The 3 Pain Points Keeping You From Raising Millions (And How to Flip the Script)

Jul 29, 2025

Explore the three major obstacles hindering fundraising efforts: the importance of a strategy tailored to your organization's unique culture and values, the courage needed to face rejection and stand firm against donor interference, and the pivotal role of emotional intelligence as a fundraising superpower. Discover how emotional intelligence can enhance donor relationships and guide you through challenging situations. Get inspired by real stories of resilience and learn to build those crucial fundraising muscles!

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Strategy Must Fit Your Organization

Fundraising strategy must be custom to your nonprofit's culture, team, values, and capacity.
Copying another org's strategy often fails because it doesn't fit your unique context.

ANECDOTE

Teaching Well Example

Julie describes The Teaching Well as a client that prioritizes sustainability and staff investment.
Their culture meant an events-heavy strategy would burn staff and likely fail for them.

ADVICE

Actively Grow Your Courage

Build your courage by taking calculated risks and practicing honesty with your team.
Surround yourself with bolder people and keep your word to yourself to grow courageous leadership.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Hey friend ,in this episode I’m breaking down the three biggest pain points I see over and over again when it comes to raising the money you need to fund your mission. Whether you're a nonprofit CEO, ED, or development leader, these are the places where we often get stuck... but we don’t have to stay stuck.

Here’s what we’re diving into:

Strategy That Actually Fits You

It’s not enough to copy what worked for another organization. I walk through how to develop a fundraising strategy that’s aligned with your culture, your team, your values, and your capacity -not just what looks good on paper. Spoiler: if your org deeply values sustainability, don’t expect an events-heavy model to work.

Courage is the Difference Maker

No one talks about how much courage it takes to raise major gifts. To face rejection. To say no to donors who want to dictate your mission. To speak up when something’s not working. Courage is the backbone of effective fundraising, and I’m sharing real stories -including my own failures - to help you build that muscle.

Emotional Intelligence is Your Fundraising Superpower

I used to say “relationships” were the third key, but I’m refining that: it’s actually emotional intelligence (EQ). I break down the four components of EQ and why it’s the number one indicator of fundraising success. You’ll get a peek into the book I’m currently rereading (Emotional Intelligence 2.0), and how this work has changed the way I lead and raise money.

Whether you're struggling with awkward board meetings, feeling stuck in fear, or wondering why your strategy just isn’t landing - this one’s for you.

If you loved this episode or had a lightbulb moment, hit me up on LinkedIn and let me know.

Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.

If you're an org with at least $800k annual budget and major gifts is your top priority, but you need a better strategy and approach, get on the waitlist for the next CourageLab cohort here: https://julieordonez.kit.com/couragelab2