What the Fundraising

Mallory Erickson
  • 4.9 (124)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 2d ago

    How to Build Win-Win Content Partnerships in the Social Impact Space with Cindy Wagman

    Mallory Erickson and Cindy Wagman pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to build partnerships between coaches, consultants, and technology companies in the social impact space. Cindy Wagman is a nonprofit consultant, educator, and founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network. After years of working as an in-house fundraiser, Cindy began consulting in 2015 and later built a business focused on helping nonprofit professionals transition into fractional consulting while creating sustainable businesses without burnout. Originally recorded as a webinar, this conversation explores why tech companies want to partner with coaches and consultants, what you can gain from these relationships, and how to determine whether a partnership is actually aligned with your business and values. Mallory and Cindy share their own experiences navigating partnerships, sponsorships, speaking opportunities, referral revenue, webinars, and emerging AI partnerships. They also talk honestly about what makes these opportunities worthwhile, what can become a drain on your time, and how to protect your intellectual property when technology becomes part of your service delivery. Whether you're just starting to explore partnerships or you've already worked with technology companies, this episode will help you approach these relationships with more intention, discernment, and agency. In this episode, you will be able to: - Identify why technology companies partner with coaches and consultants and what they are ultimately hoping to gain from those relationships. - Evaluate potential partnerships based on your own business goals, values, audience, and desired outcomes. - Understand the different ways partnerships can support brand visibility, audience growth, revenue generation, and impact. - Approach speaking opportunities more strategically by thinking about lead capture, audience growth, and how to make the most of the opportunity. - Think critically about referral and affiliate partnerships, including transparency and disclosure around referral revenue. - Understand how AI is creating new opportunities for coaches and consultants to scale their impact while maintaining the human value of their work. - Ask better questions about intellectual property, privacy, data, and how your content is being used when partnering with technology companies. Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

  2. 3d ago

    From Free Webinars to $10K Keynotes: How I Built My Speaking Business with Mallory Erickson

    Have you ever wondered how to turn speaking opportunities into a meaningful part of your business? In this solo episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory Erickson gets candid about how she built her paid speaking business, what she did before people were paying her, how she decides which opportunities are worth her time, and why being a great speaker is only one part of building a sustainable speaking career. Mallory shares what she learned from years of unpaid speaking, how she used content partnerships to make early opportunities financially possible, and the role that webinars, word of mouth, testimonials, and a speaker reel played in growing her reputation. She also talks openly about her current speaking rates, the value of protecting her time and family commitments, and why she believes speakers should advocate for fair compensation while also considering equity across the sector. Most importantly, Mallory offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions she makes when evaluating speaking opportunities and the relationships that have helped her speaking business grow organically. In this episode, you will be able to:  - Understand how unpaid speaking opportunities can help build the reputation, experience, and word-of-mouth referrals that lead to paid opportunities. - Identify ways to make speaking opportunities more financially accessible early in your career, including content and platform partnerships. - Create the foundational materials you need to market yourself as a speaker, including a speaker reel and media kit. - Think strategically about your speaking rates by considering travel, preparation, lost business time, and personal commitments. - Create space in your calendar for higher-value speaking opportunities instead of automatically saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way. - Build stronger relationships with event organizers by being thoughtful, collaborative, kind, and easy to work with while still maintaining clear boundaries. Check out Mallory’s speaking media kit and speaking reel: https://malloryerickson.com/speaking-workshops/  Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

  3. 3d ago

    Writing a Book: The Unfiltered Truth About My Book-Writing Process with Mallory Erickson

