The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser

Erin McQuade-Wright
  • 5.0 (8)
  • 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

    You’re Walking Past Money Every Day (Here’s Why)

    The hidden filter that’s keeping you from seeing opportunity right in front of you If you’re not raising the money you want, what if the issue isn’t effort—but awareness? In this episode, Erin McQuade-Wright explores a powerful (and often invisible) truth: you may be walking past opportunities every single day—not because they aren’t there, but because your brain is filtering them out. Drawing on a simple but eye-opening story from her own life, Erin breaks down how your mind prioritizes safety, familiarity, and identity over possibility—and how that directly impacts your ability to see and act on fundraising opportunities. From avoiding follow-ups to deciding a donor “isn’t ready,” many of the choices we make aren’t based on facts—they’re based on internal filters designed to protect us from discomfort, rejection, or risk. And every time you obey that filter, you may be leaving money on the table. This episode will help you recognize where this is happening in your own work—and give you a simple, grounded way to start shifting it today. In this episode, you’ll learn:  Why you’re not actually missing opportunities—you’re filtering them out  How your brain’s need for safety impacts your fundraising decisions  The subtle ways avoidance shows up (and how it costs you money)  Why waiting until something feels “ready” keeps you stuck  A simple, body-based practice to help you take action with more ease A moment to reflect: What am I not allowing myself to see? Ready to go deeper? If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to my newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, for weekly tools and reflections to help you regulate your inner climate and raise money with more clarity, confidence, and ease. Sign up here. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    15 min

  2. MAY 5

    Why You Feel Stuck (and the Simple Shift That Gets You Moving Today)

    The hidden reason you’re avoiding action—and how to move anyway If you’ve ever tried to push yourself out of feeling stuck—only to end up overthinking, procrastinating, or avoiding the very thing you know you need to do—this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, Erin McQuade-Wright unpacks what’s actually happening beneath the surface when you feel stuck. Instead of treating it like a problem to fix, she reveals how “stuck” is often a protective strategy your nervous system is using to avoid pain—especially the pain of judgment, failure, or getting it wrong. You’ll learn why waiting for clarity keeps you frozen, how avoidance disguises itself as productivity, and the simple shift that moves you back into action—without white-knuckling your way through it. This episode also includes a brief somatic reset you can use in real time, plus one powerful question to help you move forward today: “What do you need to let go of to experience being in action?” In this episode, you’ll learn:  Why feeling stuck is often a nervous system response—not laziness  How avoidance shows up as overthinking, procrastination, and “busywork”  Why clarity and confidence only come after action—not before  The hidden cost of staying stuck (and how it impacts your work and relationships)  A simple, body-based practice to help you take your next step A quote to carry with you: “God meets me in action.” — Cathy Heller Ready to go deeper? If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to my newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, for weekly reflections and tools to help you regulate your inner climate and show up with more clarity, courage, and ease. Sign up here! Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    33 min

  3. APR 28

    Why Asking for Money Feels So Personal

    The Psychology Behind Fundraising Discomfort — And What to Do About It Why does asking for money feel so… personal? In this episode, Erin explores the moment many fundraisers recognize: when a professional ask suddenly feels like something about you is on the line. Not strategic. Not neutral. Personal. This isn’t a tactics problem—it’s a human one. You’ll learn why the ask can trigger a sense of social risk, how identity and nervous system responses shape your experience, and what to do in the moment to stay grounded, present, and connected. If you’ve ever avoided an ask, overthought it, or walked away feeling drained, this episode will help you understand why—and how to approach it differently. In this episode, you’ll learn:  Why asking for money activates a sense of social risk  How fight, flight, and freeze show up in fundraising  The connection between identity, worth, and the ask  Why burnout isn’t caused by the ask itself—but what it means to you  Simple ways to regulate your nervous system before and during a conversationSend Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    25 min

  4. APR 21

    Why Fundraisers Feel Responsible for the Money

    The Hidden Pressure Behind Nonprofit Revenue Goals If you work in fundraising, you may know the quiet pressure that lives in the background of the job: the feeling that if the money doesn’t come in, something bad might happen. Programs could shrink, staff jobs could be at risk, and the mission you care about might struggle to continue. In this episode, Erin explores why so many fundraisers end up carrying the emotional weight of their organization’s finances — and how that pressure can show up in the body, the nervous system, and the way we approach donor conversations. You’ll learn why this sense of responsibility is so common, how it can quietly shape your fundraising energy, and how releasing that burden can lead to more grounded, relational, and sustainable fundraising. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why fundraisers often feel personally responsible for their organization’s financial health  • The three forces that create this pressure: proximity to revenue, mission-driven empathy, and nervous system patterns  • How over-responsibility can show up in the body as tension, urgency, or anxiety  • The powerful shift that happens when you remember your role is to facilitate generosity — not control every outcome When fundraisers release the belief that everything depends on them, the nervous system settles. And when that happens, fundraising becomes what it was always meant to be: a relationship, not a rescue mission. If this conversation resonated with you, consider sharing it with a fellow fundraiser who might need the reminder that they’re not carrying this work alone. You can also join the conversation inside the Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook community (https://www.facebook.com/share/g/181QkraoKQ/), where fundraisers talk honestly about the inner side of this work. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    15 min

