The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser

Erin McQuade-Wright
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Non-Profit

The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser is the podcast I wish had existed during my 15 years in fundraising. It’s a love offering to the people behind the mission—the professional fundraisers who give their hearts and energy every day to make the world better. This show isn’t about strategy, metrics, or money. It’s about you—the human being doing the work. Each episode offers real tools and soulful conversations to help you regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your purpose, and renew your energy so you can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, overworked, or caught in the constant pressure to perform, this podcast is your invitation to return home to yourself. Join me to learn how to cultivate balance, resilience, and authentic impact—from the inside out. Full Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/fkFZpmNYF3v

  1. 14h ago

    How to Ask Without Feeling Like a Burden, With Susan Fox

    Releasing the fear of imposing so you can fundraise with clarity and ease. In this live coaching session, Erin sits down with Susan Fox, a practitioner and nonprofit founder who feels like she’s imposing whenever she asks for donations. Together, they unpack the money stories she inherited from family, the “I have to do it all myself” pattern, and the shame that shows up in her body every time she thinks about fundraising. If you’ve ever felt like asking for support is a burden—or worried people will avoid you if you make the ask—this conversation will feel very familiar. In this episode, you’ll hear: How early money messages (like “don’t ask for more”) quietly shape your fundraising styleWhy the belief “I’m imposing on people” is actually a protective strategy, not a character flawHow mixed energy (wanting to ask + fearing the ask) leaks into your emails, appeals, and donor conversationsA simple reframe: from “I’m bothering them” to “I’m offering an opportunity to be part of something meaningful”A compassionate self-forgiveness process you can borrow to soften old blocks and create safety inside your own systemYou’ll walk away with language, insight, and a next step you can use right away as you prepare your next appeal. Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  2. Sep 29

    One Foot In, One Foot Out

    What Your Split Energy Is Communicating Before You Say a Word You say you want the gift. The promotion. The client. The opportunity. But is all of you moving toward it? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin explores “split energy”—what happens when one part of us wants something while another part is quietly backing away. Using the story of a real estate agent who seemed enthusiastic about selling her house and then disappeared, Erin looks at the messages we're sending beyond our words. Because people aren't only listening to what we say. They're experiencing our follow-through, body language, presence, hesitation, urgency, and energy. And in fundraising, that matters. Split energy might look like avoiding the ask, softening it until it's barely an ask at all, overexplaining, failing to follow up—or desperately needing the donor to say yes. But being “all in” doesn't mean eliminating fear, doubt, or uncertainty. It means becoming clear about your part: showing up, making the invitation, staying present, and allowing the other person to be free in their response. In this episode: How to recognize split energy in yourselfWhy your actions may be communicating something different from your wordsHow both hesitation and over-efforting can come from the same internal conflictWhy being all in doesn't require certaintyThe power of high involvement, low attachmentA simple inquiry for discovering where you may have one foot in and one foot outA question to take with you: What would change about your behavior if you'd already decided you were fully available for what you say you want? Because your job isn't to control someone else's yes. Your job is to notice whether you've said yes to your part. Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  3. Sep 22

    Why do I Keep Doing That?!

    The Hidden Patterns Making Fundraising Harder Than It Has to Be September used to make me itch. As a professional fundraiser, I knew the all-important fourth quarter was approaching, and I never felt ready. Appeals, Giving Tuesday, events, planned giving messaging—my days were long on tasks and short on energy. I kept working, but underneath all that activity was a familiar mix of overwhelm, pressure, and avoidance. What I understand now that I didn't understand then is that the problem wasn't just my workload. Some of the patterns I brought to my workload were making an already demanding season even harder. In this episode, we explore why we keep doing things we know aren't helping us—overthinking, taking rejection personally, saying yes when we mean no, avoiding uncomfortable conversations, and carrying things that aren't ours to carry. We'll look at how to recognize these patterns with curiosity and begin choosing a different response. Because maybe you don't need another Q4 strategy right now. Maybe you need fewer old patterns coming with you into Q4. Join me for a free workshop: Why Do I Keep Doing That?! Discover the Hidden Patterns Shaping How You Fundraise, Work and Lead September 24 | 3 p.m. Eastern 90 minutes | Virtual | Free Register here: https://lnkd.in/gknTTmEq Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  4. Sep 15