    What does it actually take to write a book? In this solo episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory Erickson pulls back the curtain on her experience writing and publishing her book, What the Fundraising. From signing a publishing contract with Wiley before she even knew what she wanted to write, to getting pregnant, navigating a difficult pregnancy, becoming a new parent, and rewriting the entire book six weeks postpartum, Mallory shares the messy reality behind the finished product. Mallory also talks about the limiting belief she had that she needed a book in order to get paid speaking opportunities, how writing the book ultimately changed the way she thinks and communicates, and why she believes a book should be valuable because of its unique ideas and perspective, not simply because you can say you wrote one. She also gets honest about perfectionism, ADHD, the challenges of sequencing a long-form argument, using AI for feedback but not for writing, and the importance of having systems and support around you. Most importantly, Mallory shares why your book doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to sound like you. In this episode, you will be able to:  - Understand what Mallory's actual book-writing process looked like, including the unexpected circumstances that shaped it. - Recognize the difference between creating long-form social content and developing a cohesive argument for a book. - Identify how sequencing an argument can become one of the hardest parts of writing a book, especially when you have lots of ideas and information to connect. - Consider how a book can strengthen your thinking, speaking, podcasting, and overall ability to articulate your ideas. - Think more strategically about whether writing a book actually supports the business, career, or change you want to create. - Use AI as a tool for feedback and identifying gaps without outsourcing your unique perspective and voice. - Let go of the idea that your book needs to be perfect before you put it into the world. - Write something that actually matters to you and gives readers a perspective they couldn't get anywhere else. Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

  4. 5d ago

    Starting a Podcast with Mallory Erickson

    In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, What does it really take to start a podcast and more importantly, keep doing it for years? In this behind-the-scenes episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory pulls back the curtain on how the podcast started, why she created it in the first place, how she landed her first sponsors before she even had listeners, and what has kept her going for more than 300 episodes. But this isn't really an episode about podcast equipment, download numbers, or how to land sponsors. It's about building something from a place of genuine curiosity instead of chasing metrics. Mallory shares why she thinks the best reason to start a podcast is because you actually want to have the conversations, what she learned about creating an environment where guests can be their most authentic selves, why she stopped doing pre-show calls, and how being willing to have uncomfortable and unexpected conversations helped What The Fundraising stand out. She also gets candid about pitching yourself to podcasts, building a personal brand, creating unique content, and using a podcast as a public learning lab. In this episode, you will be able to:  — Identify whether starting a podcast is actually aligned with the conversations you want to have and the way you naturally learn. — Create a podcast concept rooted in a unique purpose rather than simply replicating conversations that are already happening in your industry. — Develop a hosting approach that allows you to bring your genuine curiosity and personality into conversations. — Create an experience that provides meaningful value to both your guests and your audience. — Use a podcast as a tool for building relationships, developing ideas, and deepening your expertise over time. — Build a sustainable podcast by focusing on the value and joy of the work rather than getting caught up in rankings, downloads, or other external metrics. Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

  5. 6d ago

    How to Build a Personal Brand with Mallory Erickson

    What actually makes a personal brand memorable? According to Mallory Erickson, it's not a perfectly curated aesthetic, a complicated content strategy, or having the perfect business plan. It's getting crystal clear on the problem you want to solve—and how you solve it differently from everyone else. In this solo episode of What the Fundraising, Mallory pulls back the curtain on how her own personal brand and coaching business actually developed. Spoiler alert: it wasn't particularly strategic, linear, or polished. It started with a problem she was experiencing herself, a desire to help other fundraisers, and a willingness to keep talking about the same problem over and over again. Mallory shares the unexpected origins of her coaching business, how the Power Partners Formula™ became an anchor for her brand, why vulnerability and authenticity have been critical to her growth, and what she did when people told her to talk less about mindset and nervous system work and give people more templates instead. She also talks about the importance of repeating your message—even when you are sick of hearing yourself say it—and why she recommends giving yourself 180 days of creating content before obsessing over engagement metrics. In this episode, you will be able to:  — Get clearer on the specific problem you want your business to solve. — Understand why specificity is more powerful than simply calling yourself a coach or consultant. — See how your own lived experience can inform your business and brand. — Understand how consistency can create a strong brand identity—even when your services evolve. — Learn why vulnerability can strengthen rather than weaken your authority. — Resist the temptation to shape-shift based on other people's opinions. — Understand why repeating your message is essential to building recognition. — Create content without becoming obsessed with engagement metrics. — Use coaching and self-coaching to navigate visibility and business growth. — Build a personal brand that people can actually see themselves in. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