  5. APR 14

    Mission Over Burnout with Mary Beth Alvarez

    What Fundraisers, Donors, and Doctors Can Teach Us About Sustainability, Mental Health, and the Long Game In this episode of The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser, Erin is joined by Mary Beth Alvarez, a dual-boarded internist and psychiatrist, public health professional, philanthropist, and longtime nonprofit board member. Together, they explore why burnout isn’t actually solved by self-care alone… how secrecy and discomfort around money create anxiety for fundraisers and donors alike… and why sustainable fundraising depends on connection to mission, clear expectations, and honest conversation. Drawing from medicine, mental health, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership, Mary Beth shares why systems shouldn’t rely on burnout or heroics, how direct asks help people feel included rather than pressured, and what it looks like to play the long game with donors, board members, and fundraising teams. This episode is for fundraisers who feel the weight of the ask, for donors and board members who want to be genuinely engaged, and for anyone who believes mission-driven work should not come at the cost of well-being. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    36 min

  6. APR 7

    Hold Your Own Energy: A Somatic Reset for Fundraising Events

    A Nervous System Approach to Donor Events, Fundraising Anxiety, and Executive Presence Have you ever left a fundraising gala feeling outwardly successful but internally depleted? Fundraising events are high-stimulation environments — filled with noise, hierarchy, expectation, and subtle power dynamics. For many nonprofit professionals — especially empathic or highly sensitive fundraisers — these spaces can trigger nervous system overdrive. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin explores: Why donor events activate stress responsesHow people-pleasing can masquerade as strategyWhat “energetic self-abandonment” looks like in major gift spacesWhy embodied presence is your true power positionA 20-second somatic reset you can use in the middle of any galaIf you’ve ever felt yourself scanning the room, over-accommodating influential donors, or subtly shrinking in high-dollar environments, this episode offers a grounded alternative. Because your authority in fundraising does not come from hovering near power. It comes from holding your own. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why fundraising events are neurologically stimulating — especially for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)The difference between strategic attunement and stress-based over-attunementHow self-abandonment erodes executive presenceHow nervous system regulation builds donor trustA discreet somatic grounding practice to reset your energy on the spotThe 20-Second Reset (Quick Reference) At your next fundraising event: Feel your feet inside your shoes.Let your shoulders drop one inch.Inhale slowly. Exhale longer than you inhale.Silently say: “I am here. In my body.”Notice one physical sensation.Presence is power. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    24 min

  7. MAR 31

    The Enneagram in Fundraising: Your Superpower and Your Growth Edge

    How Your Enneagram Type Shapes Donor Relationships, Major Gifts, and Sustainable Fundraising Success Have you ever wondered why certain parts of fundraising feel effortless — while others drain you? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin explores how the nine Enneagram types show up in fundraising. You’ll discover your fundraising superpower, your hidden growth edge, and how your unconscious personality pattern may be shaping donor conversations more than you realize. This is not a technical deep dive into wings or subtypes. It’s a practical, high-level lens to help you: Understand your motivational patternFundraise from your strengthsNotice where stress habits may be costing youRegulate your nervous system before making the askWe all carry all nine types within us — but most of us have one dominant pattern that drives our behavior under pressure. When you understand your pattern, you stop fighting yourself and start leading yourself. Curious about your type? You can take a free Enneagram test here:  Eclectic Energies (Free Test):  https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test For a more in-depth, paid assessment developed by Enneagram researchers Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson:  Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI):  https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/rheti If this episode resonated and you’d like personalized support applying this insight to your fundraising and leadership, you can learn more about working with Erin at:  https://vitalistcoaching.com Fundraising doesn’t require changing who you are.  It requires becoming more conscious of who you already are. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    28 min

  8. MAR 24

    Fundraising Resilience: What Are You Making It Mean?

    How donor “no’s,” board scrutiny, and grant rejections shape your nervous system—and how to build real resilience from the inside out. Fundraising is a profession built on exposure to rejection. Donors decline. Boards stress-test your plans. Grants fall through. Finance departments stay cautious. None of this is unusual—but what you make it mean about you can quietly erode your confidence over time. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin explores the hidden nervous system impact of repeated “failures to be perfect” and why resilience in fundraising isn’t about grit—it’s about recovery. You’ll learn: Why personalization is the biggest threat to fundraising resilienceThe cumulative nervous system effect of repeated rejectionHow to tell if you’re becoming more resilient—or more reactiveWhy resilience cannot be outsourced to donor behaviorProven, research-backed tools to build internal steadinessThis episode includes practical reframing questions, a 90-second emotional processing tool, and simple nervous system resets you can use immediately after setbacks. Journal Prompt: What am I making this mean about me? If you want support strengthening your resilience and leading from clarity instead of bracing, you’re invited to explore working with Erin. You’ll find the link in the show notes. Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com 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

    28 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

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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