    The Awkward Middle

    Navigating the Heebie Jeebies of Learning in Public We love growth. We just don't necessarily love letting other people watch us grow. There's an awkward middle between deciding you want to get better at something and actually becoming good at it—a place where you don't quite know what you're doing yet, other people may be watching, and you can't control what they think about your performance. For many of us, that's when preparation starts to look awfully attractive. One more course. A little more research. Another degree. A few more donor touches. Just a little more practice before we put ourselves out there. But when does responsible preparation become hiding? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, I'm exploring the vulnerability of learning in public—and sharing some of my own discomfort with doing exactly that as I learn how to podcast. We'll look at why being a capable, accomplished adult can actually make beginnerhood harder, what research tells us about women's desire to feel prepared before pursuing professional opportunities, and why avoiding discomfort can quietly cost us the very experience we need to grow. We'll also look at how this shows up in fundraising: delaying the major-gift ask, researching instead of talking to donors, waiting until we can answer every possible question, or convincing ourselves we're not quite ready for the next opportunity. Because eventually, there's something preparation can't give us: Experience. In this episode: Why being inexperienced is not the same as being incompetentHow preparation can quietly turn into hidingWhy avoiding vulnerability feels so good in the short term—and what it costs us over timeThe difference between waiting until you're completely ready and being ready enough to learn the rest by doing itHow fear of not knowing the answer can keep fundraisers from having the conversations that actually move the needleWhy confidence and capability are often the result of taking action, not prerequisites for itA simple experiment for becoming more willing to let other people see you learnThe goal isn't to become fearless. It's to become safe enough within yourself to say: You might see me struggle. You might see me make a mistake. You might see me learn. And I'm going to do it anyway. Because that's how we get from here to there. Research mentioned in this episode Tara Sophia Mohr, “Why Women Don't Apply for Jobs Unless They're 100% Qualified,” Harvard Business Review. Mohr is also the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead. The episode also references subsequent research examining gender differences in how prepared people want to feel before applying for jobs—and why the commonly repeated “women apply at 100%, men at 60%” statistic shouldn't be treated as established scientific fact. Stay connected 💌 Join The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter for reflections and practical tools around fundraising, leadership, emotional mastery, and your inner climate: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile Learn more about my coaching and speaking at Vitalist Coaching: https://www.vitalistcoaching.com If this episode made you think of someone who's been preparing, researching, studying, or waiting for permission to begin, send it their way. Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  5. Sep 8

    The Fastest Way to Lose a Great Idea

    Why your first reaction to a big vision may be the very thing keeping you small Have you ever had an exciting idea—only to talk yourself out of it before it had a chance to breathe? In this episode, I share a powerful insight from a recent one-on-one business retreat: the biggest obstacle to our dreams often isn't a lack of time, money, or opportunity. It's the habit of rushing straight to the logistics. When we're operating from old patterns of fear or self-protection, our minds become remarkably efficient at explaining why something won't work. Before we've even allowed ourselves to imagine what's possible, we've already dismissed it. What if the first step isn't figuring out how your vision will happen—but giving yourself permission to simply hold it? Whether you're dreaming about a bold fundraising initiative, a career move, or a life that feels more aligned, this episode invites you to notice how quickly you leave possibility behind—and how opening your heart may be the key to opening your future. In this episode, you'll discover: Why your nervous system may be shutting down creativity before it has a chance to emerge.How childhood patterns of staying safe can quietly keep you thinking small as an adult.The surprising connection between an open heart and expansive vision.Why jumping immediately to "how" can suffocate your best ideas.A simple practice to help you stay with possibility long enough to discover what's truly available.Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do isn't to build the dream. It's to stop talking yourself out of it. Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to leave a rating and review. It helps more fundraisers and nonprofit leaders discover a healthier, more sustainable way to lead. 💌 Join my free newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, for practical tools and reflections on emotional mastery, fundraising, leadership, and creating an inner climate where abundance can grow: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile You can also learn more about my coaching and speaking at Vitalist Coaching: https://www.vitalistcoaching.com Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  6. Sep 1

