What the Fundraising: Recent Episodes
Mallory Erickson
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 once and for all. So if you are ready to learn how to upgrade your fundraising strategy, leadership skills, energy, habits, and mindset to bring in more funding and actually have some fun doing it, then this is the right podcast for you. If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Our guest today, Lydia Fenet, is an inspiration in the world of charity and fundraising. Her career began at the world-renowned Christie's Auction House, where she carved a niche as one of the few young female charity auctioneers in the sector. After 24 fulfilling years, Lydia embarked on her own entrepreneurial journey by founding the Lydia Fenet Agency, dedicated to charity auctioneering. Her books The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You and Claim Your Confidence have echoed her learnings and insights, creating ripples across readers globally. She's driven by the core belief in the power of confidence and the need for authenticity in being successful, either on stage or in life.
Seeking to shatter fundraising norms and challenge the scarcity mindset, Lydia aims to diversify auctioneers and create an inclusive atmosphere in the world of fundraising.
In this episode, you will be able to:
Gain insight on how to exert confidence and demonstrate authority during fundraising efforts.
Learn to overcome hurdles and discover your unique voice as an auctioneer or fundraiser.
Embrace the power of failure and the lessons it can provide through personal accounts of success and failure.
Understand the importance of diversity among auctioneers and the need for increased representation.
Discover strategies for cultivating engaging in-person experiences that amplify the success of fundraising events.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Constant Contact for making this episode possible. Our friends at Constant Contact provide nonprofit leaders like you with cutting-edge email and social media management tools. Want to craft emails that shine on every device or manage your social media effortlessly? And for those moments you're at a loss for words, their AI Content Generator, powered by ChatGPT, delivers engaging messages in mere seconds. For a platform that amplifies your marketing, saves time, and drives growth, look no further than Constant Contact. Get started with your risk-free trial using the promo code 'MALLORY' for 30% off your first three months. Discover more at www.constantcontact.com/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.
Have you heard these myths about coaching for personal and professional growth? Myth 1: Coaching is only for people who are struggling. Myth 2: Coaching is a sign of weakness or incompetence. Myth 3: Coaching is a luxury that only top executives can afford. In this episode, our guest LaTresse Snead will debunk these myths and share the truth about the value and benefits of coaching for professionals in leadership positions seeking growth. LaTresse’s impressive career journey boasts leadership roles at major organizations like the American Red Cross and the National Park Foundation. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she recognizes the pressing need for coaching, consulting, and recruiting services in today's demanding professional environment. As the CEO of Bonsai Leadership Group, LaTresse answers this need, helping countless organizations optimize their performance and potential. Through her distinct perspective on time and energy management, she inspires leaders to nourish their inner strengths, leading them toward success without compromising their well-being. In this episode, you will:
Grasp the critical role of boundary setting and energy management in fostering a healthier workplace environment.
Delve into the distinct challenges confronted by Black fundraisers shedding light on the need for better inclusion in the fundraising field.
Ascertain the overwhelming benefits of adopting coaching strategies for the development of your personal and professional life.
Rethink negotiation as a path to shared success, challenging the classical view of winner-take-all.
Realize the empowering potential of negotiation skills in revealing your own authority and amplifying your influence.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Overflow, for making this episode possible. This all-in-one platform features some of the lowest cash processing fees in the industry. Check out Overflow to help make your donations go further this holiday season. Learn more and get started at overflow.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
Does it sound familiar that despite your efforts and motivation, your donor engagement endeavors seem to be struggling? Sometimes we feel like we’re taking effective action, but we’re still left feeling frustrated because we're unable to establish strong relationships or sustain donor support. Behavior design strategies can help, because there are certain behaviors that will lead to increased long-lasting donor relationships, but many of us don’t know how to design them. That’s exactly why I’m excited to introduce you to my special guest Juni Felix. Being a key member of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab teaching team, Juni deeply understands the scientific models and methods behind behavior change. Along with this, Juni proclaims her title as a sci-fi nerd, gamer, music artist, and explorer with pride and joy. Her mission is to guide people in creating helpful, effective systems using the science of behavior design to elevate their holistic well-being. That sounds like something all fundraisers could use, right? In this episode, you will:
Understand the importance of emotional well-being and sustaining enthusiasm in the demanding field of fundraising.
Decipher efficient methods to manage tasks and uphold your motivation even while juggling multiple responsibilities.
Learn to balance the delicate act of gaining new donors while prioritizing retention behaviors in your fundraising efforts.
Find out how to build meaningful connections and express genuine gratitude towards your donors.
Understand how to carve out small yet significant habits that offer long-term well-being for you as a fundraiser.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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
In the world of philanthropy, Jessica Channell Iler's journey was anything but ordinary. As the Director of Fundraising, Intelligence, Analytics, and Reporting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jessica's navigated the labyrinth of higher education fundraising for two decades. Harnessing the power of data-driven decision-making, she's deftly amalgamated her knowledge of analytics and fundraising intelligence to build robust bonds between fundraisers and donors, blending the precision of data science with the delicate art of relationship-building. In this episode, Jessica and I delve into the intricate relationship between fundraising activities and donor behavior. There's a tendency in our sector to view donor behavior as a meteorological phenomenon - as if it randomly occurs without provocation. However, donor behavior often mirrors fundraiser actions; the latter acts as a leading indicator, while the former is a lagging indicator. I'm intrigued to explore what transpires when we scrutinize this correlation closely - which behaviors yield the most impact and thus require prioritization? What shifts when we actively track our actions, rather than solely focusing on the end result? Jessica's current focus is on understanding the relationship between fundraising activities and donor behavior makes her the perfect person to discuss this with. Her mission is to uncover the drivers of productivity and to refine the approach, particularly in the mid-level giving space. Through her work, Jessica continues to inspire a culture of giving that is aligned with the interests and capacities of her constituents. In this episode, you will be able to:
Illuminate the importance of accurately reading and tracking fundraiser and donor interactions.
Understand how fundraiser behavior inspires donors to take action.
Experience the power of focused prospect development in nurturing fundraiser-donor bonds.
Identify key engagement pointers crucial for small nonprofit sustainability and progression.
Discern the profound impact of true engagement, openness, and stewardship in fundraising activities.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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.
If you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the constant cycle of acquiring new donors, only to see them quickly fade away, then you are not alone! Despite your efforts to send out regular communications and thank-you messages, donors may still feel disconnected and unappreciated, leading to low retention rates. Karl Ferguson is a highly respected figure in the nonprofit sector with over 30 years of experience. As a seasoned fundraising professional, he's always looking for ways to ensure donors remain connected with an organization after making their first contribution. What sets Karl apart is his relentless focus on maintaining relationships with already-engaged donors, rather than simply reaching out to new ones. Karl has a clear understanding that a loyal donor base isn't built overnight but through time, dedication, and meticulously planned strategies. His unique approach in placing a high value on the time of donation, the immediate thank you calls, the letters, the note cards, and tours have resulted in donor retention rates hitting new heights. In this episode, you will be able to:
Explore the hidden potential of monthly donations in driving consistent funding for your non-profit cause.
Crack the code of donor retention rate segmentation according to acquisition methods - instrumental in strategic resource allocation.
Unravel the engaging practice of turning beneficiaries into donors, a growth engine for your non-profit cause.
Grasp the importance of personalized donor communication and appreciation to build enduring relationships.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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.
My special guest’s Catherine Ashton, Sara Hoshooley, Natalie Monroe, Jordana Merkin, and Katelyn Baughan join us to talk about ways to build stronger relationships through different marketing strategies with donors. We delve into the world of donor engagement and relationship building and discover the strategies and challenges faced by fundraisers in creating meaningful connections with donors. Have you heard these three myths about donor engagement and relationship building? Myth 1: Donors only care about the bottom line. Myth 2: Building relationships with donors takes too much time and effort. Myth 3: Donor engagement is only important during fundraising campaigns. In this episode, our guest speakers, Catherine Ashton, Sara Hoshooley, Natalie Monroe, Jordana Merkin, and Katelyn Baughan, will debunk these myths and reveal the truth behind the importance of donor engagement and relationship building for fundraisers and nonprofit professionals. In this episode, you will be able to:
Discover the vital role of donor engagement in enhancing your fundraising strategy and building sustainable relationships.
Gain insightful knowledge on transitioning from transactional to connection-oriented and storytelling in fundraising.
Uncover effective strategies to tailor your communication to donor preferences, increasing their loyalty and donations.
Develop a deeper understanding of tracking metrics for evaluating campaign success in a more dynamic way.
Identify the key balance between immediate fundraising goals and future-driven relationship-building techniques.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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.
In this episode of What the Fundraising, I get to talk to Gerald A. Moore Sr. Gerald is a CEO, Visionary, and Thought Leader for young Black males, committed to empowering and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Having dedicated two decades to cybersecurity and management consultancy, Gerald has expert insights into the tech and STEM spaces. Recognizing a disheartening dearth of young black males in these fields, he harnessed his experiences to inspire and empower at-risk BIPOC boys. He founded Mission Fulfilled 2030 with a clear purpose to provide opportunities and mentorship to underserved communities. Under Gerald's leadership, Mission Fulfilled 2030 has grown from a startup with zero funding to a nonprofit organization that has raised over $400,000 and impacted the lives of over 7000 young people.
In this conversation, Gerald generously shares his experience starting Mission Fulfilled 2023 - and what some of the initial roadblocks and gates were that were so surprising when he was just starting out. Despite being a successful engineer, Gerald found himself struggling to secure funding for his nonprofit. It was a reality that caught him off-guard, and in his own words, ‘I realized that fundraising for a smaller nonprofit was a whole different ball game’.
We dive into the challenges that smaller nonprofits face when it comes to fundraising and provide actionable strategies for success. We also get specific and talk about what you need to have before reaching out for grant funding, some things to consider when setting up your nonprofit Board of Directors, and what can keep you motivated when you face all of the very common challenges of new nonprofits. Gerald gives such good advice for people who are starting out - from self and community care to staying focused on the mission - this episode has it all.
You will….
Absorb the techniques to set up a powerful nonprofit initiative from scratch.
Dive into the unique obstacles that shroud the fundraising efforts of less expansive nonprofits.
Identify the cruciality of both community involvement and personal giving when it comes to your Board of Directors
Learn how to foster a dedicated and knowledgeable panel of directors to helm your nonprofit venture.
Explore how to juggle the emotional urge to uplift society and the need for self-preservation.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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.
In this episode of What the Fundraising, I am interviewing the amazing Nisha Anand, a boundary-buster, common ground creator, non-violent culture-creator, outside-the-box experimenter, and national leader for social and racial justice. Once a grassroots activist arrested in Burma for pro-democracy demonstrations, Nisha is known today as a leader in cultivating unlikely and unconventional partnerships to create change. As Dream.Org’s CEO, Nisha guides a team of storytellers, organizers, and policy experts working on some of society’s toughest problems to create a better future for all.
Understanding the nuances of human emotions, Nisha leverages inclusivity and unity to create policies that appeal to both sides of the aisle. Her vision is rooted in the belief that progress should never leave anyone behind – a philosophy borne out of her own experiences as an immigrant. Being comfortable with her blind spots and valuing individual liberty as much as equity, Nisha's journey is a testament to the power of love, trust, and the relentless pursuit of inclusivity and progress. And in a world that is increasingly polarized, her perspective is a breath of fresh air.
We’ll talk about Nisha’s approach to bipartisanship and her focus is on inclusive legislation that brings unlike allies together. We talk about how to effectively navigate bipartisanship while advancing transformative agendas, and the pushback you might receive from funders or folks who have a strong resistance to working across belief areas. We also discuss strategic ways to turn fundraising into a potent organizing strategy and how to confidently address the money talk hurdle in your fundraising endeavors. There is so much here for community leaders, organizers, and fundraisers.
In this episode, you will:
Experience firsthand how radical inclusivity can profoundly influence policy creation.
Get equipped with effective techniques to maneuver through bipartisanship.
Reveal how fundraising can serve as a formidable organizing tool.
Break down the obstacles surrounding financial conversations in your fundraising trajectory.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Bloomerang for making this episode possible. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf. After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Head to bloomerang.com/whatthefundraising to learn more about Bloomerang.
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.
In this episode, we talk with Kimberley Pittman-Schulz. For over 20 years, Kimberley has been the guiding hand behind successful donor strategies for major universities and child development organizations globally. Known for her candid approach, she whole-heartedly steps foot into territories many avoid – discussing end-of-life matters and grieving. A passion for supporting people through loss prompted her to become a grief and life transitions mentor, providing compassionate guidance during times of profound change. And now she has connected her work as a grief counselor to her work with nonprofits through legacy giving guidance. There is so much about legacy giving that we don’t understand as a sector, and many of us avoid the topic altogether because of the vulnerabilities it activates. Which is exactly why I wanted to navigate these waters with Kimberly.
The truth is, the world of philanthropy was not where Kimberley Pittman-Schulz expected to find her life's purpose. Having worked extensively in various roles over 20 years, she gradually found herself becoming a bridge between donors and the organizations they wished to support. She facilitated conversations around grief, loss, and end-of-life decisions - topics often avoided by even the most seasoned professionals. Yet, in those emotionally charged conversations, Kimberley found a deep well of understanding and connection. She discovered the transformative power of these discussions on donors' giving patterns and their perception of legacy. Her unique ability to empathize and engage without crossing professional boundaries earned her the admiration and trust of her donors, and a fulfilling career that brought a profound sense of purpose and meaning to her life.
This episode will help you….
Understand the art of deepening donor relationships through legacy giving.
Realize the profound impact of comprehending your donors' driving forces in fostering substantial involvement.
Gain knowledge on navigating sensitive matters around loss and grief, and how it promotes donor trust and openness.
Understand the vast potential of planned giving and how it unlocks more than mere financial gains.
Unearth expert techniques to confirm and fulfill donor intentions within the complex realm of estate planning.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/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.
Are you ready to unlock the secrets that will revolutionize your nonprofit organization? Join us on a captivating journey as we delve into the dynamic world of nonprofit organizations and uncover the key to building successful marketing and fundraising strategies, the secrets to engaging your community, fostering deep connections, and igniting a passion for your cause that will leave a lasting impact. Together, let's unlock your organization's true potential and shape a better future through the art of giving.
In this episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with Doron Krakow, the President and CEO of the JCC Association of North America. With over 30 years of experience in Jewish organizations, Doron has been instrumental in leading the JCC Association since 2017. His dedication to fostering stronger connections within the JCC movement, establishing new partnerships, and cultivating relationships with philanthropic donors has propelled the organization forward in its mission to enhance Jewish communities across the United States and Canada.
Throughout our conversation, Doron delves into his current work with the JCC, sharing insights into the strategies and initiatives driving positive change. As a respected leader in the Jewish community, Doron's vast experience includes holding senior leadership positions with organizations such as American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Jewish Federations of North America, and Young Judaea. We explore the importance of building solid relationships within the JCC movement and beyond and the transformative power of philanthropy in driving meaningful impact. Doron's expertise and strategic vision have elevated the JCC Association's profile and influenced the broader Jewish community.
Join us as we gain valuable perspectives from Doron Krakow, learning about his journey, the challenges he has faced, and the remarkable achievements he has spearheaded. Whether you are involved in the JCC movement or are interested in the Jewish community's growth and development, this conversation promises to provide deep insights and inspiration!
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/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.
There are a lot of questions out there about community-centric fundraising. Will focusing on communities instead of donors hurt your fundraising efforts? What’s the risk of raising money at all costs? What’s the difference in donor engagement and communication when it comes to donor-centric vs. community-centric frameworks? Is it even ‘worth’ the hassle? Well, in this episode, Mallory Mitchell will answer these questions and help you take your fundraising to the next level at the same time. Meet Mallory, a devoted fundraiser and co-founder of Aligned Strategy Group. Mallory's love for fundraising began during her undergrad days when she worked in a call center, calling alumni for donations. Over the years, she has developed expertise in helping nonprofits adopt community-centric fundraising principles, focusing on individual giving. Her experiences at Minneapolis Urban League opened her eyes to the struggles faced by BIPOC-led organizations, inspiring her to seek out alternative fundraising methods. Today, she is a strong advocate for community-centric fundraising and its potential to create a more inclusive and equitable sector. In this episode, you will be able to:
Uncover the distinctions between Community-Centric and Donor-Centric Fundraising.
Learn about the negative impact of excessive profit-seeking in fundraising and the risk of raising more money at all costs.
Discover how to involve various community members, not just donors, in your organization's fundraising.
Develop ways to infuse community-centric principles into your fundraising activities while preparing for possible setbacks.
Recognize the value of forging strong personal connections with donors and expressing appreciation in appropriate ways.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
I am so excited to be partnering with Neon One to be bringing you this mini-series all about how we improve our donor communications and create more engagement. There is so much wisdom in this series from how to create more engagement in your email campaigns to how to incorporate community centric fundraising practices into your communication. But another resource that I love is the 2023 Neon One Email Report which is designed to give you practical strategies for creating compelling emails to help you improve your email campaign performance. There are great benchmarks, analysis, and tips and tools all in one place so check it out TODAY!
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.
Are you tired of ineffective strategies for improving donor engagement? Do you want to achieve better donor engagement through a blend of creative and analytical strategies? It might be time to revolutionize your approach with learnings from neuromarketing techniques that tap into the psychology of donor behavior. And if so, you're in luck. Today, Steve Agauas, Jill King, and Brian Kissell from Moore Neuro Fundraising Lab are here to reveal some secrets behind enhancing donor involvement through the balance of data-driven insights, testing, and innovative thinking. As the Neuro Fundraising Lab explores the elusive world of predicting donor behavior through neuromarketing techniques, they grapple with the challenge of using data to understand the emotional and unpredictable nature of altruistic giving. And in this episode, we'll show you how to balance creativity and science to craft powerful fundraising campaigns that connect with donors on a deeper level to exceed your goals. In this episode, you will:
Explore the uncharted realm of neuromarketing and its role in donor behavior analysis.
Understand the challenges of accurately predicting fundraising campaign outcomes.
Forge genuine connections by demonstrating authenticity and empathy in your donor outreach.
Set personalized benchmarks and goals to boost your fundraising messaging efforts.
Discover the blend of creativity and scientific approach in designing fundraising campaigns.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
I am so excited to be partnering with Neon One to be bringing you this mini-series all about how we improve our donor communications and create more engagement. There is so much wisdom in this series from how to create more engagement in your email campaigns to how to incorporate community centric fundraising practices into your communication. But another resource that I love is the 2023 Neon One Email Report which is designed to give you practical strategies for creating compelling emails to help you improve your email campaign performance. There are great benchmarks, analysis, and tips and tools all in one place so check it out TODAY!
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.
