nearly 40% of DC's homeless youth identify as queer. He and Joe dig into how Cesar is scaling impact with limited staff, why campaign skills translate directly to nonprofit leadership, and how he refuses to let the opposition steal his joy.
Guest Info:
Cesar Toledo, Executive Director, Wanda Alston Foundation
Connect with Cesar on Instagram (@chico_ces)
Resources:
- The Wanda Alston Foundation's housing programs
- Cesar's 2025 Out100 feature
- Cesar's Metro Weekly cover story
- LGBTQ+ Victory Institute candidate and campaign trainings
Check out Cesar's recommendations:
TV: Invincible (Amazon Prime)
Movies: George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead and the Resident Evil film franchise.
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