What the Fundraising

Systemic doesn’t happen in isolation; it begins when power is shared. By placing decision-making in the hands of communities most affected by inequity, collaborative funds are reshaping philanthropy. This approach redefines who leads, who decides, and how trust is built in the places that haven’t always been welcoming.  Rebecca Darwent is the founder and philanthropic advisor at Rebecca Darwent Global Inc. She is an internationally recognized expert in philanthropy, a champion of collaborative giving, and a social entrepreneur dedicated to advancing equity, liberation, and abundance through wealth and resource redistribution. She co-founded the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) in 2022 and led fundraising, community engagement, and advocacy that resulted in a historic $200 million capital transfer from the Canadian government to Black philanthropy. Through her advisory firm, Rebecca helps families and foundations channel their wealth and networks to empower the underfunded communities. She is also a 2024 Young Global Leader, a Women Leader for the World Fellow, and a Canadian Millennium Laureate.  In this episode, you will be able to: - Discover how collaborative funds are redistributing power and reshaping traditional philanthropy. - Learn why community-led decision-making creates more equitable and lasting impact. - Understand what it takes to build trust and partnership in historically unwelcoming spaces. - Learn why relationship-building is essential for breaking cycles of exclusion and mistrust. - Discover how Black leaders are navigating and challenging systemic barriers in philanthropy. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by GiveButter. GiveButter is the easiest-to-use fundraising platform.  Your favorite fundraising tools, supercharged! Never miss a fundraising opportunity again. Givebutter Plus takes this award-winning platform to the next level with advanced automation, deeper donor insights, and eye-popping supporter engagement tools to help your nonprofit get ahead—and stay there. 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.

In this engaging discussion, Karen Kelly, Development Manager at the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and co-founder of Through the Heart, shares her journey from managing nonprofits to mastering fundraising. Karen emphasizes viewing donor asks as relationship-building investments rather than mere transactions. She busts the myth that fundraising is only for extroverts, highlighting how data-driven strategies can transform efforts, such as re-engaging lapsed donors through targeted messaging. Listeners will discover how to leverage clean data and storytelling to boost their nonprofit's fundraising potential.

Leadership is framed around performance and results too often, ignoring the more profound needs of inclusivity, safety, and authentic expression. True leadership is something that is beyond token inclusion; it's about creating spaces where people feel empowered, valued, and feel free to bring their whole selves forward. Joy, curiosity, and play allow leaders to reframe challenges, nurture resilience, and cultivate strong connections.  This week, Mallory is joined by Sarah Ali, founder & CEO of Sarah Ali Philanthropy Inc., a Toronto-based but globally operating full-service agency supporting nonprofits in scaling their revenue engines. With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has worked across digital-first giving, institutional fundraising, and funder engagement. She joined Mallory to explore how rediscovering joy and clarity of purpose can transform the way diverse leaders show up, making the workplace not only functional but also thriving with authenticity and shared human experience.  In this episode, you will be able to: - Understand why token inclusion is not true inclusivity. - Discover how stress and burnout hinder our thinking. - Learn about the role of Play in building safe, supportive spaces for diverse teams. - Figure out how reconnecting with joy and purpose can strengthen fundraising, leadership, and organizational culture.  Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Zeffy is a game-changing fundraising platform built exclusively for nonprofits. Unlike other platforms that take a cut of your hard work through credit card and transaction fees, Zeffy is 100% free from transaction and platform fees. That means every dollar you raise goes directly toward fueling your mission. Trusted by more than 50,000 nonprofits, Zeffy empowers organizations of every size to streamline their fundraising with tools to collect donations, sell tickets, and manage donors all in one place. Getting started takes less than 15 minutes, and once you’re set up, you’ll have more resources to put toward what really matters: your cause. 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