Are you a nonprofit marketer looking to enhance your email strategy and build stronger relationships with your audience? Discover the power of shifting your mindset in nonprofit marketing with Racheli Edelkopf, as she shares her journey from program director to running a boutique marketing company. Racheli truly has a way with words that will transform your connection with donors. Racheli’s journey began in the for-profit world, but she soon discovered her true calling was to use her marketing skills to make a difference. She joined a nonprofit organization that assists individuals with disabilities, where she played an instrumental role in tripling program participation and securing valuable sponsorships. Over the years, Racheli discovered the impact of personalization and relationship-building in nonprofit email marketing to make donors feel like they are an important part of the organization’s journey. Today, Racheli helps nonprofits attract more supporters by creating genuine connections with their audience. In this episode, you will be able to:
Discover the significance of personalization and relationship-building in nonprofit email marketing campaigns.
Explore the benefits of focusing on content quality over frequency in your communication efforts.
Uncover the power of going niche and specific to create highly valuable content for your nonprofit audience.
Learn why operational transparency is essential for building trust with donors and supporters.
Understand the connection between fundraising and marketing to create cohesive and effective campaigns.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
I am so excited to be partnering with Neon One to be bringing you this mini-series all about how we improve our donor communications and create more engagement. There is so much wisdom in this series from how to create more engagement in your email campaings to how to incorporate community centric fundraising practices into your communication. But another resource that I love is the 2023 Neon One Email Report which is designed to give you practical strategies for creating compelling emails to help you improve your email campaign performance. There are great benchmarks, analysis, and tips and tools all in one place so check it out TODAY!
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
Are you aware of the inequalities in conventional donor-centric fundraising strategies? Are you intrigued by the burgeoning interest in community-centric fundraising, but unsure how to effectively participate or get it 'right'? It's time to embrace a shift towards more community-focused fundraising methods. However, many organizations find themselves ensnared in perfectionism, unsure how to integrate these principles into their operations. In this episode, we're demystifying the process, addressing how to overcome these obstacles, and successfully implement fundraising initiatives that make a real impact in your community.
I'm excited to introduce Michelle Shireen Muri, a passionate advocate of community-centric fundraising and the dynamic host of the Ethical Rainmaker Podcast. As a co-founder of the community-centric fundraising movement, Michelle's work has been instrumental in sparking dialogues around equity and social justice within the nonprofit sector. With her background in immigrant rights advocacy and extensive consulting work in fundraising, Michelle offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that nonprofits face today. I'm particularly excited to discuss with Michelle how organizations can tackle barriers like perfectionism and fear, which often hinder the adoption of community-centric fundraising methods.
The reason I was so keen to have this conversation with Michelle is because of a recurring theme I've noticed among organizations: the desire to incorporate community-centric fundraising principles, tempered by fears of making mistakes and uncertainty about where to begin. This apprehension perpetuates a cycle wherein white supremacy culture continues to dominate our organizations. Our discussion also delves into the relationship between community-centric and donor-centric practices, and how to challenge the deeply ingrained white supremacy culture in many organizations, while acknowledging its historical roots in the sector. To me, Michelle is an inspiring figure, and I greatly appreciate her steadfast dedication to keeping our sector accountable, helping us navigate complex principles and standards in a non-binary and open-minded way.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One for making this episode possible. I love partnering with Neon One because I believe they care for the whole nonprofit, and I know that my clients will be well taken care of. I also love how they work with consultants to value our time and expertise. They pay for speaking at their events, and they understand how consultants support the entire sector. To learn more about Neon One’s partner program CLICK HERE.
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
What might happen if we removed the veil and said that no one was a fundraising expert? I think it might lead to a lot more fundraisers trusting their gut, taking risks, testing, and realizing that their constant learning around fundraising is what matters - not being an ‘expert’. That’s what I’m talking about in this episode of What the fundraising with Tim Kachuriak, Chief Innovation & Optimization Officer at The NextAfter Institute. In the conversation, he highlights the forensic research, applied analysis, and behavioral study that are the basis for the actionable resources and training they offer and share. He’s also explaining why he prefers to see nonprofits flip the funnel paradigm and make it instead into a mountain built on understanding and respecting actual donor experience. “Using data to monitor how the donors respond is one of the ways that we can evolve our understanding of who our donors are, what they care about, and how we can message them more effectively,” says Tim. He offers fascinating thoughts about all the micro-decisions that impact fundraising outcomes and how to keep donors motivated. (Hint: It’s all part of creating a genuinely personal, engaging journey.)Much of our conversation focuses on building humility and empathy into nonprofit fundraising culture while also emboldening each of us in our mission to do good from a place of abundance rather than scarcity. The NextAfter Institute’s many original, evidence-based resources and data-driven training have been developed specifically to support long-term, sustainable philanthropic relationships. Tim and I explore what it looks like to use AB testing - a powerful tool for quickly culling what’s working versus what isn’t in terms of metrics like email opens and click-throughs. We also consider the important upsides of failing. The episode wraps with a reminder of why those of us in the nonprofit sector remain committed to the work despite the noisy emphasis on sales and acquisition in our consumption-oriented culture. Two words: Meaning and purpose!Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInIf 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!
Today’s episode of What the Fundraising is a conversation with Emmie Erickson, my 3-year-old daughter. For months Emmie has been asking me to ‘make a podcast’ and I decided that GivingTuesday would be a great time for Emmie to read you her favorite book - I Am: Book of Reminders by Juana Medina. There are affirmations inside this book that feel particularly important to remind you of this GivingTuesday. Plus, scientific studies demonstrate that we release all sorts of feel-good chemicals when we see or hear something cute — we're wired to positively respond to cuteness. So, I hope this puts a smile on your face and if you need to practice the affirmations captured here, I highly recommend you listen multiple times and repeat after Emmie. Let’s boost those feel-good chemicals to help get you through this GivingTuesday, listen now to meet Emmie.
You can find today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.
Are you ready to get uncomfortable? Whether in the nonprofit sector or the entrepreneurial startup space, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is advocating for a growth mindset that says “okay!” to rejection, makes friends with Imposter Syndrome and just says no to self-critic noise. Estelle Giraud, CEO & Co-Founder of Trellis Health, demonstrates the power of honoring ourselves – even when important funding conversations go south. Pitching a comprehensive health data platform in the hyper-competitive world of venture capital is not for the faint of heart, which is why Estelle has very deliberately chosen to embrace setbacks as nothing more than an opportunity to learn and move on. In other words, it’s nothing personal! For many of us, this isn’t easy to do. But even if the answer is no, we have the right to take up space – without apology. Because remember, as Estelle says, If you’re not getting hit with lots of rejections, you’re probably not aiming high enough!
In this conversation, we explore important self-awareness and growing-edge tools, sharing with you some of the strategies we’ve seen work to create safety and somatic calming. And Estelle is also giving us the gift of vulnerability, sharing how she has weathered disheartening rejection by relying on simple, potent strategies to reconnect with her most grounded self. We talk about the mindset women need to take into the board room, whether on behalf of a nonprofit or a startup venture – one that recognizes the valuable skills and impact we’re offering in exchange for funding. We are not beholden! And we are also not without the resources to cultivate wellness in body, mind and spirit. It starts, says Estelle, with a willingness to be honest with – and present to – each other. “There's benefit to sharing some of that (fundraising) journey and learnings, even if it's not perfectly wrapped up in a little bow and successful,” she says. “There is benefit in sharing a raw process as it happens.”
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One, the all-in-one donor management system that keeps small and midsized nonprofits on track with fundraising, communications, events, volunteers, and more. You can learn about Neon One's entire suite of products and services here.
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!
Can you imagine a vibrant social impact marketplace built on outcomes-based data? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising certainly can – because that’s exactly the platform he and his team at 60 Decibels are building out. CEO & Co-Founder Sasha Dichter explains the why behind creating a foundation for genuine benchmarks and repeatability when it comes to measuring nonprofit results. The goal is to give organizations a window into how their programs are performing relative to peers and to set targets based on meaningful feedback.
Our conversation touches on the power of partnerships and lessons learned when Sasha moved from the corporate to the nonprofit sector. Far from his initial impression of fundraising as the pursuit of dollars at benefit dinners – somewhat remote and hands-off – he quickly identified the importance of building partnerships based on trust, not transactions. As Director of Business Development and then Chief Innovation Officer at Acumen, a strategic investor in organizations and people fighting poverty, Sasha learned first-hand about the transformational impacts that can occur when a clearly defined mission meets a genuinely engaged funder. He shares his thoughts on how to identify the core DNA of your organization, bring confidence to the table with donors (you have something of equal or greater value to offer) and build sustained relationships through authenticity and honest conversations. “You actually want to have the goal of a conversation (with funders) that involves trust and mutual respect,” says Sasha. “If you don't have that, you can't fake it.”
At the end of the conversation we get to learn more about 60 Decibels and it is exciting stuff! With more than 1,000 researchers doing qualitative surveys in 77+ countries, 60 Decibels is creating a tech-enabled resource with huge implications both for incrementally improving the quality of what nonprofits deliver and unleashing capital investment based on systematic metrics that funders can get behind. Think of a future landscape in which this data-fueled tool could be used to pair funders and nonprofits whose values align. There is so much in this episode for nonprofit leaders, you don’t want to miss this one!
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Check out Bloomerang’s fantastic resource:How to Collaborate With Your Community to think through how you can start working smarter, not harder, by aligning yourself with the right partners around the ecosystem. We’re so grateful for their resources and for their support of this episode.
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!
You could sit back and relax if only you had a big celebrity attached to your nonprofit, right? Well not quite, as my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising explains. For all her professional skills and the competent staff behind Usher's New Look, President & CEO Careshia Moore still works hard to keep the organization financially healthy, vibrant and strong. Even with the deep, long-term involvement of a major performer like Usher Raymond IV and his mother, Jonetta Patton, no organization is sustainable without multi-level buy-in, sponsorship and community engagement. Fortunately, Careshia and her team are up to the challenge!
In this episode, you’ll learn about the roots of Usher's New Look’s and how it has transformed the lives of more than 50,000 under-resourced young people in Atlanta and New York. Their remarkable programs develop global leaders by sparking their passion and breaking down barriers to entry – whether it be access to quality education, internships or career opportunities. In our conversation, we also explore what it means to operate from a position of abundance, which is often hard for fundraisers (who feel perpetually beholden). Careshia is all about speaking up, owning the power of what her organization brings to the table and offering donors a chance to contribute in multiple capacities. And speaking of capacity, here’s something important to consider: Overhead shouldn’t be a source of shame, says Careshia. It’s actually an opportunity for funders to get involved in the infrastructure that supports all those programs that make everyone feel so good!
This conversation is full of actionable strategies, operational and budgetary priority recommendations for unpredictable times and new ways to think about ourselves as mission-driven professionals running enterprises that just happen to have a different tax status.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One, the all-in-one donor management system that keeps small and midsized nonprofits on track with fundraising, communications, events, volunteers, and more. You can learn about Neon One's entire suite of products and services here.
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!
In this episode of What The Fundraising, James Citron, Founder and CEO of Pledge, shares his top advice for nonprofits wanting to dream big and launch partnerships with companies. Having founded and/or led the growth of three of the largest mobile messaging and engagement companies in the United States and the world, James took a leap of faith eight years ago when he decided to dedicate his life to helping the world on a bigger scale: by creating Pledge, a fundraising platform powered by the generosity of humans.
In this conversation, he reveals how he strengthened Pledge’s professional partnerships – expanding with Zoom, Cameo, and even celebrity e-commerce brands. Despite the pandemic having threatened 1/3rd of the nonprofits to go out of business, Pledge helped meet donors and nonprofits where they were so fundraising could happen more seamlessly. From James’ vantage point, the key to nonprofit success – among other things like risk-taking, resilience, faith, and grit – is transparency. When your donors know where their money is going, you strengthen your impact, says James. he also shares his perspective on nonprofit failure, his faith in the goodness of humanity, and his thoughts on enabling people to help others. There is a lot of great advice for nonprofits inside this episode, plus we know you’ll love hearing their exciting 3% annoucement too!
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Ready to streamline and modernize your organization’s fundraising strategy? Smash through stumbling blocks with my VIP Day, an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience. You can also click here to learn how I can work with you to pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its goals.
Here’s a thought: What if we had a platform for nonprofit grant writing like the online Common App that colleges and universities have adopted with such great success? That was similar to the initial inspiration for my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, Gauri Manglik. Gauri is the CEO and Co-founder of Instrumentl, a platform that brings grant discovery, research, and tracking to one place. With Instrumentl, development staff are more effective and efficient at finding the right grants for their nonprofits and in this episode, she talks about the journey to creating this powerful tool and a lot of lessons and insights she gathered along the way. Gauri challenges nonprofits to integrate a more data-driven, tech-inspired orientation, while also offering important advice for startups that aren’t quite there yet. I love that she talks about who is and who ISN’T right for Instrumentl - alignment is everything and it’s clear that Gauri doesn’t just want more organizations on her platform, she wants the right organizations on her platform. We touch on Instrumentl’s functionality, which includes robust prospecting, calendaring, collaboration, and tracking tools. Gauri shares thoughts on building blocks nonprofits want to have in place before focusing on grant writing in a significant way, including establishing baseline traction as an entity and adopting an empowerment mindset. We also talk about why metrics aren’t robust enough in the nonprofit space and how a commitment to leveraging a more data-driven approach can yield payoff in terms of conversion rates, and help identify formulas, and the right levers to pull.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Want to raise more from the right funders without hounding them? Mallory’s FREE masterclass offers a great starting point!
Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team.
Want to build trust with donors at first glance? That’s what happens when you have a solid, user-friendly platform like the one my guest, Justin Wheeler, has developed. As he shares in this episode of What the Fundraising, years of field experience are baked into Funraise, a digital ecosystem that streamlines nonprofit messaging and fundraising. Their state-of-the-art tool is designed to help nonprofits acquire donors at scale by tapping all the traditional and new fundraising channels available with amazing results. The more efficiently we fundraise, the more deeply our organizations can focus on the core mission!
You’ll learn all about what Funraise’s platform has to offer, including everything from event ticketing and management to recurring giving, online campaigns, email automation, CRM, automated workflows, data mining, and dashboard/reporting. Justin shares insights from his experience building up multi-million-dollar philanthropic organizations (Invisible Children Uganda and Liberty in North Korea), busts some fundraising myths and reminds us of the importance of maintaining a positive mindset. In wrapping up, Justin reflects on things he knows now that he wishes he knew earlier in his fundraising journey as well as the essence of Funraise’s top priority: Modernizing giving through a powerful platform maintained at a price point accessible to nonprofits with budgets of any size.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (00:30) How an "Invisible Children" documentary changed the course of Justin’s life. (01:32) Justin’s work with Liberty in North Korea. (03:02) The myth of fundraising ratios. (05:20) How to inspire donor trust by ensuring a user-friendly experience. (08:00) What it looks like to establish digital trust and remove donor doubt. (09:09) Trends that Funraise is monitoring. (10:10) Mallory and Justin reflect on the important influence that narratives – positive and negative – have on donor behavior. (14:00) Why it’s so important to incorporate clear, repeated “asks” without fear of overstepping. (16:26) What Justin wishes he’d known during his early days in the trenches. (18:00) Funraise’s core mission.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Ready to streamline and modernize your organization’s fundraising strategy? Smash through stumbling blocks with my VIP Day, an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience. You can also click here to learn how I can work with you to pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its goals.
Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team.
SEO. The mention of those three little letters sends many of us in the nonprofit sector scurrying for cover. But spend a little time with my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising and I promise you’ll feel empowered to explore all things Search Engine Optimization! Rafi Norberg, President of Nexus Marketing, walks us through what it means to raise your online profile and shares some great (free!) tools to get even the most tech-phobic among us started.
You’ll be interested in hearing how the world of digital marketing has evolved over the eight years since Rafi founded his company and the ways in which he has pivoted. Riding the tides of change and a human-centric approach, Nexus has kept the work fresh, engaging and organically satisfying. How? By emphasizing a collaborative, relationship-based approach to getting the job done. Whether we’re talking community awareness or donor engagement, Ravi believes that partnerships are foundational to growth. “Being open to more conversations generally leads to different opportunities,” he says. “If you're overly exclusive … it actually makes the process of building your digital brand very difficult.” Ready to raise your online profile and boost your outreach? This episode will give you the digital insights and tools you need to get started on that path!
Get all the resources and timestamps from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Have you stopped by our new What the Fundraising community forum? Check it out and join the conversation at this link.
Ready to streamline and modernize your organization’s fundraising strategy? Smash through stumbling blocks with my VIP Day, an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience. You can also click here to learn how I can work with you to pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its goals.
Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team.
The truth is, all limiting beliefs aside, we can make giving fun. And Max Friedman and the team at Givebutter are proving this to be true each and every day. They have created a crowdfunding platform that seeks to raise funds that will empower the next generation of changemakers. In this episode of What the Fundraising I get to talk to Max about his entrepreneurial journey, from starting in his college dorm room, to what it’s like to be a 27 year old leader of a rising tech company. There are so many great fundraising tips in this episode, from automation suggestions to effective prompts to innovative engagement strategies, but my favorite topic that we talk about is Max’s imposter syndrome. Max, like all of us, experiences moments of self-doubt and his vulnerability in this episode is a true gift to the sector. He talks to us about how he manages his imposter syndrome and his top tips for nonprofit leaders dealing with similar doubts. You don’t want to miss this episode! [02:48] Understanding Max’s journey to founding Givebutter. [03:57] How Givebutter has evolved over the years. [05:53] Max narrates his experience with non-profits.. [08:10] How Max deals with his imposter syndrome. [11:43] The fundraising space needs to go back to the basics. [13:06] Are we over automating in a way that leads to a loss in authenticity and connection? [16:02] Social media and authenticity. [18:07] How you can prompt people to give. [21:32] Hear how Max keeps himself motivated when he is having hard days. Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Ready to streamline and modernize your organization’s fundraising strategy? Smash through stumbling blocks with my VIP Day, an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience. You can also click here to learn how I can work with you to pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its goals.
This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. This series is unsponsored content and editorial decisions came from the What the Fundraising production team.
Here’s a data point worth highlighting: Dollars invested in female-founded startups offer an average 63% better return on investment than those with male founders. That’s not merely anecdotal, says my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. Katica Roy, a Gender Economist, and CEO at Pipeline Equity, has all the stats and research to back up her assertions about intersectional inequity and its many costs – both social and economic. Her powerful Pipeline platform operationalizes gender equity, drives improved business performance, and offers success metrics to back it up. Inspired by her parents’ dramatic journeys -- from refugees to capturing the American dream – Katica is devoted to making a systemic change that is backed up by measurable controls, top-down corporate commitment, and supportive, smart policy.
Our conversation illuminates a number of disturbing statistics as well as avenues for making meaningful change. That change, however, all has to start with our individual and organizational ability to look candidly at biases clearly being perpetuated, even among nonprofits whose missions are dedicated to fostering justice and fair access for the under-served. The episode wraps up with some fascinating advice from a formidable female entrepreneur who has experienced first-hand the uphill battle women face in trying to secure funding. Among the many things she has learned? “Standing in your own power is important … You will get pushback and that's okay. That just means you're doing something right!”
