The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser

Why Overresponsibility Eventually Turns Into Resentment What if the very thing that makes you “good” at fundraising is also quietly exhausting you? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright explores the hidden emotional pattern behind overgiving, over-functioning, and burnout in the nonprofit world: the Selfless Servant persona. With humor, honesty, and powerful p...

How resentment quietly builds when you abandon yourself for the mission Have you ever noticed how some people in fundraising start out hopeful, warm, and deeply connected to the mission… and a few years later they’re cynical, exhausted, and quietly resentful? In this episode, Erin McQuade-Wright explores why bitterness is often not a character flaw—but accumulated self-abandonment. When we constan...

The invisible limit that’s controlling how much money you raise. Have you ever had a stretch in your fundraising where things feel easy—momentum is building, conversations are flowing—and then suddenly, it’s like you hit a wall? Same effort. Same strategy. Completely different results. What if you’re not stuck… you’ve just hit your money ceiling? In this episode, Erin McQuade-Wright explores the c...

Why Stress, Comparison, and “Not Enough” Are Driving More Than You Think In this conversation, Erin McQuade-Wright sits down with fundraising coach and What the Fundraising host Mallory Erickson to explore the inner dynamics that shape how fundraisers show up: comparison, visibility discomfort, nervous system dysregulation, and the quiet belief of “not enough.” Together, they unpack the hidden cos...

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...

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 probl...

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 s...

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...

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…...

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 s...

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...

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 tim...

How to stop managing everyone else’s anxiety and protect your clarity, confidence, and fundraising results. If your workplace feels like emotional whiplash—full speed ahead on a campaign one day, questioning the entire strategy the next—you’re not imagining it. Reactive leadership creates instability, and fundraisers often end up absorbing the emotional fallout. Here’s the hard truth: you cannot r...

Practical major gift strategies to reduce fundraising anxiety, build trust, and stop operating from pressure—with insights from a 30-year fundraising veteran. Major gifts aren’t just strategy—they’re state. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin is joined by major gift specialist Beth Ann Locke, a 30-year fundraising veteran who teaches connection-based, customized strategie...

How to Measure Fundraising Success Beyond Dollars Raised What does it really mean for fundraising to be “working”? Most fundraisers are trained to answer that question by looking at external metrics: dollars raised, donor retention, number of asks, meetings held, emails sent. And while those numbers matter, they don’t tell the whole story. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , E...

A calming, somatic reset to help you regulate, soften, and return to yourself. This gentle guided meditation is your nervous-system reset—a place to soften the pressure, reconnect with yourself, and release the anxious momentum that fundraising can create. In this bonus episode, Erin leads you through a grounding practice designed to help you separate who you are from the sensations of anxiety mov...

A guided inquiry for nonprofit fundraisers navigating burnout, job stress, and career decisions. The average fundraiser stays in their role for just 16 to 24 months — a statistic that points to burnout, pressure, and chronic stress in nonprofit fundraising jobs. If you’ve ever thought: I can’t do this anymore My boss expects too much of me The board doesn’t understand fundraising This episode is f...

Why the “Come-From” Energy of Fundraising Shapes Donor Relationships, Confidence, and Results Fundraising isn’t just about strategy — it’s about the state you’re in when you ask. In this episode, Erin explores how scarcity and abundance live in the body , not just the mind, and why your nervous system plays a bigger role in donor relationships than most nonprofit training ever acknowledges. You’ll...

How Money Psychology Shapes Fundraising Conversations, and What You Can Do About It Episode Summary Money is part of a fundraiser’s daily work—but few fundraisers are ever taught how money impacts the nervous system. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuade-Wright is joined by money psychology coach Claire Messett for a grounded, insightful conversation about what real...

Reset your body, breath, and energy so you can fundraise from ease—not urgency. Today I’m sharing a short somatic grounding practice I use with my coaching clients — a crystal singing bowl and a simple mantra designed to help your body shift from urgency into presence. This tone aligns with the root energy center, the seat of safety and stability, and the vibration interacts with the soft tissues...

Understanding your body’s stress response so you can fundraise from clarity instead of panic. Anxiety shows up loudly in fundraising… tight chest, clenched gut, racing thoughts, shrinking creativity. In this episode, Erin shares a deeply personal story of fundraising during a budget crisis — and how her body’s ancient fight-or-flight wiring took over, narrowing her focus, driving unsustainable act...

Trading guilt for curiosity so you can fundraise with more ease, energy, and self-trust. That nagging voice that says you should be doing more ? Most fundraisers know it well. In this episode, Erin unpacks fundraising guilt—the kind that shows up at 3 a.m. with a running list of everything you didn’t do—and why using guilt as your main motivator quietly drains your energy, creativity, and joy. Ins...

How a major gifts fundraiser prevents burnout by planning emotional refills on purpose. Fundraising asks a lot of your brain, your heart, and your nervous system. In this conversation, Erin sits down with major gifts fundraiser Melody Wells to talk honestly about what it costs to pour yourself into donor relationships—and how she intentionally fills back up so she can keep doing the work she loves...

What to do when your expertise isn’t respected—and how to stop making it mean something about you. 📘 Episode Summary What happens when you bring solid fundraising expertise—and someone with less experience dismisses it? In this episode, Erin explores a common but rarely discussed dynamic: being treated like “the help” instead of a strategic professional. She shares a personal story about having h...

A somatic, compassionate practice to regulate your nervous system before making the ask. 📘 Episode Summary This bonus meditation is a guided somatic practice designed to support you before donor meetings, fundraising conversations, or any moment when anxiety begins to take over. In this practice, Erin gently guides you through grounding in your body, noticing your felt experience, and working wit...