    Ready Is Not a Feeling | with Tania Cervoni

    How to Stop Believing the Stories That Keep You Small What if the loudest voice in your head isn't the wisest one? In this special collaboration episode, Erin sits down with Tania Cervoni, host of Banish the Lies, to explore the stories we unknowingly carry about ourselves—and how those stories shape our confidence, our relationships, our careers, and our willingness to pursue what matters most. Together, they discuss the inner critic, nervous system regulation, curiosity, perfectionism, and the surprising truth that ready isn't a feeling—it's a decision. Whether you're a fundraiser, leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to stop second-guessing yourself, this conversation offers practical tools for recognizing the voices that keep you small and choosing a different path. In this episode, you'll learn:  Why your inner critic developed in the first place—and what it's trying to protect.  How curiosity can interrupt anxiety and create new possibilities.  Why success often triggers fear before it creates confidence.  What The Big Leap taught both Erin and Tania about expansion and upper-limit problems.  How childhood strategies can quietly shape our careers and relationships decades later.  Why "ready" isn't a feeling you wait for—it's a decision you make.  A compassionate way to relate to the younger parts of yourself that still fear rejection and failure. About Tania Cervoni Tania Cervoni is the host of Banish the Lies, a podcast that helps listeners recognize and challenge the unconscious beliefs that quietly shape their lives. Through thoughtful conversations and practical insights, she explores self-awareness, self-compassion, leadership, and the stories we inherit about who we are. If this conversation resonated with you, I encourage you to listen to Banish the Lies and connect with Tania for more conversations about quieting the inner critic and creating a life based on truth rather than fear. Stay Connected If you're enjoying The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, be sure to subscribe and join The Brave &Balanced Note, my free newsletter with practical tools for emotional mastery, sustainable fundraising, and living with greater courage and ease. And if this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to leave a review or share it with someone whose inner critic has been a little too loud lately.  Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  7. Aug 25

    The Medicine We've Forgotten

    How Plants Can Help You Return to Calm, Healing, and Self-Sovereignty In this personal episode, I'm stepping outside my usual fundraising conversations to share one of the practices that has profoundly shaped my own healing journey: working with medicinal plants. When I became seriously ill in early 2020, I found myself searching for ways to support my body while the world felt uncertain. That search led me into the study of herbalism—a path that reminded me of something our ancestors once knew well: that many of the plants growing around us have been trusted allies for generations. This isn't about rejecting modern medicine. Quite the opposite. It's about expanding our understanding of what caring for ourselves can look like. Alongside the incredible gifts of modern healthcare, there's also something deeply empowering about learning simple ways to support our nervous system, our rest, and our everyday well-being. In this episode, I share:  Why studying herbalism changed my relationship with healing  The connection between plants, intuition, and self-sovereignty  Four gentle herbs I reach for regularly (and why)  How to prepare nourishing herbal teas and relaxing herbal baths  Why slowing down and reconnecting with nature may be one of the greatest forms of self-care available to us Whether you're simply curious about herbs or you've been longing to reconnect with the natural world, I hope this conversation encourages you to explore with wonder, wisdom, and respect. Mentioned in this episode Penn Herb — Quality dried medicinal herbs and supplies https://www.pennherb.com Strictly Medicinal Seeds — Medicinal herb seeds and plants for growing your own herbal garden https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com If you're enjoying these conversations about living with greater courage, balance, and authenticity, I'd love to have you join my free newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, where I share practical reflections and tools to help you create an inner climate that supports the life you're here to live. Subscribe here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1 Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

  8. Aug 18

    Who Does She Think She Is?

    The Fear That Keeps Brilliant Women Playing Small Have you ever downplayed your accomplishments, brushed off a compliment, or hesitated to celebrate a win because you didn't want to seem arrogant? Many of us were taught that being humble is a virtue. But what if some of what we've been calling humility is actually fear? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright explores the hidden emotional patterns that keep so many caring, capable people from stepping fully into their gifts. Together, we'll unpack why we shrink ourselves to stay safe, how old stories about criticism and belonging shape our behavior, and what it really means to lead with confidence without losing our humility. If you've ever worried about "getting too big for your britches," felt uncomfortable receiving recognition, or found yourself holding back even though you know you're capable of more, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you'll discover: Why humility and self-doubt are not the same thing.How fear of criticism can quietly keep you playing small.The surprising cost of dismissing your accomplishments instead of celebrating them.Why you are not responsible for managing other people's emotional reactions to your success.A simple daily practice to help you build an internal sense of safety instead of searching for it through other people's approval.The goal isn't to become louder, more boastful, or more self-promotional. It's to become free—free to accept appreciation, celebrate your growth, and pursue the work you're uniquely here to do without apologizing for taking up space. Enjoying the podcast? Follow The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who has a habit of making themselves smaller to keep everyone else comfortable. Want more practical tools for leading with courage, clarity, and emotional resilience? Sign up for The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter, where I share coaching insights, reflections, and practical exercises to help you lead from alignment instead of anxiety. Join here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1 Send Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Newsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

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About

The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser is the podcast I wish had existed during my 15 years in fundraising. It’s a love offering to the people behind the mission—the professional fundraisers who give their hearts and energy every day to make the world better. This show isn’t about strategy, metrics, or money. It’s about you—the human being doing the work. Each episode offers real tools and soulful conversations to help you regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your purpose, and renew your energy so you can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, overworked, or caught in the constant pressure to perform, this podcast is your invitation to return home to yourself. Join me to learn how to cultivate balance, resilience, and authentic impact—from the inside out. Full Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/fkFZpmNYF3v

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