Check out Bloomerang’s fantastic resource: Diversity, Inclusion & Equity policy template to start the process of creating equity in your nonprofit. We’re so grateful for their resources and for their support of this episode.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
🚨Breaking News: We have a new What the Fundraising Community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.
We’ve all been there: Ghosted by a donor and wondering why, why, why? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is showing us how to redirect our minds, dismantling the reflexive responses that play in our heads and inhabit our bodies.
Britt Frank, a somatic psychotherapist, trauma expert, and author of "The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward," walks us through the many ways in which our reactions (and overreactions) are embedded within our bodies.
Because so many of us are detached from our own sensations, we revert automatically to our brains in search of solutions. And that's all too often pinging around inside our heads? Lots of noisy self-doubts, recrimination, and other negative thoughts that do not serve. As Britt explains, however, we can befriend even the most toxic of emotions and in so doing diffuse them. “When we know how our brains work, we can feel like we're in the driver's seat of our life,” she says, “instead of locked in the trunk of the car, driving 95 miles down the highway.”
You’ll love hearing how this multi-modality therapist and thinker came to her work, why ultimatums are less effective than healthy boundaries, and what modest actions you can take to interrupt when your body has taken over the driver’s seat.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Want to raise more from the right funders without hounding them and banish your self-doubt in the meantime? Mallory’s FREE masterclass offers a great starting point!
Support for this show is brought to you by Bloomerang. Our friends at Bloomerang really understand fundraisers, which is how they make donor management software that nonprofits like to use. To learn more about them, head on over to bloomerang.com/mallory.
Are you a changemaker? The call to action on this episode of What the Fundraising is rooted in the notion that we can all be leaders of the change we seek. Alex Budak, a faculty member at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, believes leadership is ripe for redefinition – and has data to prove it! He walks us through how the human tendency to maintain the status quo impacts social change and why the greatest CEOs tend to balance confidence with a lot of humility. We’re also hearing all about Alex’s new book, "Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at Any Level," as well as the quantitative work behind his “Changemaker Index.” A teacher, speaker, and consultant, Alex’s primary mission is to help empower people from all walks of life to become changemakers – activists leading the charge in whatever their realm. He has given talks on leadership, entrepreneurship, and changemaking worldwide, from Cambodia to Ukraine – and has also advised at the White House and UN agencies. You’ll come away from this episode with a new perspective on our culture’s tendency to glorify social entrepreneurs and leaders in general, a clear understanding of Alex’s “Three Pillars of Changemaking” and a fresh resolve to stand tall and lean into fear. We break down what failure really looks like and exercises for getting acclimated – which we all need to do. Why? Because there’s lots of work to be done, whether you’re a fundraiser in the nonprofit sector or a community member who knows things can be better. “There’s so much leadership to go around if we’re willing to seize those leadership moments,” says Alex. “And that’s my call to action: For all of us to see those moments around us and step into them.”
See all the show notes at malloryerickson.com/podcast. Follow along on Instagram at @whatthefundraising_ Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Many thanks to our sponsor Cosmic, the social impact creativity agency that delivers compelling stories, builds brand awareness, and inspires action. The team at Cosmic knows how to leverage clarity to catalyze real-world change and help you become the changemaker you were meant to be.
Perfectionism can be sneaky. We think we’re just working hard, doing our best, and tirelessly serving others. And we are. But, as my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising points out, there can also be a lot of ego driving our behaviors and it needs to be explored. Kamilah Martin, Founder & CEO of Katalyst Consulting Group, leverages her decades of nonprofit experience to help align leaders in the sector – especially those whose organizations are experiencing transition. We are untangling the many ways that we can get in the way of our own best intentions – especially when we’ve got unexplored blind spots. That’s where a well-grounded executive coach can make all the difference, holding space for self-inquiry around deeply ingrained (often counter-productive) beliefs. The work is invaluable, says Kamilah, whose experience has been that self-aware leaders tend to be the most successful. Why? Because they bring a humanity-centered set of tools and solutions.
Even when we’re doing all the work and showing up for ourselves the best we know how there are going to be emotional triggers. Fundraisers – like all humans – will always be a work in progress. This conversation nudges us to take some grace and loosen that perfectionistic death grip. Openness is like a breath of fresh air, plus it truly helps our organizations thrive.
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
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!
Many thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory.
We are looking at leadership strengths through a feminine lens on this episode of What the Fundraising with my guest, Natalie Rekstad. As Founder and CEO at Black Fox Philanthropy, Natalie is mobilizing resources in all kinds of innovative ways and – as importantly – makes them open source and welcoming to even the smallest organizations to tap a wealth of wisdom. In the process of helping domestic nonprofits and international NGOs build capacities and strengthen their leadership frameworks, Natalie has also gathered tremendous data points on what kinds of qualities define the most highly functional organizations. One of the consistent throughlines, says Natalie, is leaders with a passionate commitment that is not all about themselves. While in the past there has been a lot of deference to charismatic, overtly strong male energy in leadership, we are seeing today a shift in appreciation towards the power of other, more nuanced qualities. Natalie shares a long list of the questions she asks when assessing who is at the helm of an organization and how their most pronounced qualities impact the culture. We also take a deep dive into the power dynamics that can trip up fundraisers, including feeling beholden or disempowered when presenting to funders. It’s about an equal exchange, says Natalie, and understanding that nonprofit teams have something as important as financial resources to bring to the equation. If you’d like to learn more about how Black Fox’s trusted advisors deliver fundraising expertise to organizations of all sizes and budgets, you can read their blog, with fascinating articles like this one, “Choreography that Translates into Deeper Relationships and Increased Funding.”
Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn
Want to raise more from the right funders without hounding them? Mallory’s FREE masterclass offers a great starting point!
Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One, the all-in-one donor management system that keeps small and midsized nonprofits on track with fundraising, communications, events, volunteers, and more. You can learn about Neon One's entire suite of products and services here and join me at this year’s Generosity Exchange by grabbing your ticket here.
What does it look like to come from a place of wholeness – fully embodied and aligned with our core values? And why is it so hard in this day and age to feel whole? In this episode of What the Fundraising, we start that conversation with an understanding of our nervous systems. Today’s guest, Gabriel Kram, is a convener of The Restorative Practices Alliance, Co-Founder of the Academy of Applied Social Medicine, and Founder and CEO of Hearth Science, Inc. In this conversation, Gabriel explains the powerful benefits of cultivating a state of balance rooted in our thoughts, reactions, and connection with others.
Gabriel walks us through polyvagal theory and breaks down the difference between sympathetic, ventral, and dorsal responses in our bodies. He also uses water in its various states as a powerful visual to help us identify the states (often reactive) in which our bodies are living at any given time. Once we understand this framework, it’s easier to find the right practices to move us towards harmony. There is a process to achieving this balance, and Gabriel has some wonderful tools to help us get started. You won’t be advised simply to be more mindful (which can mean so many things) or told you’ve got to keep your body from being fidgety (nervous systems do that).
True self-care, explains Gabriel, is about so much more than any particular posture or activity. It’s about a deeper dive into our ancestrally-inspired human responses, deeply embedded traumas that extend well beyond our personal lived experiences, and the role of social connection in creating safe spaces where we can rest, reset and heal. We wrap up the episode with some actionable tips for coming back to our bodies and staying there.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
(03:30) About Gabriel’s work. (04:55) What exactly does it mean to live in our wholeness? (06:40) The two ways humans tend to separate themselves from wholeness. (07:33) About the neurological implications of feeling connected. (08:53) The dorsal state is one of physiological paralysis. (10:04) Polyvagal theory and our autonomic nervous system. (11:40) An explanation of our three primary states of being. (13:25) Gabriel breaks down the attributes of paralysis. (16:05) The connection between these states and fundraising. (17:51) How to navigate anxiety and aroused states when fundraising. (18:16) Ventral and sympathetic states. (20:37) Neural exercises help to keep our nervous systems balanced. (22;10) Our resistance to practices that bring us back into our bodies. (26:16) Self-care vs. community care. (29:37) Principles and practices to help manage your body when it’s in a “steam” state. (33:16) Further thoughts on the dorsal state and how to come out of it. (38:36) Learn more about Gabriel and Restorative Practices Alliance.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One, the all-in-one donor management system that keeps small and midsized nonprofits on track with fundraising, communications, events, volunteers, and more. You can learn about Neon One's entire suite of products and services here and join me at this year’s Generosity Exchange by grabbing your ticket here.
Political fundraising versus nonprofit fundraising. They might be very different animals, but there are still common lessons to be learned. My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is offering fascinating insights into what does – and doesn’t – work when it comes to attracting and retaining a loyal donor base. A certified NationBuilder expert, Ian Patrick Hines knows how to leverage game-changing tools and why it’s important to differentiate between high-pressure, quick conversion campaigns and the kinds of high-quality, sustained communications that cement nonprofit partnerships.
Ian offers great strategies for shifting your fundraising model from one of scarcity to deep abundance, fills us in on the current status of various modes of pitching, and reframes donor communication as an ongoing conversation rather than endless series of “donate now” emails.
You’ll learn about the inverse relationship between pseudo-urgency and long-term donor engagement as well as how to develop a communications style that will establish your organization as a trusted advisor – rather than another source of noise simply to be tuned out.
Updates featuring personal narratives and compelling voices, in the long run, says Ian, are far likelier to generate the donor relationships that fundraisers seek. His best advice? If he was running a nonprofit, he would email a lot. But he would rarely ask for money.
Episode Highlights:
(02:57) Ian’s fundraising journey (03:40) The changes we’ve seen in political fundraising and campaigns generally (05:12) Scarcity versus Abundance (08:37) Quality Matters (10:16) The pitfalls of taking an overly aggressive or deceptive startup approach (13:23) Time-box moments. How to do them right and wrong. (17:05) The challenge to keep fundraising authentic in a click-bait world. (22:20) Conversion rates and real on-the-ground responses (25:27) Ian’s advice for nonprofits on their communication’s strategy. (26:50) Establishing trust through your communications. (30:36) The numbers Ian uses to know if he’s ‘on track’ with his fundraising (31:30) All about fundraising via text. (37:42) More about Ian and where to find him.
Many thanks to NationBuilder, the innovative software platform that builds movements, for sponsoring this episode of What the Fundraising. With everything in one integrated system, NationBuilder tools empower nonprofits and drive dynamic campaigns.
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 that helps you identify the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point!
You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
Feel like getting outside your box? Then spend some time with Mariam Nusrat, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising! A lightbulb realization during her 12-year frontlines career working on educational policy and behavioral change in developing countries for the World Bank has transformed her into a video games visionary. As Founder and CEO of GRID (Gaming Revolution for International Development), she has unleashed a not-for-profit platform that is democratizing mobile games, advocating for a better world, and offering players of all ages, cultures, and geographies a ton of fun along the way! And fun = retention!
But there’s more … Mariam has more recently launched Breshna.io, a startup that empowers global users to create, share and monetize their own purposeful Web3 video games, with no code and at lightning speed. She is sharing thoughts on how nonprofits can incorporate interactivity and other tech tools to enliven fundraising and deepen connections with funders, volunteers, and donor recipients alike.
As Mary Poppins famously said: “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Video gaming is Mariam Nusrat’s engaging and playful strategy for driving a new, more equitable frontier built on interactive community, collaboration, and education, and there is so much that nonprofits can learn from her.
Episode Highlights:
(02:20) Mariam's experience at the World Bank brings her to today (03:36) The founding of Breshna.io and raising $2.4 million of seed capital (06:09) The three I’s that make gaming such a compelling educational tool (06:41) How do mobile games get the best retention (09:14) Gamification: What it is and how it works. (14:14) The similarities between nonprofit proposals and mobile games (15:33) How to create the gamification of nonprofit functions (20:09) The “crystal ball” effect (22:44) Taking bite-sized steps forward (25:03) Collaborative versus Competitive environments (27:35) About the psychology of “showing up” (29:48) The trade-off between too easy and too difficult (33:03) Retention is about more than luck. (34:51) NFTs and how to make donors feel lucky and exclusive in an equitable way. (40:41) What it means to have a “building in public” philosophy
What’s more powerful than a stellar fundraising strategy? Integrated software that helps you manage with ease. Visit NationBuilder, our sponsor for this episode of What the Fundraising, to learn about their ready-to-go donation pages, express payment options, and other tools to support you on every step of your nonprofit’s journey!
If you’re looking to lift your nonprofit to that next level, my Power Partners Formula offers a step-by-step plan to get you there, including how to identify the right partners and design the right campaign. This free masterclass offers a great starting point!
Many nonprofits are exploring a shift away from old-school donor-centric fundraising, but are unclear about what that would look like. In this episode of What the Fundraising, Erica Chomsky-Adelson is sharing the compelling, community-centric alternative she and her team at Culture Aid NOLA (CAN) have put in place. Born at the height of the pandemic, their non-traditional food bank knits donors, volunteers, and guests together in a vibrant ecosystem of mutual support. With demand higher than ever in today’s inflationary environment, CAN distributes 30,000 pounds of barrier-free, stigma-free food to 3,000 people a week. And it’s all happening in an atmosphere of collaboration, joy, and music! (It’s New Orleans, after all …)
Prior to becoming executive director at CAN, Erica worked in the world of disaster response, which is constantly impacted by the feast-or-famine cycles of crisis-based giving. It’s a paradigm she doesn’t believe is sustainable, desirable, or equitable, so in New Orleans, she and her team have instead built a grassroots partnership designed to empower people over the long haul. There are no federal government restrictions on who is entitled to pick up groceries or artificial dividing lines between those who help, those who receive help, and those doing both (in fact, the mindset is that EVERYONE is helping in their own way).
CAN puts trust and respect at the center of every interaction. Words are carefully chosen, with maximum attention to inclusivity and the dignity of guests. You don’t want to miss this episode that will move you to reimagine fundraising and community building in the best way.
Episode Highlights:
(02:41) – Erica’s journey and the roots of Culture Aid NOLA (CAN) (03:54) Beyond the Height of Crisis (10:14) CAN’s no-barriers model. (11:45) The importance of word choice. (12:47) Navigating urgency without fear, need, guilt and exploitation. (14:14) The role of trust in CAN’s model. (17:40) The feast-or-famine cycle we’re used to in this sector. (18:51) Focusing on stewardship over urgency. (22:58) Closing the gap between funders and recipients. (25:45) Erica sees CAN’s work as part of an ecosystem that relies on all its elements. (27:08) About Community-Centric Fundraising Principles. (28:20) Erica shares thoughts on how NationBuilder’s platform is a huge equalizer.
This episode was made possible thanks to our friends at NationBuilder, whose integrated platform helps nonprofits connect with their communities at every point of entry. Click here to learn more about how NationBuilder’s tools to power nonprofits, movements, and dynamic campaigns.
Are you feeling stuck on how to implement new fundraising practices like the ones mentioned in this episode? My VIP Day is an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience that smashes through fundraising obstacles. Click here to learn how together we can pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its mission.
Your head will spin with the data-driven insights and post-pandemic strategies my guest has to share on this jam-packed episode of What the Fundraising. Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday, brings a powerful lens on fundraising based on his previous career in commercial marketing as well as the detailed metrics he’s constantly scanning for clues to donor behavior. In large part because of the COVID-19 global impact and response, many of the nonprofit world’s old-school models, false assumptions, and self-limiting strategies are up for re-evaluation.
From his viewpoint at GivingTuesday, the donor movement unleashing radical generosity around the world, Woodrow has a unique and broad-based understanding of the dynamics at play in today’s fluid giving environment. We’re all being called upon to break old models, be brave and shift from a scarcity mindset into one of abundance!
Among the many things Woodrow shares thoughts about:
Abandoning zero-sum competitiveness in favor of helping all boats rise together
Why many fundraising truisms no longer hold
What makes for the most resilient nonprofits, especially in recessionary times
Why fundraising that exclusively emphasizes the transactional leaves money – as well as goodwill and long-term engagement – on the table
Why Donor Fatigue actually isn’t a thing
How recurring donations are a boon and why they’re sticky
Woodrow unpacks what it means to approach nonprofit work holistically, aligning fundraising with story-led marketing activities that expand nonprofit missions, build community, drive social movements and inspire donors to get on board with giving, again and again. You won’t want to miss the surprising research insights or leading-edge practical advice inside this episode.
My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is challenging all of us to throw out self-limiting beliefs in favor of playfulness and transparency. Simone Seol, a coach, and host of The Joyful Marketing Podcast, shows us what it can look like to step away from self-doubt, fear of rejection, and perfectionism. “How we get to show up is our decision,” she says. “You get what you think you deserve and you call in who you speak to.”
This is such a powerful message for nonprofits whose goal is to cultivate long-term, trust-based relationships with donors! We can push back on old narratives not based on current realities. And that constant drive fundraisers feel to do good and be seen as good? Simone believes the harder we work to be sainted martyrs the farther we get from authentic, resilient connection with our partners – whether in business, philanthropy, or life.
Simone is an evangelist for truth and vulnerability – which shines through in her work with life coaches and her lively Instagram posts. Her own candor gives us all permission to dig deeper in service of universal stories and nuance. It’s through humanity-centered narratives and shared experience, she says, that we transcend “no” to live instead in a powerful place of connection and joy.
This inspiring conversation is sure to open you up to new ways of thinking.
Episode Highlights:
(02:15) Simone shares her background, as the overview of her work and history in the nonprofit sector (04:00) About stepping into higher levels of giving, receiving, and becoming (05:55) Goals, fears, and a commitment to upgrading our internal operating systems (08:13) How a siloed approach to marketing reinforces self-limiting beliefs and cringe-y tactics. (09:33) The pillars of humanity-centered marketing (10:41) Thinking about fundraising in a more holistic way (12:36) Flipping the paradigm when it comes to “no.” (15:07) Simone offers up a mantra and play and fun. (16:11) What happens when we adopt a more playful and integrated approach? (19:10) A look at the fear around getting authenticity wrong. (21:1) The bumps and bruises are part of any journey to alignment! (25:41) Somatic legacies live on in our bodies and shape our deepest ways of being. (27:49) The more we resist risk, the harder it becomes. (29:21) Normalizing the ebb and flow of life. (33:15) A closer look at self-fulfilling prophesies in fundraising. (37:26) Persuasion & nuance (38:55) Real relationships are built on honesty and trust – not hype. (43:30) Learn more about Simone and her work.
Many thanks to our sponsor Cosmic, the social impact creativity agency that delivers compelling stories, builds brand awareness, and inspires action. The team at Cosmic knows how to leverage clarity to catalyze real-world change.
After last week’s episode with Seth Godin, we wanted to dig deeper into the marketing and content side of nonprofit fundraising. And this next episode definitely delivers.
