What the Fundraising

What the Fundraising is the podcast for impact leaders and change-makers who are tired of doing things the old school way and are looking for best practices to raise money, run their organization, and think about the nonprofit sector in a whole new way. Every Tuesday for 40-60 min, your host, Mallory Erickson, will be having real and raw conversations with some of the best personal and professional development experts, many of whom are outside the nonprofit sector. These are bestselling authors, world-renowned researchers, and TEDx experts, most of whom have never spoken to a non-profit audience before. They have come ready to share expertise, lessons, and stories that will fundamentally change the way you show up as a leader and fundraiser. There are so many valuable lessons nonprofit leaders are missing because they are outside of their typical orbit, but no more. Mallory is bringing them in and helping to apply her guest's expertise to disrupt the nonprofit sector on

What the Fundraising is a business podcast hosted by Mallory Erickson, with 324 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Mallory Erickson hosts What the Fundraising, a business show with 324 episodes published.

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  Episode #317

  317: Lead with Trust, Not Control with Rebecca Blume

  Aug 18, 202651 minS10

  What if becoming a better leader starts with letting go of who you think you should be? Meet Rebecca Blume, the Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Washington Bothell. She has 22 years of fundraising experience and has worked with organizations including Fair Start and the YWCA in downtown Seattle.  To start the conversation, Rebecca shares how her experiences helped her become more confident and comfortable with her leadership style. She discusses viewing life as seasons rather than chasing perfect balance, using a pendulum to shift attention toward what matters most.  Moreover, Rebecca shares a powerful exercise for challenging limiting beliefs and explains how letting go of the need for total control can strengthen trust within a team. The discussion also touches on people-pleasing, healthy boundaries, holding space for difficult emotions, and responding rather than reacting. Finally, Rebecca encourages leaders to intentionally shape workplace culture and make small, daily shifts toward authenticity, connection, and trust. In this episode, you will be able to:  Lead more authentically by being comfortable with who you are. Manage different life priorities by thinking in seasons. Identify limiting beliefs that may affect your leadership. Let go of unnecessary control and build trust within your team. Set healthy boundaries without feeling guilty. Handle difficult emotions without reacting defensively. Communicate clearly during challenging situations. Create a positive workplace culture that reflects your values. Reduce people-pleasing habits and focus on what truly matters. Make small daily changes to become a more confident and authentic leader. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ 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

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  Episode #316

  316: Campaign Success Starts Before You Fundraise with Amy Eisenstein & Sarah

  Aug 11, 202626 minS10

  In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, Capital campaigns don't succeed by luck; they succeed through preparation, education, and strong leadership. Today, let's discover why empowering board members with the right knowledge can transform uncertainty into confidence and lay the foundation for a successful fundraising campaign. Meet Amy Eisenstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Capital Campaign Pro, who brings over 30 years of nonprofit experience, including two decades as a fundraising consultant. She is joined by Sarah Plimpton, Vice President and Chief Happiness Officer at Capital Campaign Pro, whose extensive background spans fundraising, campaign leadership, consulting, and nonprofit advisory work. Together, they share practical insights from their experience helping organizations raise transformational gifts and explain the inspiration behind their book, A Board Member's Guide to Capital Campaign Fundraising. Today's discussion explores why board education is essential, when organizations should begin preparing for a campaign, and how the book can be used as an ongoing resource throughout the fundraising journey. Amy and Sarah explain how stronger partnerships between staff and board members lead to better campaign outcomes, why challenges should be viewed as opportunities for growth, and how redefining feasibility studies as "campaign readiness studies" creates a more strategic, relationship-driven approach. They also share actionable recommendations on strategic planning, organizational readiness, and building the confidence needed to execute successful capital campaigns.  In this episode, you will be able to:  Understand the role of board education in campaigns. Learn when to start campaign preparation. Build board confidence and fundraising knowledge. Address common campaign fears and myths. Strengthen staff-board collaboration. Align campaigns with strategic goals. Small changes can lead to significant cultural shifts over time. Agency in giving is crucial for fostering genuine generosity. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ 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.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #315

  315: Conscious Fundraising: How to Move From Reaction to Intentional Action

  Aug 7, 202611 minS10

  After a week of executive coaching tools, reflections, and strategies, Mallory closes out this series with one of the most important foundations of sustainable growth: consciousness. In this episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory explores how increasing awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can help fundraisers move from stress-based reactions into more intentional, empowered action. Many fundraisers spend their days in response mode—reacting to challenges, uncertainty, donor behavior, and endless priorities. Mallory shares how executive coaching helps create more space between what happens and how we respond, allowing us to make decisions from a place of clarity instead of fear, stress, or automatic patterns. Listeners will learn how to build daily and weekly consciousness practices, give themselves grace while changing old habits, and embrace growth without perfectionism. This episode is a reminder that transformation does not require a complete overhaul—it happens one degree at a time. In this episode, you will be able to: Understand the role consciousness plays in fundraising success. Recognize when you are operating from stress responses. Create habits that increase awareness and intentionality. Shift from reactive fundraising to proactive decision-making. Practice self-compassion while building new skills. Move away from perfectionism in your growth journey. Use curiosity instead of criticism when reflecting on your actions. Embrace small, consistent changes that create lasting transformation. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ 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.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #314

  314: You Are Enough: A Reminder for Every Fundraiser Doing The Hard, Important Work

  Aug 6, 202612 minS10

  Fundraising is deeply human work. It requires vulnerability, connection, courage, and the ability to hold the hopes and dreams of an entire community. But in a profession that often carries immense pressure, it can be easy for fundraisers to forget something essential: they are already enough. In this special executive coaching episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory Erickson offers a heartfelt reminder to fundraisers everywhere. She shares why self-love, self-compassion, and recognizing your own worth are not barriers to growth—they are the foundation for sustainable impact and meaningful change. Mallory invites listeners to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves beyond their fundraising goals, job titles, and accomplishments. This episode is a reminder that the people moving resources toward what matters most deserve the same compassion and care they extend to others. In this episode, you will be able to: Recognize the true impact and importance of fundraising work. Understand why fundraising is the work—not just what supports the work. Practice self-compassion as a foundation for growth. Release the belief that achievement determines your worth. Reflect on the pressure fundraisers carry every day. Build a healthier relationship with yourself. Replace self-criticism with encouragement and care. Celebrate the meaningful work you are already doin Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ 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.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #313

  313: How Fleeing Discomfort Is Holding Back Your Fundraising

  Aug 5, 202615 minS10

  Fundraising is filled with uncertainty, vulnerability, and moments of discomfort—but what happens when those feelings start driving our decisions? In this episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory Erickson dives into the hidden ways fundraisers respond to discomfort and how those stress responses can unintentionally derail fundraising success. Drawing from her executive coaching work and research on fundraiser behavior, Mallory explores how flight and freeze responses show up in everyday fundraising activities. From avoiding donor conversations to endlessly perfecting reports and strategies, these patterns can keep fundraisers stuck in cycles of busy work, scattered action, and missed opportunities. Listeners will learn how to recognize when stress is influencing their fundraising decisions and how to build the capacity to sit with uncertainty, have deeper donor conversations, and take the actions that truly move their organizations forward. In this episode, you will be able to: Recognize how discomfort impacts fundraising decisions. Understand the connection between stress responses and fundraising behaviors. Identify when busy work is replacing meaningful fundraising action. Learn why uncertainty can feel so dysregulating. Understand how perfectionism can prevent fundraising progress. Build awareness around avoidance patterns. Develop more conscious responses to fundraising challenges. Create stronger donor relationships through vulnerability and connection. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ 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.

  ListenShow Notes

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