266: From Insight to Impact: Nurturing Donor Relationships with Tyler Mallory

Oct 29, 2025

Tyler Mallory, a major gifts officer at the University of Illinois with a diverse background in sales and nonprofit leadership, shares insights on nurturing donor relationships. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and flexibility to genuinely connect with donors while discussing the changing landscape of cause-based giving. Tyler argues that AI can assist fundraising efforts but should never replace the human touch. He highlights overcoming fear in donor conversations, stressing the value of long-term engagement and authentic connections.

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INSIGHT

AI Is A Tool, Not A Replacement

AI can surface useful data points but it cannot replace direct human outreach to discover donors' true motivations.
Overreliance on AI risks robbing fundraisers and donors of opportunities to find authentic alignment.

ADVICE

Meet Donors Where They Are

Meet donors where they are and be willing to pivot from historical assumptions about their interests.
Offer open-handed connections across programs rather than forcing a fit with a single department.

ADVICE

Use Persistent, Genuine Curiosity

Keep asking 'why' to move past surface answers and uncover deeper donor motivations.
Practice genuine curiosity and care rather than mechanical questioning to unlock meaningful alignment.

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In an era of overloaded information, building genuine donor alignment is essential. Join with us and explore how curiosity, care, and flexibility help fundraisers uncover what truly motivates the donors. Let’s examine how AI can be a tool of support but never replaces the human connection at the heart of transformational philanthropic engagement.

Like most fundraisers, Tyler Mallory stumbled into the industry unexpectedly from a background of sales and business development. He is now a major gifts officer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is also experienced in working as an interim chief advancement officer and specializes in creating alignment between alumni, programs, and institutional needs.

In this episode, you will be able to:

- Learn how genuine curiosity and flexibility help building lasting donor relationships.

- Discover how to move past fear, pressure, and performance metrics that can block authentic connection.

- Gain knowledge on how AI can support, but never replace the human touch in fundraising.

- Learn how mistakes can be powerful teachers in shaping better fundraisers and leaders.

Get all the resources from today’s episode here.

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Connect with me:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/

Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast

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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.