As nonprofits, we are constantly scrambling to come up with fresh, compelling stories to illustrate our missions, but are we being mindful? On this episode of What the Fundraising we’re pausing to take a hard look at content – and the harms our words can inadvertently cause. My guest Natalia Sanyal is applying a humanity-centered, anti-oppressive lens to the art and craft of copywriting. Having seen first-hand in her commercial career how even the most mindful of us can perpetuate hurtful language, she’s bringing tools to help raise our consciousness.
When she performs her copy audits on the average business, she uncovers terms that are exclusive, demeaning, or that undermine the organization’s core values. In this episode, we are untangling all of this, without judgment or shame. Natalia believes we’re all figuring it out together and the first step is just to get honest. Among the topics we discuss:
Manipulative writing tactics that don’t yield the results nonprofits desire.
Positive ways to use psychological insight to secure donor participation and retention.
How to avoid words and stories that can trigger negative responses.
Why informed decision-making (or conscious choice) is important.
What it means to build long-term trust with donors through honesty (not scare tactics).
Steps you can take to generate copy without generating harm.
What it means to be an ethical, trauma-informed storyteller.
You’ll come away from this episode with thoughts and ideas to ensure your messaging is really capturing – rather than undermining – your organization’s ethos and achievements. “It’s all about not being fake and being transparent,” says Natalia, and it starts with intentional conversations like this one!
If the content of this show resonated with you, then you definitely want to check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a FREE masterclass here.
Support for this show is brought to you by Bloomerang. Our friends at Bloomerang really understand fundraisers, which is how they make donor management software that nonprofits like to use. To learn more about them, head on over to bloomerang.com/mallory.
When it comes to marketing, leadership, connection, and inspiring change, there is no one else out there quite like Seth Godin, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. Seth is a teacher, entrepreneur, best-selling author, speaker and so much more. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, and Tribes (just to name a few of my favorites). Seth has spent his career trying to get us to be the best version of ourselves and when necessary, change everything.
For this reason, and because of the personal impact his work has had on my career, I wanted to have a conversation about how his work applies to fundraisers and the nonprofit space in particular.
As the son of parents rooted deeply in the nonprofit sector, Seth grew up around fundraising and regards fundraisers as powerful, professional agents for change. He’s not mincing words: it’s up to us to value and believe in exactly what we bring to the table. And fundraisers are bringing a lot of value to the table - the opportunity to give is a gift.
You’ll want to take notes on Seth’s actionable advice for managing everyday fundraising challenges like internal resistance, demanding donors, fundraising in moments of uncertainty, and why hyper-focusing on outcomes is a recipe for burnout. And of course, because it’s Seth Godin, we had to talk about the need to build real relationships with our donors if we want long-term donors and sustainable fundraising. The pants-on-fire marketing and fake urgency not only shut serious donors down at the moment, but they burn a bridge for years to come. We decide how we show up in our communications; we can’t show up transactionally and then be surprised when we have low donor retention because we designed our fundraising for that outcome. The good news is that there is an entirely different way to fundraise.
Seth’s famous quote, “people like us do things like this” demonstrates the way that donating is an important behavior rooted in identity. We talk about the fact that people not only choose your organization based on their current alignment with your work but inspiring people to give to your organization actually helps people cement their identity. Why does this matter? Because it means that fundraising isn’t just a ‘necessary evil’ to run our programs or a ‘means to an end’. It means that fundraising in itself - the movement of money in alignment with who people want to be - is actually a critical part of building your movement and community all on its own.
To get all of the show notes and takeaways visit: malloryerickson.com/episode-68-effective-fundraising-and-power-partner-principles-with-seth-godin
Did you know that connecting is entirely different than networking? The mindset is different according to Susan McPherson, author of "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships." As a social impact strategist, she has developed a methodology that turns certain nonprofit conventions on their head, as we learn in this episode of What the Fundraising.
Our fundraising superpower starts with broadening beyond the goal of racking up dollar commitments to instead ask: “How can I be of use? How can I contribute? What can I provide?” Corporations and other funders want to feel their contributions are more than transactional; that they are cultivating community, offering employees ways to engage, learning and helping think creatively about the issues of our times. Nonprofits bring to the table huge resources, knowledge, and ability. It’s a value-add that should not be underestimated!
Susan walks us through her methodology and offers terrific practical advice for upping our levels of engagement and building confidence. She’s also reflecting on what defines a nourishing workplace and some of the evolving standards for behavior, programs and that promise meaningful corporate change. Millennials and Gen Zers are demanding it!
Finally, we wrap up with Susan’s thoughts on everyday opportunities for advocacy and engagement. Enjoy this whirlwind conversation with a remarkable strategist – and force – within the world of social impact and beyond!
Interested in following what Susan is up to? You can subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, The McPherson Memo here. You can also click on this link to purchase her book, "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships."
Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.
To learn more about how to build long-term strategic partnerships, check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a FREE Masterclass to get the entire blueprint here.
Faced with the death of her beloved brother, Monique Parker, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, reinvented herself and enlivened her purpose. She launched a candle-making business whose revenue she funneled into philanthropies that honored the spirit of her brother. And now she’s taking her nonprofit support one step further.
Leveraging her corporate experience in the tech sector, where she was responsible for granting funds to nonprofits, Monique has launched A Little Bit of Good, a capacity-building accelerator program, to close the gap in funding for Black-led nonprofits. Monique is uniquely positioned to deconstruct institutional giving and highlight the ways in which nonprofits can best work with corporate partners to build long-term, sustainable strategic partnerships. You are not going to want to miss these takeaways!
We are also getting into some of the hard questions, like: Why is there such an enormous gulf between resources allotted to Black-led versus white-led nonprofits? And are our corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts more about maintaining funder comfort than making an actual change? Monique suggests that there is a way for nonprofits to fulfill their missions and offer corporate funders an opportunity to partner on an ongoing basis. Employees are demanding something more than performative gestures and now is the time to show up.
Monique’s program is designed to equip Black nonprofit leaders with the strategy, resources, and capital necessary to create sustainable and scalable impact within their communities. “If you don’t have a focus on diversity, your initiatives will always be a Band-aid,” says Monique, who believes real healing lies in demographics, data, and other concrete measures for demonstrable change.
Listen now for all of the takeaways for nonprofits, corporate partners, and the sector alike! And if you want to see your dollars at work in a hands-on, targeted way, consider clicking here to support Monique’s work.
Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.
If you Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising brings not only deep experience as a successful fundraiser for large cultural and educational institutions, but he’s also changing the conversation with fresh perspectives on both the nonprofit and donor sides of giving. Louis Diez, VP for Community at Almabase & Host at the Donor Participation Project, is sharing with us some of the research and insights that are going to blow your mind.
In the theme of this week's mini-series, Friendraising, we explore top-of-mind topics such as what it takes to become a trusted partner, how to cultivate the elements of a holistic fundraising campaign, and why it’s important to look at our campaigns through our donors’ eyes. We also take a look at the definition of community and how it applies when it comes to engaging donors in sustained and meaningful ways.
This conversation is peppered with fascinating food for thought, from the changing face of fundraising in a world with ever more diverse platforms for direct giving to the identification of new donor segments and the potential resource they represent. It all starts with establishing that all-important trust equation: Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy = Donor connections that go the distance.
Click here to learn more about upcoming Donor Participation Project events for fundraising professionals who want to move the needle by building better programs and leadership.
Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.
There is a lot of overlap in Louis’ recommendation with what I teach inside my Power Partners Formula. Register here for the FREE masterclass to get the full blueprint. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
Dominique Morgan is a powerhouse executive director – most recently at The Okra Project, a collective addressing the needs of Black Trans people – but hers is a story that could have gone a different way. Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, Dominique was repeatedly incarcerated. It was a lived experience without dreams or prospects – until she had a few life-changing experiences. A single volunteer gig working at a Pride festival started Dominique on the path to higher education, paid nonprofit work that she loved, and an unstoppable voice in the movement to dismantle broken systems.
This impressive leader previously took Black & Pink from a modest budget into the multi-millions, leveraging her passion for abolishing violence against LGBTQ people in prison through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing. While moving through the nonprofit world, Dominique has brought her unique prism to the psychological and practical baggage that too often diverts us from our core missions. But she now knows how to fundraise powerfully for her work through an abundance mindset that also allows her to see where she can redistribute funds or make connections to help others move forward on the path to their shared north star.
Dominique embraces both celebration of all that nonprofits accomplish, while also seeing and calling out the shadow work that we must continuously do to fully stand in our integrity and purpose. You’ll come away from this wide-ranging conversation with a refreshing sense of what can be achieved if we choose to allow vulnerability, share our stories, and support one another.
Many thanks to NationBuilder, the software that builds movements, for sponsoring this episode of What the Fundraising. With everything in one integrated system, NationBuilder tools are designed to power nonprofits, movements, and dynamic campaigns.
Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my fun, informative Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
How busy are you? How rarely are you able to cut through all the noise? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is inspiring us all to carve out a daily practice because – no matter how modest – our human spirits need dedicated moments and rituals. When Libby DeLana committed to taking a daily walk around her Newburyport, MA, neighborhood 10 years ago, she had no idea how transformational it would be. Without fail, she has integrated a walk into her daily life. Every day. No negotiation. The results have been life-changing for this award-winning advertising executive, who then created #thismorningwalk as a safe place for self-inquiry, reimagination, and liberation. Her daily ritual opens space to contemplate the literal ground on which she walks, the energy she brings to each step, and the constraints of self-definitions that no longer serve. And in this episode, she shares her process, learning, and recommendations for us all.
Whether we’re courting a donor or racing to get to the airport on time, more often than not we have less control over outcomes than we’d like to believe. But by adopting a practice such as Libby’s we can claim some agency. We can show up and define the parameters of how we choose to be present – to ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and the environment around us.
Libby exemplifies the power in putting one foot in front of the other. In her case, each next right step (even on the coldest New England winter days) has resulted in the equivalent of a global circumnavigation. We can start small, of course. It’s the intent that matters. So pull on your shoes – metaphorical or real – and join us for this energizing conversation. We’re being invited to step into our most aligned selves and create the spaciousness we all deserve! https://www.thismorningwalk.com/
Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
Do you see financial resources as a zero-sum game? If another fundraiser gets more, does it mean your nonprofit receives less? Check that mindset! My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is here to offer a completely different – far more generous – lens on wealth. Angela Matthews, the founder of the Happy Investor Method, shares an approach fueled by her vision of bounty in both business and in life.
“Long gone are the days of martyrdom and choice poverty because I have something that someone else doesn’t. I’m over it,” says Angela. Having grown up poor and determined to change the narrative, she started looking for tools to unlock wealth and an abundance she could share. Based on her investing success, Angela has developed a step-by-step program to help clients banish shame in favor of agency, opening doors to opportunity in unexpected ways! To get there, however, we first must be willing to sit with messy, uncomfortable money issues embedded in our psyches and deal with scars that are often passed down trans-generationally.
You’ll learn what brought Angela to this work and why claiming financial purpose is an essential first step toward shifting self-limiting beliefs. We discuss the binary approach to money that leave nonprofits unnecessarily constricted and unpack what it might look like for fundraisers to take an entirely different approach to how we talk about money. So grab your seat at the table and invest first where it counts most: In your own well-being. Because that investment is actually going to yield dividends for your organization and beyond.
If you’re ready to make the connection between happiness and wealth, use this link to learn more about Angela’s program or, better yet, schedule a discovery call here.
Many thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory.
Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my fun, informative Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
Ever had that sensation of running, running, running, and not even really knowing where you’re running to? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is asking us to pause and consider: Might there be something we’re unconsciously running away from? Goli Kalkhoran, Coach and Host of Lessons From A Quitter, is all about stripping away the layers of identity and self-limiting beliefs that drive so much of our lives. It’s so common that we run from shame, guilt, disappointment, and ultimately from ourselves, but there is actually an entirely different way to show up.
We are unpacking the roots of maladaptive behaviors (those things we do to ourselves that are not in fact good for our “selves”). Much of it comes from feeling (or having been given the message) that we can’t trust ourselves and that we need external validation. Herself a recovering Type-A lawyer, Goli believes women are often acculturated to be people-pleasing perfectionists when, of course, no one gets out of life without making mistakes. Lots of them. So why not surrender and even celebrate the fact that we are all in a position to assess, accept, pivot, and try again?
Enjoy this life-affirming look at career, and why it’s so important to push back against the cues women especially receive about money, greed, and that most elemental of human conditions: wanting more. If you have a toxic relationship with money or self-judgment (as so many of us in the nonprofit world do!) then this is an episode you definitely won’t want to miss!
Why is it so hard for women to bring all of ourselves, imperfections included, to the table? For starters, we’ve inherited deeply ingrained narratives — stories that shame us and drive our truest natures into hiding. That’s why we all need the support of someone like Ruthie Lindsey, my remarkable guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. She is an author, coach, speaker, and extraordinary healer whose rare wisdom provides a beautiful mirroring of all that we are, including the difficult pieces so many of us are reluctant to expose.
In this episode, Ruthie invites us to embrace our truest selves through practices such as intentional expression (Dance! Journal! Scream!) and the RAIN framework that author and psychologist Tara Brach recommends for processing jealousy and other challenging emotions.
Enjoy this powerful conversation with a woman who has worked tremendously hard to fully embrace every facet of herself and is now serving as a beacon for others finding their way towards self-love and acceptance. If you work in the service or nonprofit world, this episode is likely especially relevant. Here’s a chance to pause and reflect on what it means to feel nourished and deeply worthy, which in turn will fuel your life goals and mission!
If you need a reminder of your fundraising magic specifically, you might be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.
It’s dizzying to look back on this past season of What the Fundraising and try to encapsulate all the brilliant advice, life lessons, and wisdom that my guests have shared – which is why I was fortunate to have my good friend Dana Snyder, CEO of Positive Equation, on deck to help out! Together we’re deconstructing some of the big themes impacting nonprofits today as well as the many innovative new ways organizations are approaching donor partnerships.
A lot of our conversations in this space seem to be trending towards pausing – whether for self-reflection, celebration, or recalibration in the face of fast-paced, relentless technological and social change. This episode provides highlights (and links) for some of our most compelling What the Fundraising conversations and favorite topics from perfectionism to donor retention and everything in between. Listen now to hear a thought-provoking, lively, and information-packed episode.
Want to remember exactly who you are – and be unafraid to claim it? Then you’ll want to tap into the infectious positivity and purpose my guest shares on this episode of What the Fundraising. Ande Lyons is a Startup Champion coach who, as the founder of four successful entrepreneurial ventures, knows intimately the ups downs, joys, and losses associated with taking big risks in pursuit of a passionate vision.
While for-profit and nonprofit mandates may differ, many of the organizational challenges overlap. In fact, the pressures to deviate from the foundational mission, scale too quickly or ravage work-life balance are very often exactly the same. But Ande, who hosts Startup Life, is offering a different path forward. In this episode, We are diving into bedrock truths about founder identity and also busting some of the intimidating startup myths. A big one? Everyone is on their way to massive expansion. Wrong! Ande reminds us that the vast majority of businesses fail – and there is absolutely no shame in it. As nonprofit leaders, we must step into our authority and own the truth of where we are – even hard truths, like an organization’s unsustainable model or poorly matched donor partnership.
It’s all fodder for growth and that learning goes with us to the next venture, says Ande. You’ll come away with food for thought about the power of saying “yes” to cold calls that are relentlessly saying “no” as well as strategies for defining – and then adhering to – a core value set that is authentic, sustainable, and abundant.
For more support around your nonprofit fundraising and leadership journey check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here.
It was a thrill to spend time recently with Cimeran Kapur, the Founder, and CEO of Potion, cancer survivor, advocate for healing, and – most of all – seeker of truth. In this episode of What the Fundraising, we’re discussing the effects of coming into alignment with ourselves. It starts with sifting through and looking at who we are to uncover who we’re meant to become.
Cimeran was living at breakneck speed, becoming a physician and doing her best to save the world, when she was hit out of left field with a cancer diagnosis. Her world, of course, was turned upside down. Rather than buckle under, Cimeran got busy researching, reflecting, and shedding layers of conditioning that had not served her well. Ultimately she was drawn back to her roots in Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient mind-body-spirit practice from India. Today she is launching Potion, a brand whose mission is to educate and bring integrative health and well-being to everyone.
You’ll learn not only about Cimeran’s journey to full remission but also about the toolkit she deployed in getting there. She’s also offering compelling insights into the nature of true self-confidence (and how to cultivate it) as well as how to set boundaries that are integral, authentic, and in community with others. Cimeran’s combination of personal life examples and Ayurvedic wisdom are inspiring and educational both professionally and personally.
To increase your fundraising confidence specifically, you might benefit from understanding your fundraising superpower by taking this Quiz.
This episode is sponsored by our friends at Bloomerang. Our friends at Bloomerang really understand fundraisers, which is how they make a donor management software that nonprofits like to use. To learn more about them, head on over to bloomerang.com/mallory.
Megan Seamans is a Certified Life & Energy Coach and Human Design Guide. Megan supports women to tap into their magic and confidently lead their life; without people-pleasing or having fear or doubt stand in the way. After navigating the loss of her brother in 2018 and facing burnout on the thing she was the most passionate about, she changed the way she looked at purpose. Now she supports people everywhere to express their soul gifts and live by design.
This episode of What the Fundraising illuminates her journey as well as the tools we all have within us to identify our deepest purpose.
As an energy leadership coach, I was fascinated to learn about Megan’s intuitive approach and she explains the overlapping modalities that make up Human Design, a holistic self-knowledge system that teases out our unique personality imprints and helps guide our intuition. We also share thoughts about the consciousness that sometimes comes out of moving through profound discomfort. Coaching work can be scary, but it’s so important to bring awareness to where we are in the present moment because like energy attracts like energy. The energy we project can’t be concealed, says Megan: “If something doesn’t feel good when you’re doing it, other people can see that and feel that. When we’re doing something we like, we become magnetic.”
Getting to a place of energetic awareness isn’t easy to do on our own, which is why having a gifted coach or a supportive community of peers can be so invaluable. But Megan gives us a great starting place in this episode with a list of simple things to try that bring the focus and intentionality we need to realize our best, most authentic, and aligned flow in life.
Interested in learning more about Human Design? Megan offers a free starting point here. Or click here to access Megan’s free journal, a tool for finding your clarity and purpose. Support for this show is brought to you by Bloomerang. Our friends at Bloomerang really understand fundraisers, which is how they make donor management software that nonprofits like to use. To learn more about them, head on over to bloomerang.com/mallory.
If you want to learn more about the intersection of coaching and fundraising, that’s what my Power Partners Formula is all about and you can register for a FREE masterclass that takes you through the entire blueprint here.
The brittleness, burnout, and even breakdown that so many of us in the nonprofit world experience isn’t just an occupational hazard. It’s symptomatic of a much more far-reaching cultural framework, which is why my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is all about disruption. Rebekah Giacomantonio, a facilitator and community healer, took a necessary pause from her career in restorative justice to restore herself. And she’s sharing with us how living into the fabric of Guatemala’s culture and ethos reshaped her entire life orientation.