  6. Sep 8

    A Practical Guide to Launching Planned Giving in Your Nonprofit with Tony Martignetti

    Planned giving may sound complicated, but it does not have to be! This episode features Tony Martignetti, an expert in planned giving strategies & accelerated programs. Tony began his planned giving career in 1997 after working as a lawyer for two years. In 2003, he started Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors, where he provides consulting services for nonprofits. He is also the author of the upcoming book Planned Giving Accelerated, which will be published in September. In the conversation, Tony explains that the basic ideas behind planned giving have stayed the same over the years. He encourages small and mid-sized nonprofits to start with simple gifts, especially bequests and gifts through wills. He also clears up common myths, such as the idea that planned giving is only for wealthy donors.  Tony shares tips for having honest conversations with loyal donors, following up when donors need time to decide, and keeping in touch over the long term. He also explains why many planned gifts remain private and why organizations should continue talking about their long-term impact.  In this episode, you will be able to:  Understand the basic ideas and purpose of planned giving. Identify why bequests and gifts through wills are a good starting point for nonprofits. Recognize and challenge common myths about planned giving. Use simple and respectful ways to start and continue planned giving conversations. Understand why some donors choose not to disclose their planned gifts. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

  7. Sep 3

    Fundraising and Funder Behavior: The Tiny Habits That Will Change Your Life with BJ Fogg, PhD

    We are releasing a special bonus episode of What The Fundraising! In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast… I talked to behavior scientist and author BJ Fogg, PhD. BJ is one of my biggest teachers and superheroes, he has run a lab at Stanford University for 20 years now, and for the last 10, he’s dedicated his work to behavior design. His book Tiny Habits is a wonderful explanation of how our brains work and what small but effective techniques we can use to create habits and beat fears. His Fogg Behavior Model is perfect for fundraisers out there, it goes from allowing yourself to feel success over small victories, to taking action by tracking down your prompts and abilities. In this conversation BJ shares SO many useful and simple hacks, I felt like I had to write them down. Plus, his approach to people is immensely human, compassionate, and positive, (just like fundraising!) You really don’t want to miss this conversation.

  8. Sep 1

    3 Fundraising Readiness Gaps Standing Between You and Your Next Yes with Mallory Erickson

    In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, What if the reason you're avoiding fundraising outreach isn't because you're bad at fundraising, but because you have a readiness gap? In this solo episode of What the Fundraising, Mallory Erickson breaks down three common fundraising readiness gaps that can quietly stand between you and your next yes: confidence, clarity, and consistency. She shares the behavioral science behind why we avoid outreach, why vague to-do lists create procrastination, and how frantic bursts of fundraising can make relationship-building feel transactional. Most importantly, Mallory gives you one concrete move for each readiness gap that you can put into practice this week. From rewriting the story you tell yourself when a donor doesn't respond to turning vague fundraising tasks into tiny physical actions, these strategies are designed to make fundraising feel more doable—and help you build the muscle memory that creates sustainable momentum. In this episode, you will be able to:  Understand why fundraising avoidance isn't a character flaw, but a potential readiness gap. Recognize how anticipatory anxiety and negative assumptions can affect your fundraising outreach. Reframe donor silence and rejection without turning them into judgments about your worth or competence. Turn vague fundraising to-dos into specific, actionable next physical steps. Use tiny habits to lower the activation energy around fundraising. Build consistency by anchoring small donor touchpoints to routines you already have. Understand why relationship fundraising benefits from consistency rather than frantic bursts of activity. Create simple habits that help you become the fundraiser who never fully goes quiet. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.

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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Mallory Erickson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    334
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mallory Erickson Coaching
  • Show Website
    What the Fundraising

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