Building a nonprofit that genuinely connects with people requires more than a compelling mission; it demands empathy, strategy, and courage. Mark Dombkins, Founder at Forever Projects, shares insights from his journey leading a nonprofit dedicated to ending the Tanzanian orphan crisis through income creation for women. He and his wife Anna live in Australia with their six children, three of whom they adopted while working in Tanzania between 2010 and 2013. During the conversation, He mentions the importance of clarity and naivety in leadership, emphasizing storytelling as a powerful tool for inspiring generosity and trust. Mark emphasizes the importance of meeting donors where they are, understanding their realities, pressures, and motivations, rather than expecting them to adapt to an organization's mission. He describes how his team grew brand awareness and future demand through lean, abundance-minded strategies such as community events. These gatherings weren't designed to convert donors immediately but to create joy, hope, connection, and insight, trusting that value-driven experiences would naturally lead to deeper engagement. Mark also reflects on the constant tension between short-term fundraising pressures and long-term strategy, stressing the importance of supportive governance and the courage to say no to opportunities that don't align. For him, discomfort is a vital teacher, both in leadership immersion trips and in the discipline of reframing opportunity costs as signs of focus and progress. Finally, Mark explores how innovation, culture, and identity shape giving. He notes that many major donors are motivated as much by new ways of solving problems as by the cause itself. In this episode, you will be able to: Discover how storytelling and empathy can transform donor engagement. Understand the power of meeting donors where they are and creating meaningful community experiences. Gain insights into balancing short-term fundraising pressures with long-term strategic vision. Explore the discipline of saying no and embracing discomfort as a tool for growth. Learn how innovation, culture, and identity shape giving and strengthen a nonprofit’s impact. Agency in giving is crucial for fostering genuine generosity. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com 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.

This week, we have the honor of conversing with the board chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Cicley Gay. The foundation is now expanding its vision to center joy, love, and play as revolutionary practices and redefines what it means to build lasting social change. This conversation explores how transparency, truth-telling, and risk-taking are reshaping the landscape of philanthropy and fighting misinformation regarding marginalized communities.  Cicley Gay is the Board Chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and a social entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience serving under-resourced communities. Her expertise in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership allows her to empower Black-led organizations and advance systemic change. She is a proud mother of three and joined us today to give us a picture of the work of Black Lives Matter and how they are moving communities forward.  In this episode, you will be able to: - Learn about the role of transparency, truth-telling, and risk-taking in fighting against misinformation regarding marginalized communities.  - Discover how love can be a superpower in leadership and philanthropy.  - Learn how funding play, arts, and wellness programs can transform communities and empower youth. - Discover why joy is foundational, not optional in building lasting impact.  Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com 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

The promise of technology is efficiency, but the core of community building still lies in authentic human connection. The current nonprofit sector finds it hard to balance automation with meaningful touchpoints that foster trust, vulnerability, and genuine relationships. This conversation explores the intersection of community and technology, emphasizing how nonprofit organizations can avoid over-engineering relationships, understand the ebb and flow of engagement, and harness the power of simple but personal gestures.  Tasha Van Vlack is the CEO of Community Hives, a global peer-connection platform that helps organizations to strengthen their communities, whether through technology, strategy, or hands-on consulting. With a passion for bringing people together and with the belief that right connections can change everything, Tasha’s diving headfirst into scaling relational tech and dreaming up what’s next for human-first connection tools. She sits down with Mallory to talk about how nonprofits can leverage modern technologies not to replace but to support authentic communities by blending automation with personal touchpoints.  In this episode, you will be able to: - Learn how to balance automation with authentic human touchpoints. - Learn the importance of embracing the natural ebb and flow of engagement. - Discover how simple but personal gestures can have an enormous impact on relationships. - Learn why vulnerability, flexibility, and active participation is essential in building trust.  Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com 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.