By taking a hard break from working and living the American nonprofit gauntlet, Rebekah was able to step into a model of healing that works on collective, interpersonal, and systemic levels. A small community of liberation theology-oriented missionaries helped her understand at the deepest level that there is no right and wrong; only the messy. She learned to pause, breathe, and notice what was in her body. Most of all, she came to understand just how deeply entrenched and reflexive privilege can be.
In today’s episode, we dive into Rebekah’s journey and her work today, focused on her Interdependence Incubator - a program that supports white women and nonbinary people who want to free themselves of toxic conditioning and harmful behavior patterns. We talk about how to work with shame, disarm defensiveness and sit with ourselves in fearful or reactive moments. The work involves a lot of curiosity and questions but results in expanding tolerance by rewiring our brains, settling our nervous systems, and practicing radical self-acceptance.
Rebekah’s passion for this work is palpable and the tools she offers are an invitation to look at what’s uncomfortable. There is a lot inside the episode that might be a completely different paradigm shift for you, but we invite you to go there and see what comes up in your body and mind.
It was such a pleasure to welcome Julie Solomon, an amazing brand and pitch expert, on the day of her first book’s publication. In this episode of What the Fundraising she is walking us through the very internal process undergone by the successful entrepreneurs, entertainers, and other public figures with whom she has worked over the years. But the real work? It started with Julie herself. She gets vulnerable in sharing her own origin story, which is also detailed in "Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable."
In this episode, we are looking at what it takes to break through the scrappy startup phase into the next stage of growth and development. In most cases, it looks like moving from scarcity to abundance – which is a lot harder than it might sound. Julie explains the kind of self-examination required to discard toxic beliefs that no longer serve, embrace clarity and claim true confidence. She explains a three-step framework built around Awareness, Acceptance, and Action that you’ll find simple to understand and available to anyone willing to take that all-important pause.
For many fundraisers, stories we tell ourselves about money or judgments we make around funder agendas get in the way of actually realizing our own power. As Julie notes, nonprofits have assets of great value to offer branding partners. This episode is all about uncovering and laying claim to the value-add our donors need – and want – to see!
Click here to order Julie’s new book, "Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable."
If you feel like you need more support around the topic outlined in this episode, check out my Power Partners Formula. The course is designed to equip you with the tools you need to identify your Power Partners, avoid mistakes, and stop wasting time on the endless fundraising hamster wheel. To learn more about my unique methodology, you can also register for my free 60-minute masterclass here.
Do you ever feel that you’re spinning your wheels or being penny-wise and pound-foolish? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is here with some straight talk about managing operations efficiently and effectively. A consultant who helps small businesses scale, Jhana Li is a systems thinker with a gift for optimizing organizations from both the 30,000-foot and three-foot levels. This conversation offers a framework to audit your organizational health. Plus practical tips for making change!
Jhana walks us through core resources for early start-up development as well as key systems to support transformation through scaling stages. You’ll recognize some insights that are especially relevant to the nonprofit world. For instance: Are you a serial “helper” or “fix-it” addict who feels constantly compelled to do, facilitate, cure, and manage? Consider whether that behavior is actually serving you or the co-workers who – deprived of the opportunity to take on new tasks – forfeit an opportunity for growth. Or perhaps you default to a scarcity mindset that renders you too fearful to invest in important systems critical to sustaining your work? Jhana not only urges a shift of focus to the big-picture and all the resources you’re expending and can never get back, but she also gives tactical and practical ways to do so. This is the episode I wish I had as a Managing Director and Executive Director - it would have completely changed the way I looked at my organization's resources and planned for growth. Listen now to learn how to audit your organizational health & optimize your resources for growth.
You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz to learn more about you can optimize your natural fundraising talents.
Tania Bhattacharyya, Founder of Lumos Marketing, has built her practice around empowering female leaders and their brands. She highlights the many ways that we have it within us to confront and transform the historic and systemic structures that hold us back by owning and telling our story differently.
As Tania learned through her years of work at a nonprofit supporting women and families impacted by substance abuse, our stories are transgenerational and deeply embedded. In this episode, she reminds us that we can recover our voices and understand the fears and insecurities that mute our agency. It just takes work – much of it interior.
Much of our conversation centered around a set of concepts that are central to fully articulating our own stories. Tania believes that once we understand and challenge the narratives that shape us individually, as well as our organizations, we can, at last, embody and persuasively communicate our mission to the outside world. Getting there, however, often means breaking down some barriers. We discuss the derailing impacts of Imposter Syndrome, which can paralyze us with self-limiting beliefs and negativity. Our “inner critics” also work hard to bury past traumas, diminishing or dismissing our wounding. And what happens to those trapped toxins? Well, the body knows. Beyond intellectually processing the sum of our lived experience, which always accompanies us to whatever table, we must also do the somatic work necessary to unblock internalized experiences that do not serve.
This episode ultimately is a celebration of community and our ability to support one another. Fundraising can be lonely, isolating, and demoralizing. That’s why it’s up to us to remove shame, open communication, reclaim our narratives and assert the value we bring to the table. Tania is all about shifting the balance by helping us learn to be the authors of our own stories, in all their vulnerability and authenticity. As she points out: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
To learn more about how to be an embodied and authentic fundraiser, check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here.
When an online community goes from 10k to 500k members seemingly overnight, there’s definitely some secret sauce involved. In this episode of What the Fundraising we learn from Diandra Marizet Esparza, the co-founder and Executive Director of Intersectional Environmentalist (IE), about why the platform has resonated so profoundly. It starts with understanding the way that cultural identities shape nature and nature shapes cultural identity, and that the two cannot be disconnected. At the core of IE is a commitment to activating community among those whose voices have been long ignored – the very citizens most deeply and directly impacted by environmental injustices.
First breaking down the historical context and meaning of “intersectional environmentalism,” Diandra goes on to explain the organic evolution of IE and its mission to revolutionize business as usual among environmental decision-makers, educational and political systems, and the non-profit industrial complex.
Environmental and conservation groups of all sizes have something to learn from the way IE promotes a high-profile value proposition for brands seeking both to do good and be good. And their platform is full of resources and networking tools available to everyone.
In this episode, you’ll learn tips for strengthening partnerships and get a glimpse into how this social media powerhouse keeps everything going. If you’d like to take a deeper dive into understanding this new approach to environmental healing, IE has an informative book available in print and audible formats: "Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet," by Leah Thomas. You’ll also want to check out IE’s new podcast, The Joy Report.
And the learn more about how to raise money from the right funders in a way that is aligned and in integrity with the work of your organization, make sure to check out the Power Partners Formula and register for my free masterclass here.
When we garden we are caring for more than a plot of land. It can also be seen as an expression of hope, curiosity, and of interconnectivity. This is the message my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising has evangelized to great success through her books, blog and fierce commitment to greening our planet together. Emily Murphy is here to share with us the inspiration behind her latest work, "Grow Now: How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet — One Garden at a Time," a fascinating guide to regeneration. And for all of you who feel intimidated by gardening, growing anything, or even keeping a house plant alive, you should definitely tune in. Not only is this an invitation to play, but this episode isn’t just about what and how to grow things externally, it’s also about inner nurture and how we grow ourselves. Whether we’re talking about picking up a spade or watering can, putting our hands in the soil, or learning anything new that shifts our perspective, we find that there are many overlapping lessons. For example, failure is part of the process, as inevitable as the changing of seasons themselves. In this episode, Emily and I swap happy memories of our childhoods and muse on the power found in the simple act of growing things. It inspires children’s curiosity and resilience. It brings together communities even in the most barren of cityscapes. It also expresses a commitment to biodiversity and positive change in the face of species endangerment and climate crisis. Closer to home, Emily spells out some of the many positive impacts that gardens have far beyond being good for the planet. They support our immune systems, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce anxiety and depression. Gardening also nourishes us, spiritually and culinarily. And we have it within our power to enable nature to repair our damaged and fragmented ecosystems.
Learn more about Emily’s work at her www.passthepistil.com website. You can also check out where to purchase copies of her new book here.
What does it look like to use our power and privilege for good? In some cases it involves us speaking out, in others it involves us getting quiet and listening. How do you know what to do when?
Maggie Doyne and I explore all of this and more in this week’s episode of What the Fundraising. Maggie has been hailed as CNN Hero of the Year and criticized for perpetuating the white savior narrative, and she has something to say about both. As many people know, at 19 years old, Maggie set off on a gap year that ultimately led her to Co-Found BlinkNow and personally adopt almost 60 Nepalese children. Her story is complicated, inspiring, nuanced, beautiful, and painful. And through her new book, "Between the Mountain and Sky: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope" Maggie lets us walk with her through so many of the ups and downs of her journey.
In this episode, Maggie and I untangle some of the duality that Maggie and BlinkNow experienced when the media would cover Maggie's inspiring story. For example, opportunities and funding for the nonprofit were realized because Maggie was from a suburban town in New Jersey, while at the same time the media narrative about the organization would often leave out the most important part - that the organization was primarily driven by local leadership and solutions from inside the local community. While Maggie was attempting to partner with the local community in the most humble and ethical way, the media clickbait stories about her work caused harm and, as she reflects back, that is something she wishes she had corrected and spoken up more about at the moment.
Maggie talks about her commitment to using her whiteness as an ally, to elevate the voices and the stories around her and not be the center of the story. And in this conversation, we explore the learning journey that has led to her stepping back in this way. We often approach conversations like this in binary ways - good/bad, right/wrong, ethical/unethical but what this conversation creates is an opening for more curiosity, wonder, learning, and listening.
We talk about how the nonprofit sector as a whole can do better, starting with a commitment to learning from one another. We also discuss the power of vulnerability as a teacher and storytelling as a tool; why it’s important to deploy an inside-out approach that honors the people who know best, the ones on the ground.
If you’d like to support BlinkNow's work in Nepal, please consider getting involved with one of their many amazing donor opportunities. You can also visit your favorite independent bookstore or click here to purchase a copy of "Between the Mountain and Sky: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope."
Many thanks to our sponsor, Learn Grant Writing, an online learning experience that makes grant writing approachable and fun. If you want to learn more about how to align your fundraising and grant writing practices - watch a FREE fireside chat with me and the Meredith → learngrantwriting.com/mallory
Stepping from a nonprofit career trajectory into a for-profit consulting practice required some adjustment on the part of my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. Trudi Lebron had to recalibrate in some unexpected and liberating ways, changing outmoded practices that are now helping her change our world.
Today Trudi Lebron Impact Coaching serves a wide variety of leaders looking to get beyond old, harmful power structures and processes that have shaped the corporate and service sectors. She and her team are disrupting entrenched systems, the default to a “normal” that has for centuries marginalized people based on color, gender, and class. This work requires sustained, intentional, and fearless education and Trudi is here to walk us through the fundamentals. In this episode we get to hear a lot of details of Trudi’s experience in the nonprofit sector, and what it was like to transition into running a successful consulting business. We talk about why equity-centered coaching is so critical - recognizing that coaching generally defaults to a version of success that is biased and based on a normative model that defers to white, colonial, patriarchal standards. To move out of this, we need to redefine what success looks like in a number of ways, including how we track it and what metrics we truly value. We go deep in this conversation into the broken nature of nonprofit funding and how the system is set up in a way that often diverts the executive directors from their organizations’ core mission into a never-ending fundraising role and distracts from the organization’s primary focus and mandate. Throughout the episode, Trudi gives so much advice for nonprofits that want to break the cycle of white supremacy in the service sector. You’ll come away from this conversation with plenty to contemplate and new perspectives to consider. Listen now to learn about how this work intersects with your organization's leadership and how you can shift your practices now! After this episode, click here to learn more about and purchase Trudi’s new book, "The Antiracist Business Book: An Equity Centered Approach to Work, Wealth and Leadership."
Many thanks to our sponsor, www.learngrantwriting.org, an online learning experience that makes grant writing approachable and fun. Try out a free class to discover whether you’d like to become professionally trained as a grant writer!
Nearly a half-million people and counting have chosen to help Ukrainians by booking Airbnb rentals in that war-torn country. Why? On this episode of the What the Fundraising podcast, my guest Lynne Wester and I untangle some of the factors behind this impulse to give 1:1 rather than through traditional nonprofit organizations. The founder of Donor Relations Guru, her team partners closely with nonprofits large and small to develop a sound strategy, leveraging technology to create meaningful, sustained donor engagement. In many cases, it all starts with a step-by-step plan that honors “small but mighty” as well as longtime loyal supporters, engendering goodwill, trust and repeat contributions year after year.
Many of us saw during the pandemic that our nonprofit partners were more committed than we realized, eager to step up and continue giving without bells, whistles, events, and swag. The impetus to support whatever cause is genuine. The question is: Do we honor their giving well enough? Lynne highlights ways in which we cultivate good faith by treating donors with respect and personalized expressions of gratitude – whatever their level of giving. You’ll enjoy Lynne’s candor and personal take on everything from managing anxiety to advocating for more no-strings-attached, non-judgmental practices when it comes to aiding people in need. Listen now to hear us discuss all of this in addition to more about “analysis paralysis,” the merits of data-driven strategy, and ways to make inroads with nonprofits that are fearful of shaking up the status quo!
If you’re sidestepping cryptocurrency because it seems too abstract or risky, you won’t want to miss this episode of What the Fundraising. It features Veronica Hash, program manager of Belonging at Coinbase, a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency. Coinbase – among the largest crypto exchange platforms in the world – built a philanthropic mission into the heart of its business plan: To increase economic freedom in the world. By demystifying terms like “blockchain” and “NFTs,” Veronica opens a window on the fundraising opportunity many non-profits are currently leaving on the table. Plus, in true What the Fundraising fashion we explore the why behind our fear of talking about crypto and what you can do about it. Facing your fear, Veronica adds, is the best way to locate mentors, acquire education and find the tools to embrace digital currency. Non-profits that hide from or ignore crypto are very likely leaving money and partnerships on the table. What does all this mean for you and your non-profit? Listen now because we’re here to help you figure it out!
If you’d like to incorporate cryptocurrency as an option for donors, it has just been integrated into the powerful e-commerce giving platform provided by our sponsor, Pledge. Give it a try!
Simone Gordon is a single mother of a severely autistic son and the founder of the Black Fairy Godmother Organization which helps marginalized black and brown families. To date, Simone has helped over 500 families and has housed more than 122. In this episode, we talk about the broken parts of the nonprofit sector and why we need to stop putting people in boxes and really listen to their needs. Simone’s journey is tied to her own experience in the sector and it poses important questions about the role the sector can play in customized support for individuals, ways to connect donors with recipients, and how to listen to the needs of individuals and let them define what support looks like for them. Join this real and raw conversation with The Black Fairy Godmother to get an inside look at her work and walk away with some great takeaways for how to run your next grassroots campaigns.
If change is hard, massive and meaningful change can seem impossible. But my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is up to the task. As head of Community Impact and Partnerships for Patagonia, Whitney Clapper is innovating strategies designed to accelerate a paradigm shift in the way we live together and treat the planet. In this episode, much of our discussion focuses on the partnership dynamic between nonprofits and Patagonia, and what Patagonia looks for in its non-profit partnerships. You’ll find out the four specific areas that are currently the focus of Patagonia’s grantmaking and how, outside of grantmaking, Whitney acts as a conduit among different communities – expanding and binding together a network of activist organizations and the environmental and human causes they serve.
Whitney’s marketing experience positions her perfectly to grow a community engagement platform based on communication, empathy, inclusion, and education. But, as Whitney points out, the work actually starts with the most basic of connections: Sharing stories. It’s what knits us together in all our diversity, and is our best hope.
“We’ve got to get out of our own way and figure out how to be in partnership with one another if we are ever going to survive this world and climate change,” says Whitney.
Listen now to join us in this boundary-pushing conversation about business partnerships, human connection, and what it will take to actually tackle the challenges ahead of us - like climate change
This episode dives right into the importance of strong relationships between donors and nonprofits. As someone who has been on both sides, but now works primarily with funders, our guest is keenly aware of what foundations are looking for in their partnerships. In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast… Sybil Ackerman-Munson and I discuss what nonprofits can do to level up their pitch when asking foundation funders for money. In addition, Sybil gives us an insider's perspective on how funders can make sure they are being effective and impactful when donating to reduce the risk of burnout and to ensure they feel fulfilled in the end. Listen now to get all the great takeaways from this episode.
Shannon Lohr, Founder, and CEO of Factory45 helps her clients navigate the complexities involved in getting a sustainable clothing brand off the ground. What does this have to do with nonprofits? Well, her pragmatic advice applies to nonprofits too - everything from keeping your mindset right to how to prioritize the right brand and launch activities. We get into the nitty-gritty about things like content polishing, logo massaging, and font swapping that often keep us stuck from being more visible when we need to be focused on getting in front of our audience. Shannon and I share thoughts on the importance of knowing your own value and how to build confidence so you show up with that value in mind to all of your engagements. Enjoy this lively conversation with a woman who has carved out a unique coaching niche and is here with concrete marketing, sales, and other elements to consider as you look at ways to partner with, support, or start up a brand.
Kate Williams is the CEO of 1% for the Planet, a non-profit whose 6,000+ members are integrating environmental giving into standard best business practices. She helps us imagine a world in which every operating budget includes line items to underwrite social causes as routinely as office space or equipment rental. Conjured some 20 years ago on the banks of the Madison River in Montana, the founders of Patagonia and Blue Ribbon Flies, a fly fishing company, foresaw a need for businesses to support environmental organizations far beyond simple check-the-box annual giving. Out of their vision for paying back the planet has grown a network that partners socially responsible businesses with on-the-ground resources.
In this episode, Kate explains why companies of all sizes (as well as individuals) are willing to tithe 1% of their annual revenue under the umbrella of 1% for the Planet. We talk about all of the results that come from this model - mutual learning, storytelling, opportunity, and, perhaps most of all, a sustainable win-win-win proposition. There are so many learnings for nonprofits and businesses in this episode, tune in now to learn about what businesses are looking for when partnering with nonprofits and how 1% for the Planet plays matchmaker, coach, and co-dreamer to support successful cross-sector partnerships.
Inside this episode, I touch on a major golden nugget that isn’t about fundraising strategy at all, but rather involves personal growth strategies surrounding human psychology, which is a larger key element we don’t highlight enough.
I define the comfortable elements of the fundraiser hustle (you’ll get what I mean when you listen) and how that hustle mindset isn’t productive but rather detrimental in how we strive toward accomplishing our goals.
I dissect this concept and talk about self-coaching tools you can implement now to start changing your mindset which in turn will help improve all facets of how you fundraise and how you can push through both personal and organizational challenges.
This episode is a part of a mini-series on donor retention thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory
Megan Staples Jacob is the Senior Development Director for CSF Philadelphia and has been working in the nonprofit realm for over 13 years. Megan is deeply passionate about the underserved communities in Philadelphia and understands children gain their greatest opportunities through education.
In this episode, we discuss the drive and curiosity that fuels her openness to try different strategies in an effort to maximize donor retention, and she openly shares the tactics she’s successfully uncovered. Megan explains how defining your personal mission inside your efforts with an organization unveils a deeper motivation, which can help connect with potential and current donors on various levels. Listen to our conversation inside this riveting interview. Megan is extremely passionate and generous with all of her tips and tricks and you don’t want to miss it!
This episode is a part of a mini-series on donor retention thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory
Ayelet Fishbach, Ph.D., is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and the author of Get It Done (surprising lessons from the science of motivation). In this episode, Ayelet breaks down the intricate details behind donor motivation and how motivation differs based on the segment of donor. She gives us a number of helpful language suggestions for engagement, as well as other real-time strategies you can implement when trying to reach your fundraising goals. We also get into the motivation of the fundraiser and how fundraising is impacted by challenges around sustaining motivation and prioritizing when there are multiple goals.
There are so many fundraising takeaways from this conversation. Join in and listen to this motivation expert’s experience and take a journey with her through her research and findings around the science of motivation.
This episode is a part of a mini-series on donor retention thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory
Lindsay Simonds is a senior, nonprofit, fundraising and management professional with notable experience partnering with organizations for transformational change.
In this episode, Lindsay provides donor retention strategies and best practices you can implement inside your fundraising approaches and use to strengthen your team, right now. You can feel our excitement around these topics while we make revelation after revelation about retention tactics in this space. It’s an episode you can’t afford to miss!
This episode is a part of a mini-series on donor retention thanks to our incredible sponsors at DonorPerfect. DonorPerfect has a lot of free educational resources for fundraisers. Learn more and download some of their guides and tools today at donorperfect.com/mallory
Dethra Giles is the founder and CEO of ExecuPrep, an international performance optimization firm. She goes around the world, working with companies to make sure they are performing at their optimal level. In this episode, Dethra shares some of her views and experiences around recovering and building confidence, embracing ignorance, and feeling comfortable with rejection. She talks about getting our ‘ two-year-old confidence’ back and how to overcome imposter syndrome. Join in and listen to this conversation where we encourage you to aim high and take your negotiation and leadership skills to the next level with more confidence!
Episode Highlights : 2:29 - Who is Dethra Giles? A business leader who wants to fix the consciousness of organizations all around the world. 5:21 - Embracing our ignorance: How to find the middle ground between risk mitigation and showing up confidently. 10:46 - Negotiation beyond a ‘yes’ or ‘no’: Thinking big and realizing where the negotiation starts. 19:40 - Questioning our skills: Understanding the relationship between confidence and impostor syndrome. 28:26 - Here for the unlearning: Overcoming self-beliefs around rejection and the need for ‘solid skills’ that aren’t helpful to acquire alignment. 37:34 - Make a space for others, there is more than enough for everyone: Support and disempowerment among women and underrepresented groups in society. 50:00 - How to contact Dethra Giles and a shoutout to CASA and UNCF, two nonprofits that she’s passionate about.
Today’s episode (or 2-part series) is quite heavy - we are going to be talking about sexual harassment in fundraising. There is explicit content and potentially triggering storytelling so I want to make sure you listen to today’s show in the right place - mentally, physically, and emotionally.
For this series, I have the incredible honor of interviewing Dr. Ann Olivarius who is recognized around the world for her pioneering work in representing victims of sexual violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Her firms in the US and UK have achieved landmark settlements for survivors of abuse and have successfully coordinated international efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
In this episode, we hear about Ann’s coming of age and the background stories that led her to birth the legal case for sexual harassment and coin the term date rape. You will learn about Dr. Olivarius’ experience as a philanthropist as a part of Women Moving Millions, and how that experience has led to additional awareness about the different money stories we hold, and how deep they go.
In this conversation, we talk about some of the gender dynamics and historical foundational elements of the funder/fundraiser relationship that make it particularly vulnerable for sexual harassment situations. And we talk about some of the other forms of violence and racism in the sector because, as we know, sexual harassment is not the only form of harassment and abuse. At the same time, we also know that sexual harassment is a huge issue in our sector and one that needs to be talked about in a bigger way.
Dr. Olivarius shares a wide perspective on the issue; she shares some cases she’s worked on through her successful career and explains why we urgently need to change fundraising norms in the sector to break the cycle of toxic power dynamics.
Episode Highlights Part 1: (04:42) - Who is Dr. Ann Olivarius? The sexual abuse and power dynamics during her coming of age and how that led to the work she does today. (08:53) - How the legal basis for sexual harassment came to be what we know today (17:07) - Dr. Olivarius’ experience with Women Moving Millions and how it impacts the way she looks at the movement of money and fundraising (20:23) - Drawing the Line: The importance of holding people accountable for sexual harassment even if other problems arise as a result (22:29) - Money and Control: How theories on money and the movement of money is used to reinforce and protect power (23:43) - Sexual harassment in philanthropy: the gender dynamics and historical foundational elements of the funder/fundraiser relationship that make it particularly vulnerable for sexual harassment (27:06) - How do you know when it’s sexual harrassment? (27:31) - Changing the dynamic imbalance and how to create fundraising norms that support fundraisers to do their critical work.
Today’s episode (or 2-part series) is quite heavy - we are going to be talking about sexual harassment in fundraising. There is explicit content and potentially triggering storytelling so I want to make sure you listen to today’s show in the right place - mentally, physically, and emotionally.
For this series, I have the incredible honor of interviewing Dr. Ann Olivarius who is recognized around the world for her pioneering work in representing victims of sexual violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Her firms in the US and UK have achieved landmark settlements for survivors of abuse and have successfully coordinated international efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
In this episode, we are diving into how to create organizational support for your fundraisers and how to ensure your donors understand your guidelines and process for protecting fundraisers from sexual harassment. Dr. Olivarius explains what a nondisclosure agreement is and how it is a tool of oppression. We also talk about how the corporate sector has changed and the progress we have seen in terms of accountability and protection. We address how to deal with legacy issues in organizations, and Dr. Olivarius gives some clear advice around how organizations and this sector can best protect fundraisers and what to do when sexual harassment happens.
The goals of this episode and series is to acknowledge this issue, learn together, understand what collective action looks like, learn how to create safer environments for our fundraisers, and create an opening to process our past trauma through different lanes of support. As Dr. Olivarius makes clear, the legal route isn’t always recommended.
If you want to make sure you start at the beginning and hear more background on Dr. Ann Olivarius and her leadership, you might want to jump back and start at Part 1.
Episode Highlights Part 2: (03:26) - The structures that need to be in place for reporting and accountability. (08:19) - Some of Dr. Olivarius’ past experiences and how they have given her the clarity to be the activist she is today (11:30) - How documentation can help to identify patterns of behavior, protect other staff members, and make it clear when you do have a sexual harasser (13:06) - Why it’s important to be paying fundraisers more and the role this plays in getting fundraisers the respect they deserve (14:39) - What is the real role of an NDA and the implications of a nonprofit using or not using them. (17:56) - Organizational policy or procedure recommendations from Dr. Olivarius (20:28) - A sector we can look at as an example of how change can happen (23:58) - What is at stake for organizations if they hold people accountable for sexual harassment and what’s at stake if they don’t hold their funders accountable. (25:16) What is the intersection in our sector between sexual harassment and the other forms of harassment, abuse, and racism experienced by our Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous colleagues (27:31) - What to do if you want to file a claim? (30:24) - Where Dr. Ann Olivarius finds courage: The fight for women equality in many fronts worldwide. (34:03) - Managing traumatic stories both personally and professionally (36:04) - Where to contact Dr. Ann Olivarius.
Rhea Wong is a nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience that helps Executive Directors and development staff build out individual major gift programs to raise money like a pro. In this episode, we dismantle some of the most common biases inside the fundraiser’s mindset when it comes to money and the risk of rejection. Rhea has some interesting takeaways to help you challenge your pre-established money beliefs and become a successful fundraiser. You know this conversation is right up our alley! Listen and learn how to ask the right questions to nurture your relationships with partners.
00:28 - Rhea Wong’s background: The early experiences that shaped her root beliefs around money.
6:35 - The risk of rejection: What emotions get triggered when asking for money versus when you’re being asked?
09:45 - The courage to claim an edge: How to overcome the fact that not everyone is going to align with what you do.
13:46 - Fundraiser’s energy, mindset patterns, and inner barriers: What should new fundraisers be aware of?
23:36 - Heroes (not saviors) of our stories: What long-term relationship mindset and donor retention efforts are really all about.
32:01 - There is no perfect ask: Discussing the biased narratives that create a competitive landscape in the nonprofit sector and the discomfort that comes from asking for money.
38:15 - Transparency is important: The purpose that conversations with founders and board members should seek.
40:13 - We never talk about money in a really transparent way. And yet it's the undercard of everything that we do.
Cindy Wagman is the President and Founder of The Good Partnership, a consultancy that is working to unlock the potential of small nonprofits through fundraising. In this episode, me and Cindy talk about the system of beliefs and stigmas that are often associated with fundraising and how we can rewire the neural pathways in our brains that are keeping us stuck. We also explore the power of stories as vehicles for empathy and the importance of meeting your donors and really getting to know them. Join us while we go deep into the fundraiser’s brain and behavior and share some big tips for the small nonprofit!
Episode highlights: 01:50 - Introducing Cindy Wagman: How and when did she fall in love with fundraising work?
04:21 - Rewire the shortcuts: Cindy’s tips to start overcoming the fundraising beliefs and habits that might be holding us back .
11:56 - ‘Bad’ at fundraising: How does our brain create and interpret the detrimental beliefs that make fundraising a stressful task?
24:07 - Look at what’s inside your lens: Explaining what are the ‘Funder Lenses’ and how knowing them helps to shift negative reinforcement loops and act with authenticity.
30:25 - A story is an instrument of empathy: Transformative experiences and what happens when the exposure to one piece of information turns into a belief.
37:27 - Our work has value: Discussing the negative ways in which pop culture and major organizations have portrayed the fundraiser’s work.
Becky Straw is the Co-Founder of The Adventure Project, and a true believer in the ability to build community through entrepreneurship and move people out of poverty for good. There are so many amazing elements of The Adventure Project but in this episode, we look into their monthly giving program because it uses some innovative strategies to create strong memory peaks with the members of The Collective (both when donors are first inspired to join and throughout their time in The Collective). We go deep into why storytelling is so effective to build a sense of belonging for the donor and real impact on the ground. Join in and listen to this nonprofit leader that is creating a new partnership and international development model that we can all learn from.
This series is inspired by Neon One’s new donor report: titled ‘ Donors: Understanding The Future Of Individual Giving’. Get early access to the report by going to neonone.com/mallory.
Episode highlights :
02:28 - A passionate volunteer with a dream job: Becky Straw’s first experiences working in the nonprofit sector.
8:28 - The Adventure Project’s partnership model: Becky’s process of knowing, engaging and retaining funders.
13:43 - The collective adventure: How monthly giving became a sustaining force for The Adventure Project throughout the pandemic.
18:23 - Exploring the donor’s experience: Personalization, touchpoints and fundamental aspects of The Adventure Project’s monthly giving program.
22:10 - Addressing the right message: How Becky approaches storytelling to engage with donors looking for alternative models of investment.
27:41 - Supporting female founded organizations in Africa: How did the nonprofit’s new initiative for the women’s fund arised?
In this episode, I’m interviewing Lys Hugessen from Canada Helps and Celeste Flores from GivingTuesday. More specifically, Lys is the Vice President of Partnerships & GivingTuesday Canada. In her role, Lys leads the growth and development of the national GivingTuesday movement across Canada. Celeste supports and mobilizes GivingTuesday’s network of 200+ communities across the United States. Both of these women are coming to this conversation to talk about the GivingTuesday ‘moment’ - what has created it, what sustains it, and why it’s such a powerful expression of generosity and giving around the world. In this episode, Lys and Celeste are talking about how the movement has grown, what makes a GivingTuesday campaign successful, and why it’s all about generosity and giving that extends far beyond the click of a donation button. Join in and learn about what makes a community and global giving moment matter.
This series is inspired by Neon One’s new donor report: titled ‘ Donors: Understanding The Future Of Individual Giving’. Get early access to the report by going to neonone.com/mallory.
Episode highlights : 00:24 - Givers all around the world: Lys and Celeste introduce themselves and the nonprofits that they are part of.
3:24 - A day to do good: What is the driving methodology and values behind GivingTuesday? How did it grow?
10:23 - The 80 hearts of GivingTuesday: What qualities and actions have enabled GivingTuesday to become a social movement that is universally appealing?
16:43 - The giver’s behavior: Retention data, multiple layers of engagement and how the peak moments of the experience are created by the global community.
27:09 - GivingTuesday’s Golden Moments: Surprising trends inside the overall data of the nonprofit’s donors.
33:48 - Honoring and giving people multiple ways to give: The importance of building follow-up experiences and non financial ways to engage.
39:24 - From scarcity to abundance mindset shift: How is GivingTuesday helping new organizations to fit into their model?
44:12 - Contact information: Learn how your organization can collaborate with GivingTuesday.
Francesco Ambrogetti leads Supporter Engagement for UNICEF worldwide. He has over 20 years’ international experience and has worked for organizations like the WWF, MSF, and the Red Cross World Bank across four different continents. His most recent book, “Hooked on a Feeling”, inspired this episode as it dives deep into the neuroscience of fundraising and explores a number of different topics not typically explained (but highly relevant) when we’re taught fundraising best practices. In this episode, we’re covering many topics inside this amazing book, like how memory works and the way dopamine and serotonin actually shape the donor’s experience and the likelihood they will stay involved in the organization in an ongoing way. We are often told to make a thank you call to a donor within 48 hours because of it’s impact on donor retention, but do you know WHY it has such an impact? Listen to this episode to learn the science behind that fundraising recommendation, and many new science-backed strategies and tips that will change your fundraising immediately! This series is inspired by Neon One’s new donor report: titled ‘ Donors: Understanding The Future Of Individual Giving’. Get early access to the report by going to neonone.com/mallory.
Episode highlights : 02:42 - Introducing Francesco Ambrogetti: An author passionate about fundraising and neuroscience.
6:24 - The science behind our relationship with donors: Understanding the chemical reactions that happen around fundraising work and how memory comes into play.
17:24 - Empathy and social proof: Analyzing the causes of higher retention rates based on collective giving moments.
24:42 - The peaks that cement our memory: Key reinforcements in the donor’s journey and how giving is linked to the irrational side of our brains.
30:44 - The relationship between memory and motivation: What are the things that we should be paying attention to after the donation is made?
43:18 - Celebration over transaction: Discussing the effectiveness of monthly giving programs.
It might be Thursday, but we couldn’t wait another week to introduce you to this amazing guest. So, in honor of Black History Month, we released two episodes this week with two inspiring Black women. Our second guest, Domonique James is the CEO & Founder of Politics With Purpose, a political communications agency helping leaders raise their influence to serve and empower others in media, politics, and philanthropy. In the episode, Domonique explains why media is a fundamental part of what keeps our organization’s ‘car running’, the urgent need to start valuing everyday expertise, and how to stop being the “best-kept secret” and get real influence and press coverage for your organization. Domonique breaks down how to identify the right press partners for you, and how to actually get seen. You don’t want to miss the PR 101 lesson from this amazing expert.
Episode highlights : (02:12) - Who is Domonique James? Founder & CEO of Politics With Purpose, a communications agency helping leaders rise. (04:55) - How to go from charity to influence?: Why nonprofits need to change the narrative in the media. (14:34) - Everything about branding: Finding your core purpose, working for it, and leaving your legacy. (18:42) - Harnessing the everyday expert: Creating positive stories and valuing the lived experience in your team. (26:34) - Redefining expertise: Why everyday people should be talking about their difficulties and not external experts. (31:51) - Professionalization and shifting the way the third sector looks and operates from the inside out. (37:46) - Where should I be seen?: Finding the right alignment between your organization and media. (42:45) - Asset mapping: Understanding what you bring to the table and the strategic work behind successful pitching. (47:59) - Where to find Domonique, how to work with her, and the passions that drive her Politics With Purpose.
Shukurat Adamoh-Faniyan, Executive Director of Reading Partners DC, joins the show and we cover a lot of topics, like why every organization should have a level of flexibility when it comes to their work, how to balance short-term metrics with long-terms goals, and funders’ actual role in community-centered fundraising. Shukurat is an inspiring leader that is asking her staff to think completely differently about how they address the work - it’s not about just continuing to provide services for the long haul, she’s asking them what it would look like to eradicate the literacy gap in the first place. She challenges us to ask - are we even out here trying to solve the right problems? Listen to this episode where we explore the importance of mutual and self-interest, sharing our stories, and the need to respect community leadership and expertise when it comes to human work. This episode is one of two episodes released on the first week of February in honor of Black History Month. We respect, listen to, and learn from so many incredible Black women every day, and are grateful for the wisdom they share on What the Fundraising this week and throughout the year.
Episode highlights: (02:23) - Get to know Shukurat: A nonprofit leader rooted in the importance of community involvement through education. (05:19) - Virtual volunteer management: How was it like to lead Reading Partners through the pandemic crisis? (11:16) - On the complexity of education funding and how the relationship with funders changed while building a new model of work. (17:10) - How do we eradicate this problem?: Asking the right questions to shift the conversation around conscious education investment. (28:51) - “Is this sector here just so we feel good?”: Understanding the funders’ actual role in community-centered fundraising. (35:07) - Shukurat’s experience as Executive Director of Reading Partners DC: How has the fundraising work impacted her self-development? (39:47) - How can we fix the dynamic?: On self-interest and the importance of sharing stories to make a change. (49:46) - Shukurat’s contact and how to reach out to Reading Partners DC to know more about them and become a volunteer.
Stephynie Malik is known as an expert negotiator and skilled crisis management consultant. While leading alliances, she has created countless partnerships with huge brands like American Express, Monster.com, Deloitte, and Nike (to name just a few). In this episode of What The Fundraising we talk about why listening to people means building an authentic and genuine connection, and why it’s so important to do your research before you walk in the room. We share some of our views around donor retention, the differences between empathy and sympathy and how to take care of our own energy as leaders. If you want to build new partnerships in 2022, then this is the episode for you!
Episode highlights: (02:21) - A passionate about meaningful alliances: Stephynie’s background and early marketing work experiences. (15:32) - How do you show up? The art of executive presence to build trust with organization leaders. (22:25) - Business consulting and high impact consulting coaching: Why is it fundamental to know how to choose your partners? (28:31) - Surveys and MindMup: On the tools that help Stephynie get her priorities right and get closer to her clients. (33:50) - Sympathy vs. Empathy: How to ask the right questions to truly connect with your partners and why it matters. (39:50) - Taking care of your own energy: Effective time management and finding balance between family and work.