In this week’s episode, we welcome Woodrow Rosenbaum, founder and CEO of With Intent. This conversation focuses on the balance between productivity and efficiency with the help of AI in a world where speed often overshadows substance. Together, they shed light on how innovation can empower nonprofits to reimagine generosity for the future.   In this episode, you will be able to: - Learn how nonprofits can balance productivity and efficiency. - Discover practical approaches for ethical AI governance and responsible technology adoption. - Learn how to reduce AI overwhelm and fear. - Learn how AI can reach out to the donors who are often left out by the system.  - Get insights on the leadership roles in the age of AI.  Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com 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.

Karen Houghton, CEO of Infinite Giving, dives into transforming nonprofit financial practices. She highlights the dangers of a scarcity mindset and the power of a strategy mindset that fosters growth and stability. Karen emphasizes the importance of building financial reserves, enhancing donor engagement through education on non-cash gifts, and forming strategic partnerships. With her unique insights from the intersection of nonprofit needs and financial tools, she advocates for better financial conversations and structures within the nonprofit sector to drive sustainable impact.

Have you ever wondered why your hiring process is not as effective as you want it to be? In this week’s episode, Mallory and Kishshana discuss the critical importance of the alignment of health, well-being, and transparency in hiring with organizational needs. In a field where people expect different results from doing the same thing over and over again, they highlight the need for leaders to break from the traditional, task-force approaches and create roles that empower professionals to thrive, innovate, and sustain mission impact. Mallory and Kishshana challenge the limiting beliefs in the system while encouraging providing structural support and designing an onboarding and coaching system that promotes engagement and longevity. Meet Kishshana Palmer, CFRE, a proven executive leader, transformational coach, and keynote speaker with 15+ years of experience in driving organizational excellence in nonprofit, social impact, and mission-driven sectors. Kishshana is the CEO of ManageMint, Inc., an organizational development firm focused on helping everyday leaders live and lead well. She helps leaders scale operations, navigate change, and achieve breakthrough performance. Not limited to organizations, Kishshana coaches high-performing leaders also. She is mother to a teenage girl and currently resides in Atlanta.  In this episode, you will be able to: - Learn why health and well-being matter as much as skills in hiring. - Discover how to build roles that let talent shine naturally.  - Learn how to build trust through relationships centered recruitment.  - Get information on breaking limited beliefs about money, location, or size.  - Learn the importance of structured support and intentional coaching Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com 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.

In a world that often demands perfection in every role, it’s necessary to explore the courageous work of being transparent about limits. In this week’s conversation, from the emotional and physical weight of motherhood to the pressure of leadership, we dive into the challenges of managing personal and professional life with care. This episode is fully packed with honest reflections on navigating impossible choices, setting clear boundaries, and maintaining relationships through the chaos of life.  Meet Stacy Huston, the Executive Director of SixDegrees.Org, a nonprofit founded by the actor, musician, and philanthropist Kevin Bacon. Their work gravitates toward youth empowerment, justice and equality, and enhancing sustainable living environments. With over 8 years of experience in this role, Stacy leads a creative team that supports grassroot U.S. organizations to reach wider audiences and drive impact. Her work sits at the intersection between philanthropy, content creation, and community change. Stacy is also the CEO of Entertain Change, a social impact agency dedicated to creating transformational solutions by collaborating with entertainers and organizations. Honored with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award, she is a driven leader, committed to making a difference daily through strategic philanthropic efforts. Outside Stacy’s career, she is a wife and a proud mom of two beautiful girls. She joined us today to talk about the importance of transparency and clear communications in maintaining relationships, especially in a demanding lifestyle.  In this episode, you will be able to: Learn the importance of vulnerability and open communication. Understand how to clear expectations and do honest check-ins.  Learn the importance of building empathy and understanding. Discover the value of being a role model. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.  Support for this show is brought to you by iDonate!  Their donor-first giving suite, including mobile pop-ups, A/B testing, recurring prompts, makes it easy to convert more donors, faster. Easy to set up & publish with no tech team required! Launch custom giving forms that sync seamlessly with your CRM. Smarter data, better donor journeys. Check them out at iDonate.com 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.