Vanessa Bohns is a psychologist, award-winning researcher, and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. Plus she is the author of an amazing book that I encourage everyone to read, You Have More Influence Than You Think. Today, Vanessa joins the show to talk about influence and the ways that we as fundraisers might underestimate our own, especially when it comes to making the big ask! Vanessa shares how important it is to talk transparently without making assumptions that can hold our organizations back or restrict funding in unnecessary ways. Join this conversation and learn science’s most valuable takes on influence and trust-building for fundraisers! And don’t forget to listen to Part II of this conversation!
Episode highlights: PART I (02:32) - Introducing Vannesa Bohns: An experimental social psychologist that approaches social influence in professional decision making. (09:03) - How are fundraisers underestimating their influence? Vanessa’s reading on rejection and how to create environments of conscious choice based on her book. (18:31) - The impact video has on influence and fundraising: How does video fit amongst in-person and email modes of communication? (21:49) - Follow-up requests: What happens when someone says no the first time? Understanding situational and circumstantial elements of rejection (25:59) - Implications of the fact that 75% of fundraisers are women: Gender differences in how likely people are to ask. (27:59) - Vanessa’s three main takeaways on influence consciousness for fundraisers. (29:28) - Contact info and Vannessa’s shout out to a non-profit near and dear to her heart.
This is part two of our conversation with psychologist, award-winning researcher, and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, Vanessa Bohns. Here we discuss the psychological aspects and consequences of power dynamics. Plus the ways donors can sometimes underestimate their influence. It’s time to put our funder lenses on to really understand our organization’s potential from different points of view, especially those who share our mission and are interested in investing. Don’t miss this second part of the conversation with this amazing expert! If you haven’t listened to part I of this conversation that focuses on the influence of the fundraiser, go check it out!
Episode highlights: (02:45) - Psychological implications within power dynamics: How to deliver an effective and conscious message when in a position of power. (09:24) - Insights on traditional (and biased) restricted funding narratives: The difference between taking perspective and getting perspective. (13:04) - How to open the conversation - When offering new possibilities to funders feels like we’re challenging them. (18:26) - Becoming aware of structural power dynamics principles and how they affect the relationship between funders and nonprofits. (21:52) - What’s behind the philanthropist spirit? On the need for transparency within funding. (26:02) - Contact info and Vannessa’s shout out to a non-profit near and dear to her heart.
Kishshana Palmer is an international speaker, trainer, and coach with a 20+ year background in fundraising, marketing, and talent management who helps leaders create high-performing teams. Kishshana is known for calling out toxic mindsets and behaviors so that organizations can actually make their missions come true. This conversation is both a wake-up call and a joyful release as we get into all the nitty gritty around what holds organizations and leaders back, and what allows them to thrive. We also talk about the need to start investing in your personal and professional development, and what both of us rely on to keep us going. If you want to get 2022 off to a great start with your organization on track, then you don’t want to miss this episode. Episode highlights: (03:02) - Who is Kishshana Palmer? A 20+ year nonprofit professional helping everyday leaders make their missions happen. (09:10) - Humor, lightness, and communications skills in nonprofits + The biggest leadership no-no’s. (16:17) - Helper addiction & Martyritis: The mindset behind this epidemic in the nonprofit sector. (22:12) - “But I suffered so much”: Why we need to break the cycle of abuse and neglect inside organizations. (33:18) - Inner safety vs ego: How to be grounded in yourself and build empathy and knowledge from a place of wellbeing. (37:03) - Finding out what works for you: Understanding what your real capacity is and building from there. (46:24) - Where to find Kishshana + how you can work with her this coming year.
Are you ready for the second season of What the Fundraising? Before we properly start a new season, we take a look back to highlight some of the most interesting lessons from last season's episodes with my friend and nonprofit game-changer, Vik Harrison. Vik links each one of these favorite moments to her experience being the creative leader of charity: water, a successful nonprofit she co-founded with her (now) husband, Scott Harrison! We examine the value of celebrating small victories, discuss ways to deal with rejection, and we talk about a number of ways to see beyond the limiting beliefs in the nonprofit world. 02:05 - Introducing Vik Harrison, a creative storyteller and co-founder of the nonprofit project charity: water. 07:40 - Why celebrating small victories makes the work easier: Breaking down the ‘beggar’s mindset’. 14:13 - Creating Community through a solid brand culture: Welcome rituals and helping partner organizations to spread your message right. 21:13 - Exit the tunnel vision: Negative thought cycles and how to use curiosity and transparency to avoid them. 28:50 - How to deal with rejection and negative feedback in a nonprofit: On emotional components, vulnerability, inner safety, sharing stories, deep beliefs and practices. 36:06 - The brain rewire: On shame loss, apps for mind and body healing and overcoming limiting beliefs. 44:14 - Future winner long-game mindset: What can be learned from political fundraising.
Ryan Erickson is my amazing husband, life partner, friend, counselor, and co-parent. In this episode, Ryan and I discuss his experience being the partner of a busy nonprofit leader, me. While we make a terrific team, it hasn’t always been an easy ride; especially when I became an Executive Director or when I launched this business! Tune in and learn what it is like to be the supporting partner in times of crisis, the hardest parts of our relationship, and how we’ve made it work through the years. Plus, we talk about Ryan’s giving and there are some super interesting takeaways from his lens as a donor! Episode highlights: (02:14) - Who is Ryan Erickson? The story of how Ryan and Mallory met and their super-awkward first date. (11:16) - A rock to hold on to: The ups and downs of being the supportive partner of a super busy nonprofit Executive Director. (17:54) - Launching a business with an 8-month-old: Ryan’s views on supporting Mallory to achieve her professional goals. (21:16) - Boundaries, capacity, and support: The biggest challenges in these types of relationships and some tips to make it work. (29:41) - From seed to changing society: Ryan’s opinion on the podcast, the nonprofit world, money, and scarcity mindset. (40:29) - Love, impact, and gratitude: Ryan’s giving and what brought him to approach the third sector so wholeheartedly. (45:45) - A shoutout to Ryan’s favorite nonprofit …(or not)!
Nicole Parker is a social innovator that knows how to create strategies that lead to transformation. With her sisters, she founded the project Sisters in Business, which has the mission to create a space for women of color to connect, collaborate, and build community to sustain, grow and maximize their vision. In this episode, Nicole talks about her journey through community development, from her lived experience and years as a student in social enterprise to becoming the social innovator and disruptor that she is now. Join us while we discuss the many ways in which we can shift the system and break the barriers that still exist today. Episode highlights: (02:16) - Who is Nicole Parker? A social innovator and disruptor supporting black and brown women in entrepreneurship. (04:21) - Removing barriers for innovators: Nicole’s journey building a nonprofit and the challenges she faced as a student. (14:32) - What’s economic justice about: Analyzing the historical patterns around social segregation to shift the system in a new direction (16:38) - On big companies trying to support black-owned businesses: Conscious actions or just following the trend? (23:02) - Getting swiped by the big guys: Trust issues and systemic injustice in the philanthropic foundation space. (31:32) - Questioning the concept of authenticity: Sisters in Business leading black and brown women through the journey of self-reflection. (46:39) - Episode’s conclusions + Contact information to know more about Sisters in Business and Charlie’s Place.
Heather Segar is a coach, speaker, trainer, and host of The Heather Sager Show. Through her years in the business, she’s learned something: success is limited by your ability to articulate a vision and inspire others to take action. In this episode, Heather shares her wisdom around how we need to be showing up to one-on-one conversations, fundraising events, and any other presentation to have a real impact. Hop into this conversation now! This one is more than tips and tricks, it’s about who you become when you are making that ask or giving that presentation. I promise you won’t want to miss out on Heather’s knowledge! Episode highlights: (01:50) - Who is Heather Segar? Teaching online entrepreneurs to articulate their ideas for success! (03:35) - Turning the conversation into money talk: What we need to understand around speaking skills and communication! (10:48) - Bringing the right kind of energy: The three parts of communication you need to master. (17:54) - Find the perfect balance and language!: Blending your authentic personality with your organization’s brand. (29:14) - Money mindset & our relationship with spending: Why our prejudice may not be accurate when asking for dollars. (36:01) - Some strategies to confidently talk with donors: Asking yes-yes questions, focusing on alignment, and reading the signs. (44:25) - The 7% rule: Why the way you spread your message and your body language is more important than your actual words. (49:42) - Where you can find Heather + A shoutout to her favorite nonprofit, The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes.
Philippa White is the founder, and CEO of The International Exchange, and a true believer in the power of business and leadership to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. In this episode, Philippa shares some of her experiences with building partnerships through TIE and how for 15 years they’ve made successful collaboration between sectors possible. Join in and listen to this expert’s experience changing things up and challenging both sectors to be better and bolder! Episode highlights : 02:09 - Who is Philippa White? Her family background in the business of helping and how she landed in the third sector after experiencing the advertising world. 7:10 - The story behind TIE: Why the private sector needs leaders capable of meaningful change and how to get there (especially during COVID). 15:07 - Is this what organizations need?: Recognizing mutual benefit and win-win dynamics between companies and organizations. 22:50 - Changing our perception around organizations: How to be an accelerator of change and impact in the real world. 29:48 - Stigma around NGOs: Inefficiency, money, and some of the obstacles of nonprofit organizations. 37:36 - Where to find TIE and Philippa + A shoutout to CCC, Philippa’s favorite nonprofit at the moment!
In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast… I talk to my long-time friend, and talent and human potential aficionado with over a decade of experience within Career Coaching and Human Resources, A.J. Mizes. He is my go-to resource when it comes to how to build a strong, healthy, and balanced culture for organizations. AJ and I get to nerd out and go deep on the nuances and strategies behind building a great team while aligning to your mission and hitting your goals. In strong cultures, there are healthy boundaries and psychological safety, and people are not afraid to receive direct and professional feedback. Listen now and learn AJ’s tips and tricks on how to promote a safe, healthy, and productive environment at work. Plus, AJ gives advice on how to get you in front of the right people and find the perfect fit for you when it comes to job searching.
Episode highlights: (02:00) - Who is AJ Mizes? A talent aficionado with an unconventional approach to HR work. (05:21) - Maintaining a healthy balance: How HR can make or break a company, plus what is behavior you can tolerate and what isn’t? (10:45) - Are you fearful of giving feedback?: AJ’s tips and tricks on giving amazing feedback and how to build fruitful one-on-one relationships. (14:01) - Psychological safety and transparency: Modeling authenticity and vulnerability with your team. (22:45) - How to navigate with resentful leaders: Why grounding in your mission with clarity is absolutely critical to provide stability for your team. (29:42) - The characteristics of successful teamwork: Hiring diverse perspectives and how to find complementary skills for your team. (36:48) - What is the right cultural fit for you?: AJ’s best advice for job searching + Some questions to ask during a job interview. (40:56) - Where to find AJ + A shoutout to AJ's favorite nonprofit, Town Hall Theater Lafayette!
Josie Raymond is the State Representative for Kentucky's 31st District, the Director of Elected Leadership Fellowships at Leadership for Educational Equity, and a mom of three. In this episode, Josie shares her experience running for office with no political background. She talks about what it was like to run in her hometown of Louisville, the process of fundraising for her campaign (it’s not what you think!), and why we need more women in their twenties and thirties serving in elected positions. Josie sets an example in so many ways and there is so much nonprofits can learn about fundraising from this episode, you really don’t want to miss it!
Episode highlights: (02:41) - Who is Josie Raymond?: Her background as a journalist and her entry into the political scene to tackle poverty from elected office. (09:19) - Fundraising for a political campaign: Josie’s experience raising money and her 18-month run for the Kentucky office. (17:43) - “Yard signs cost $6.30”: The importance of building a transparent relationship with donors and speaking bluntly about money and policy-making. (21:53) - Opening the space for diverse people to run for office: Should candidates receive a living wage? (25:07) - Being a mother of 3 while in office: Why we need more women in their twenties and thirties as representatives and how we can make it happen. (31:16) - Playing the long game vs living in urgency: How political fundraising breaks all the nonprofit rules. (40:13) - Mechanisms and strategies: How campaigns are always evolving and why people are hungrier than ever for connection! (45:54) - Where you can find Josie + An invitation and some useful resources to get to know your state representatives.
Tanya St. Julien is a community leader, advocate for educational equity, and Chief of Staff at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE). In this episode, Tanya talks about her experience in the political space and how her organization promotes and supports civic leaders in their run for office. There is a lot that the nonprofit sector can learn from the faithful long game this organization plays for each of its candidates. Tanya teaches us so much about how to be buoyed by wins and think of everyone as ‘future winners’.
Episode highlights: 02:12 - Who is Tanya St. Julien? A black woman trained in policy constructing hope for people and the inspiration behind her work. 08:10 - Deep faith & religiosity: How to begin on a journey of hope and cultivate a belief in humans. 13:39 - School boards as a gateway to civic leadership: Resilience in the political space and the impact of members in school districts. 20:53 - A change in perspective: What political fundraising can teach organizations about the value in the process and iteration. 27:32 - Tanya’s experience fundraising: The networks of influential people and how their funding shapes American politics. 34:18 - Playing the long game: How the political machine thinks about investing in the long run. 40:34 - Self-worth and fundraising: Why class, race, and gender intersect with access to support and how Spark levels the ground for underrepresented groups.
Taylor Stewart is the Vice President of Organizing Leadership at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE). Her work centers on developing the leadership of LEE members to build powerful ecosystems in their communities filled with elected officials, policymakers, advocacy leaders, and organized constituencies. In this conversation Taylor talks about what organizing really means, finding that sweet spot between self-interest and community advocacy, and the ways we as a society can become more anti-racist from our office to our policies. Join this conversation on the intricacies of how to utilize people power to support diverse candidates in the political arena and the strategies to find support and funding for their campaigns.
Episode highlights: (01:48) - Who is Taylor Stewart? Her background as an educator, a fundraiser, and what brought her to work in Educational Equity. (06:01) - What does “organizing” really mean?: Giving and shifting the power in communities with intentionality. (10:08) - Representing diversity in mutual benefit: Finding that sweet spot between self-interest and advocating for a community. (18:07) - An anti-racist framework: Understanding bias from an internalized personal level to systemic racism. (23:26) - Is a white savior complex at play?: How to stop perpetuating harmful systems and actually give power to leaders inside communities. (32:39) - Resources, support, and alignment: The biggest barriers and systemic issues keeping diversity from positions of power. (38:37) - Vulnerability and the importance of community: Why we need a shift in our mindset and an emotional support system for fundraising. (44:54) - How to get in touch with Taylor + A shoutout to her favorite nonprofit, Strong Schools Maryland.
Tania Anaissie is the Founder and CEO at Beytna Design, an equity design studio supporting social sector leaders to translate their equity values into action. She is a Founding Creator of Liberatory Design, a new practice of human-centered design that drives innovation towards liberation. In this episode, Tania shares why the way to break the status quo is by slowing down and being intentional. Plus the ways we can allow ourselves time and a safe space to do it. Urgency is not our ally here!
Episode highlights: (02:01) - Who is Tania Anaissie? Her background in design thinking and how Beytna’s liberatory thinking works in the nonprofit space. (07:01) - Creating a safe space to fail: How to test for a growing and constantly evolving environment. (10:31) - Slow down and be intentional: Some tools to reflect on our intentions and observe potential biases outside the status quo. (18:17) - The core of true co-design and co-ownership: How nonprofit space needs a shift in their mindset to create beneficial programs and partnerships. (25:14) - Making space to challenge the status quo: Where to get the time and energy to change our programming. (30:57) - The healthy boundaries in helping: How to work on the nonprofit space and not making it a self-righteous and painful journey. (38:04) - We can work on this together!: How we can face the unknown in our way to breaking the status quo.
Today’s world is demanding companies to change their behavior and engage in a truly responsible way with society and the environment. Being a good global citizen is not a matter of choice for companies anymore, it’s the only way.
In this episode, Professor Maurizio Zollo, the Scientific Director of the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School and a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability and Head of the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship at the Business School, talks about why nonprofits are exactly what today’s companies need. The ‘third sector’ has a lot to teach enterprises about being real contributors to change. How can we make the best out of a for-profit/nonprofit collaboration? Join this conversation and learn some tips on how to achieve fruitful win-win partnerships by changing our organization’s mindset!
Episode highlights: (02:46) - Who is Maurizio Zollo? His work on the Leonardo Center on Business for Society and the source of his passion for engaged scholarship. (07:28) - A shift in companies’ social participation: How today’s markets are demanding companies to change their behavior. (13:48) - How is the nonprofit sector the solution for companies? Creating value for society and sharing their expertise and mindset. (20:07) - Why we need a radical mindset shift: How to create a fruitful partnership between companies and nonprofits. (26:10) - The value in organizations and deciding how to better serve society: What both parties can learn from each other’s strategies. (33:53) - Embracing the need for radical change: How to get over communication barriers with corporations. (37:29) - Contribution to a renaissance in business: How to get in touch with The Imperial College projects + A shoutout to Maurizio’s favorite nonprofit GOLDEN.
Episode highlights:
(01:52) - Who is Hilary Doe? A fun reconnection from the past + Hilary’s journey from college to the present in the nonprofit world. (11:14) - What is long-run motivation?: How to find new donors and turn them into long-term givers and supporters of your organization. (18:07) - The strength behind having a solid network: What Lisa hoped she knew as a young fundraiser. (23:54) - Connecting on a human level before anything else: How to make your mission alive and resonant through real human bonds. (29:56) - On perfectionism and fear: The problem with over-controlling and the beauty of having balance and space for everyone to pitch in. (34:30) - Create a living organism with the Snowflake Model: Hilary’s tips on creating a growing network. (39:19) - Is shapeshifting a fight or flight response?: How to not lose yourself and have a deep-rooted sense of self as an organization. (48:18) - Things to be aware of before dampening the magic in your nonprofit: Learning as you go and getting rid of ego. (52:42) - Finding strength in standing in unison + A shoutout to Hilary’s favorite nonprofit, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research!
The infinitely wise Sheri Riley is an Empowerment Speaker, High-Performance Life Coach, and Award-Winning Author of the book Exponential Living: Stop Spending 100% of Your Time on 10% of Who You Are. In this episode, she shares what is Exponential Living and some of the 9 principles included in her book to pursue peace, choose clarity and live courageously. Sheri’s work as a life strategist can help anyone achieve their better self, but I find it especially helpful for fundraisers that might feel stuck, filled with self-doubt, or worried about hitting their goals. You do not want to miss this conversation with this super-inspirational coach!
Episode highlights: (01:40) - Who is Sheri Riley? Her small-town background, plus her super successful present as a life coach, entrepreneur, and awarded author. (06:29) - What is Exponential Living? Pursuing peace, choosing clarity, and living courageously. (09:30) - Go get it!: Own your inner calm, and allow confidence and drive to work together. (13:56) - How worthy and confident do you feel? Why your service work is not about martyrdom and guilt. (21:09) - Validation and hustling: Money mindset and how our own limiting beliefs leak into our work. (26:14) - Are you courageous enough to be faithful to yourself? How to become ready, willing, and committed, and move past crippling fear. (37:29) - The difference between fear and intuition: The prism of possibility vs. the condemnation of judgment. (45:56) - Own your story and become a magnet!: Sheri’s own story doing the work and becoming her better self. (49:37) - Where to find Sheri + A shoutout to the Huguely Scholarship Fund!
Lisa Fabrega is the founder, CEO, and coach at Capacity Shift where she teaches the Capacity Framework, a model to understand and grow your ability to hold, handle and receive every next level of your impact. In this episode, Lisa walks us through the six areas of capacity work, plus she tells us how scarcity mindset and transactional relationships are keeping us from expanding. You really don’t want to miss this conversation on how to continually grow and level up your leadership and fundraising. Because how can you face gallon-sized challenges with a pint-sized capacity, right?
Episode highlights: (01:35) - Who is Lisa Fabrega? And her amazing work developing and teaching her Capacity Framework. (06:10) - What is capacity? Boundary capacity and how to make clear what you are and aren’t available for. (18:32) - Self-worth and the deep-rooted beliefs about ourselves: Why being afraid of losing an opportunity is scarcity thinking. (26:10) - Embodiment capacity and showing up to ask for money: How to navigate challenges with ease and confidence. (33:06) - Rejection is information! Why you should never feel bad for asking for money and communicating your needs. (41:47) - The history behind transactional relationships and how to turn them into healthy and authentic win-win negotiations. (48:55) - How to get in touch with Lisa + a shoutout to Lisa’s favorite organization, One Light Global!
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Breauna Dolerus is Founder and Chief Cause Consultant at Connecting the Cause. Her work is centered on uprooting harmful volunteerism practices especially in black and brown communities based on the principle that transformational service must help instead of harm. Join this very real conversation with Breauna white supremacy and its relationship with voluntarism, how to truly partner with a community, and the deep-rooted biases that need to be cut short in the nonprofit world.
Episode highlights: (01:48) - Who is Breauna Dorelus? Community-centered volunteerism. (05:18) - Are you really of service? Some of the most hurtful common practices in volunteerism. (09:38) - How to build truly community-centered strategies: The first step to admitting to deep-rooted biases. (19:27) - Can we fundamentally break the system for co-liberation? The true empowerment of black and brown voices in the nonprofit sector. (24:42) - White supremacy and its relation to volunteerism: Why we need to work as a resource center for the communities’ dreams, not for corporation’s interests. (29:19) - Finding true mutually beneficial alignment in volunteer opportunities: Assessing a dignified way to partner with others. (38:44) - Relationship dynamics: Building strong community relationships and truly working together. (43:57) - Scarcity mindset and hurtful money: How to break the cycle and search for real solutions. (47:36) - Where to find Breauna + A last piece of advice: Find a black or brown organization doing the work.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Do you feel psychological safety in your work environment? Avary Kent is a serial social entrepreneur and consultant who since the pandemic has focused on a crucial topic: mental and emotional wellbeing for business leaders and their teams. In this episode, Avary and I talk about why and how we as a society have dehumanized professional roles, how to build a healthy organizational culture and what paradigms we need to change to improve every leader’s and employee’s wellbeing.
Episode highlights: (01:37) - Who is Avary Kent? A serial entrepreneur who is now open to talking about mental health and wellbeing. (04:59) - Effective philanthropy and burnout: The paradigms that need to change for healthy fundraisers and healthy work environments. (12:07) - Can I do everything at the same time? The fundamental pillars of a thriving culture and what executive directors need to be healthier leaders. (20:17) - What is holding us back from changing? Old management, entrenched culture, untrained leaders, and talking about discomfort and fears. (25:07) - The problem with untrained leaders + some techniques to disrupt power imbalance. (32:17) - How we fundamentally changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the positive shifts this brought to work culture. (40:13) - Why we have dehumanized professional roles: Ideas, beliefs, and ways of collaborating.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Are you listening to yourself? In this episode I talk to the fabulous American illustrator, body-confidence advocate, and author, Stephanie Chinn about limiting beliefs, learning to listen to ourselves, and giving ourselves permission to feel all of our feelings. Plus, we dive deep into taboos and why we need to break the silence around these topics now, especially as women!
Episode highlights: (01:47) - Who is Stephanie Chinn? An illustrator and soon-to-be author for unapologetic women empowerment and liberation. (06:18) - The stories we tell ourselves as excuses and building positivity from within. (14:13 - Toxic positivity vs. giving ourselves permission to feel: Why resistance and judgment towards ourselves is not the answer. (22:01) - Decatastrophizing and how to combat that wave of negativity in times of stress (even when we get negative feedback). (30:30) - Sharing safely and with bravery: Why it is important to take time to process things, and talk to the right people, before sharing with everyone. (35:31) - Time for disruption! Stephanie’s beliefs on taboo topics and how to approach them with more freedom. (45:17) - How we can find Stephanie + A shoutout to her favorite nonprofit, The Runaways Shelter.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Do you want to convert your YouTube views into donations? In this second part, I continue my conversation with YouTube coach Jamar Diggs to understand how to build an effective conversion strategy around an organization’s channel. Jamar teaches us how to turn those viewers into donors and the best practices to really connect with your audience. This conversation covers basic video production recommendations, common mistakes, and a deep dive into what holds us back from bringing in new funders from YouTube. Make sure you do not miss this amazing part two!
Episode highlights: (01:23) - We are back with Jamar Diggs! How to convert people into an actual customer or donor. (05:56) - How to make quality freebies: Information, design, accuracy, and engagement. (11:25) - Simple, clean, and forward: Jamar’s video production recommendations for any organization. (15:32) - Common mistakes: The things you should NOT do in your videos if you want them to convert! (23:49) - Value, money, and getting out of the scarcity mindset: Why you should trust your value and ask. (32:49) - Invest in advancing!: It’s not about the price tag, it’s about missing an opportunity. (40:26) - Set a specific goal! How to design your strategy and make it easy for people to understand you. (47:17) - What is your strategy? Length, expectations and not giving away everything for free. (53:06) - Jamar’s golden takeaway, where to reach him plus a shoutout to Norfolk LGBT Life Center!
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
It’s true, doing content for social media is a difficult job for nonprofits, but how else will we get visibility for our causes, right? YouTube is a great option for letting potential donors know you. Listen to this week’s conversation with Jamar to learn that it is not necessary to spread thin across all social media platforms to get your message across. I promise, Jamar does more than teaching you tricks on technology, he helps you overcome the fears that are holding you back from creating amazing content to help your organization! If you want to do it but there’s something holding you back, this episode is for you.
Episode highlights: (01:28) - How Jamar Diggs went from being bored in the world of corporate marketing to being in LOVE with YouTube marketing, helping businesses and personal brands make money and drive growth through video content! (05:44) - The perks of YouTube: Why it’s a platform to show your true self and connect with your audience authentically. (09:22) - How to get quality traffic to your nonprofit: Jamar’s top 3 types of content to get started on YouTube and be discoverable right away. (17:24) - Who should I be speaking to? How to segment your audience strategically to reach the right people (and donors!). (23:02) - Solve the actual problem!: The biggest barriers stopping people from getting on YouTube. (26:56) - Jamar’s HIT (hook, introduce & transform) formula for scripting KILLER intros to any video. (30:21) - How to keep people watching your content!: Tips on info links & end screens. (33:41) - Do you fear technology or do you fear visibility? The perfectionist phenomenon and how to get over it. (39:56) - “If you are for everyone, you are for no one”: The price (and rewards!) of picking a position and being fully authentic. (43:11) - Shout out to Jamar’s favorite nonprofit: LGBT Life Center in Norfolk, Virginia.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
What does it take to let go of pre-established narratives? Duke Stump is a marketing expert and founder of Bonfire With Soul. His approach to business is far from conventional and partly based on nature’s knowledge. In this episode, Duke and I talk about burning dogma, the potential for good in the for-profit and nonprofit world, and the power of cross-sector symbiosis. Tune in now!
Episode highlights: (02:21) - Trust your own radar: What does it take to go a different path especially in business? (7:05) - Burning dogma for breakfast: Duke’s experience giving himself permission to be creative and the importance of human connection. (13:40) - Can for-profit businesses be a force of good? How making a nonprofit/for-profit distinction can minimize possibility and shrink your horizons. (36:48) - Duke’s principles and barriers of mutual benefit: Trust, honesty, and our obsession with perfection. (44:00) - Helper energy and martyrdom: Fundraiser’s most common leadership characteristics and what needs to change. (48:13) - Groundbreaking nonprofits and why the sector needs to tackle debilitating stigma.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Our brains work on prediction. Even before events happen, our brains prepare a reaction based on our past experiences. But what if our brains fabricate an incorrect forecast? Just like a weird feeling in your body isn’t necessarily pain, uncertainty doesn’t have to translate into negative emotions. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, an expert in affective neuroscience, psychology of emotion, and social and personality psychology. Lisa and I talk about how our brains work based on prediction and how we can train them away from pain and anxiety and into a brighter present. Plus, she gives life-changing tricks that can radically improve any fundraiser’s experience out there!
Episode highlights: (02:01) - Who is Lisa Feldman? Her extensive career in science and understanding brain function. (04:38) - Let’s talk about emotion! How emotions really work and what are some misconceptions around them. (10:20) - ‘Is this really pain?’: Why your brain is constantly anticipating and what happens when it can’t predict correctly. (17:45) - Chronic pain and other ailments that may actually come from a brain disorder. (21:31) - Handling anxiety and uncertainty for fundraisers: Train yourself to make a different sense of the present. (35:04) - Tips and tricks for regulation: Why we have to recognize that we have socially dependent nervous systems. (41:16) - Where to find Lisa + Shout out to her favorite nonprofits!
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
What are the most common mistakes made by an organization when looking for funding? In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, I talked to Dulari Gandhi, a Program Officer at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the CEO of D. Gandhi Communications. As a money facilitator and an ambassador for organizations inside her institution, Dulari deeply believes in transparency, putting an end to the cycle of desperation, and having people with diverse backgrounds making decisions. Join this conversation and listen to this amazing expert and human give you an inside look at how foundations make decisions and give us all a call to action about how we can show up for this sector more strategically.
Episode highlights: (01:29) - Who is Dulari Gandhi? Her story in the nonprofit world and social impact communications. (08:18) - Is fundraising a gate-kept community? Why we need to have more diverse profiles making decisions. (12:05) - Funder Lenses: How is it finding an adequate partner from a funders perspective? (17:31) - Convince a funder on a new alignment! : Researching, pitching a great proposal, and taking honest risks. (25:10) - How can grantees support their funders? Good practices to help your program officer be your ideal advocate. (34:40) - We are all in this together: Power dynamics between grantees and funders and the misconceptions of the system. (39:09) - Why scarcity mindset is your #1 enemy: The nonprofit’s perception of money + how to escape the cycle of desperation. (50:10) - Where to find Dulari and a last piece of advice: Take action and engage in local efforts for your community:
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
BJ Fogg, PhD is a Stanford behavior scientist, author of the book Tiny Habits, and one of my absolute teachers and heroes. In this conversation, BJ shares his Fogg Behavior Model plus many useful and simple hacks to defeat fear and create habits for anything we want to achieve. His approach to people is immensely human, compassionate, and positive. (Just like fundraising!) You really don’t want to miss this conversation.
Episode highlights: (01:39) - Behaviour Design & the Tiny Habits Method: Who is BJ Fogg, PhD, and his work as a behavior scientist at Stanford. (03:36) - What is the Fogg Behavior Model? A 3-step easy-to-learn model to understand and influence all of your behaviors. (08:56) - Applying behavior science to fundraising and ow to calculate the ideal size of the ask? (12:50) - The key moments of celebration and giving people positive feelings of success (20:55) - Do you feel like you can’t do something? Check for these 5 factors of ability and take a tiny step towards action. (30:15) - Allow yourself to feel successful: Learn how to feel shine on demand for even the tiniest of successes! (34:56) - How to really beat fear with compassion and get to the action.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast I talk to the funny, unapologetic, and super authentic Jennifer Pastiloff. Jen is a yoga teacher, coach, and writer of the book On Being Human. Jen and I talk about how to quiet your inner a-hole, #shameloss, and how to keep an abundance mentality both in fundraising and in life in general. Join in this fresh, honest conversation, I promise Jen’s transparency and sense of humor are unmatched!
Episode highlights: (01:52) - Who is Jennifer Pastiloff? On being a writer and finding her way out of misery through words, yoga, and overall humanness. (05:12) - How to quiet your inner a-hole, offer compassion to yourself and find the ridiculousness in the mean voices in your head. (09:44) - The brilliant idea of shame loss and how fundraisers can put the shame down (at least for a day). (17:39) - Abundance mentality, transparency, and no sugar coating: How Jen shifted her life around after Covid. (25:45) - There’s a lot of money in the world! Giving people the chance to help and getting rid of the scarcity mindset. (26:49) - Fundraising is not an ask, it’s an offer! (32:43) - Is shame holding you back from becoming your true self? This is what Jennifer Pastiloff says you should do. (41:44) - Visibility, vulnerability, and doing an audit: Jennifer’s No Bullshit Motherhood and how to get away from unnecessary demons. (43:57) - Talking to ourselves and doing yoga to quiet your inner a-holes.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Tamika Felder is a woman with dreams plus an awesome speaker, author, cancer survivor, and advocate who has devoted her life to helping others do one simple thing: do what they really want during your one precious life.
Listen to this week’s episode with Tamika and get ready for a boost towards taking action and control over your life. I promise Tamika is a cheerleader, not a fear leader, and her energy is sparklingly contagious. Remember, you don’t need to ask for permission or wait for the perfect moment to do what you want!
Episode highlights: (03:03) - How Tamika Felder’s life suddenly changed when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 25, and how coming face to face with mortality gave her a new perspective on life. (08:15) - What is holding you back today? — Don’t wait to be skinnier, smarter, or more connected. Do the things that will make you happy! (16:17) - Limiting beliefs and how to break them by experimenting the world, traveling, and doing what YOU want to do. (22:29) - The importance of making conscious choices and having healthy boundaries. (26:19) - Giving yourself grace and achieving a balance between having pity parties and pushing yourself forward. (28:18) - Catabolic & anabolic energy: Going from tunnel vision to admiring a prism of possibility. (35:43) - Beware of fear-leaders and energy vampires! Why you need to escape people who suck out your energy and project their fears on you. (43:20) - What does balance even mean in today’s crazy hustle culture and why is it okay to stop and reflect?
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Donovan Taylor Hall is a youth advocate who believes in the power of positive self-talk, growth mindset, and gratitude. His mission is to help kids build positive relationships with themselves through curriculum and content creation.
Listen to this week’s episode with Donovan and learn some of the ways he anchors his why and how it helps him overcome moments of doubt, frustration, and judgment. If you are tired of toxic positivity, tune in! This conversation is the real deal on how to do heart-centered work without losing yourself in the process.
Episode highlights: (06:35) - The power of why and how to anchor yourself to the superpowers of commitment. (11:20) - Donovan’s absolute dream: “I want to have kids choose me as a teacher”. (13:51) - The 3 superpowers Donovan would give to every kid: Gratitude, positive self-talk & a growth mindset. (16:57) - How to use curiosity for healthy and compassionate self-growth (Be curious, not judgemental!). (22:17) - How to give people an opportunity to develop their personal worth beyond rejection. (29:51) - How to receive hard feedback, recover after messing up, and create your inner sanctuary of safety (39:48) - Burnout and martyrdom: Finding different ways to do things while taking care of yourself. (46:34) - Accepting rejection, building a callous for “NO”’s, and why self-help is such a growing industry. (52:07) - Two critical things to take away from this conversation: Energy transferring and looking for support to ground you back in. (56:29) - What is toxic positivity? The purpose of good and bad and how to recognize it with maturity.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
It is episode zero of the What the Fundraising Podcast, and I decided to kick it off by sharing with you who I am, what I do, and why I’ve started this podcast. So I asked my lovely friends John and Becky from We Are For Good, one of the top nonprofit podcasts, to interview me to answer the question: Who is Mallory Erickson?
The purpose of this podcast is to launch the nonprofit sector into a new way of thinking, connecting, and operating by bringing in experts, thinkers, and doers from outside the fundraising world. There is SO MUCH we can learn from other fields, but first, let’s get to know each other!
Episode highlights: (01:51) - My discovery of transformative change and how I fell into the nonprofit world. (08:59) - Big helper energy: On being the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and growing up aware of social injustice. (11:46) - How I put the values of curiosity, integrity, authenticity, imperfection, and vulnerability into everything I do. (16:30) - A gut-check story and listening to your body’s wisdom: The importance of asking yourself ‘Does this feel right?’ instead of ‘Is this right?’. (21:59) - “The human touch in a human-focused industry”: How Forbes named me the leading disruptor in the non-profit sector! (31:00) - How to constantly practice recognition of your own privilege to be able to give a microphone to the oppressed. (32:58) - How being a wife, a mom, and a business owner has grown and blossomed together through the same core values and lessons. (36:48) - Fundraising without fear! How Power Partners was born during the pandemic and the huge benefits anyone can get from this course. (47:50) - My dream to become an inspiration and a safe landing for people through my podcast and my business (51:10) - Get to know me with these quick-hit questions! Favorite, snacks, movies, memories, concerts, and more.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
Do you hear negative, nagging, bullying voices in your head? Are they telling you you’re a bad leader or fundraiser? That you’ll never raise what you need to grow your organization? In this week’s episode, I talk to Dr. Ethan Kross, psychologist, neuroscientist, professor, and the author of Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It.
There is so much chatter that inhibits action, like negative thoughts and limiting beliefs about perfectionism, scarcity or what someone will think if we ‘ask them for money’. Tune in as Dr. Kross explains a few of the tools from his book to help reduce toxic mental chatter and how we can apply them as leaders and fundraisers in the nonprofit world to move more money into our organization and the sector as a whole.
Episode highlights: (02:28) - Dr. Ethan Kross and all the work that went into his amazing book: Chatter (04:27)- Why turning your attention inward can help us solve problems or make us miserable. (06:32) - What does “chatter” refer to? The amazing things our inner voice allows us to do and the negative dark side of it. (10:39) - One of Chatter’s tools: Distance self-talk, using your name and the second person pronoun to coach yourself through a problem. (16:44) - Why single quick fixes don’t exist!: How to mix and match different tools to find healing. (24:03) - Cultivating the witness: Distancing yourself and the ability to step back to approach the problem with more objectivity. (27:40) - Stop zooming into negativity: How the nonprofit fundraising space can benefit from changing the narrative. (33:04) - How to find resources hidden in plain sight for your unique chatter triggers. (40:34) - Minimize the toxic effects of chatter: Why negative emotions aren’t something we want to avoid completely. (47:49) - Shout out to Dr. Kross’s favorite nonprofit: Angela Duckworth’s The Character Lab.
If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.
What the Fundraising the Podcast is for impact leaders and change-makers who are tired of doing things the old-school way and are looking for a fresh and effective way to raise money, run their organization, and think about the nonprofit sector.