The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser

Releasing the fear of imposing so you can fundraise with clarity and ease. In this live coaching session, Erin sits down with Susan Fox, a practitioner and nonprofit founder who feels like she’s imposing whenever she asks for donations. Together, they unpack the money stories she inherited from family, the “I have to do it all myself” pattern, and the shame that shows up in her body every time she...

What Your Split Energy Is Communicating Before You Say a Word You say you want the gift. The promotion. The client. The opportunity. But is all of you moving toward it? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin explores “split energy”—what happens when one part of us wants something while another part is quietly backing away. Using the story of a real estate agent who seemed en...

The Hidden Patterns Making Fundraising Harder Than It Has to Be September used to make me itch. As a professional fundraiser, I knew the all-important fourth quarter was approaching, and I never felt ready. Appeals, Giving Tuesday, events, planned giving messaging—my days were long on tasks and short on energy. I kept working, but underneath all that activity was a familiar mix of overwhelm, press...

Navigating the Heebie Jeebies of Learning in Public We love growth. We just don't necessarily love letting other people watch us grow . There's an awkward middle between deciding you want to get better at something and actually becoming good at it—a place where you don't quite know what you're doing yet, other people may be watching, and you can't control what they think a...

Why your first reaction to a big vision may be the very thing keeping you small Have you ever had an exciting idea—only to talk yourself out of it before it had a chance to breathe? In this episode, I share a powerful insight from a recent one-on-one business retreat: the biggest obstacle to our dreams often isn't a lack of time, money, or opportunity. It's the habit of rushing straight...

How to Stop Believing the Stories That Keep You Small What if the loudest voice in your head isn't the wisest one? In this special collaboration episode, Erin sits down with Tania Cervoni , host of Banish the Lies , to explore the stories we unknowingly carry about ourselves—and how those stories shape our confidence, our relationships, our careers, and our willingness to pursue what matters...

How Plants Can Help You Return to Calm, Healing, and Self-Sovereignty In this personal episode, I'm stepping outside my usual fundraising conversations to share one of the practices that has profoundly shaped my own healing journey: working with medicinal plants. When I became seriously ill in early 2020, I found myself searching for ways to support my body while the world felt uncertain. Tha...

The Fear That Keeps Brilliant Women Playing Small Have you ever downplayed your accomplishments, brushed off a compliment, or hesitated to celebrate a win because you didn't want to seem arrogant? Many of us were taught that being humble is a virtue. But what if some of what we've been calling humility is actually fear? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuad...

How Unexpected Endings Can Lead You Back to Yourself Losing a job can feel devastating. It can shake your confidence, your identity, and your sense of security. But what if getting fired wasn't the end of your story? What if it was the beginning of something far more aligned? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuade-Wright shares her own experiences of both being...

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Fundraising Experience Serving on a nonprofit board can be one of the most meaningful ways to give back—but it can also become one of the fastest paths to burnout if you're carrying too much responsibility without enough support. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuade-Wright explores what effective board fundraising r...

How cognitive distortions drive fundraising anxiety—and a simple progressive muscle relaxation practice to shift your nervous system back into ease, clarity, and authentic confidence. Ever feel like you have to be “palatable” to donors—like you need to shrink, mask, or perform to succeed? In this episode, Erin sits down with Kelly Hint, LMHC, NCC, and OCD specialist, to unpack the difference betwe...

Why Other People's Emotions Keep Pulling You Away from Your Most Important Work Have you ever sat down with a clear plan for your day… only to find yourself pulled into everyone else's problems? In this episode, Erin shares a simple metaphor from the New Mexico desert that completely changed the way she thinks about work, leadership, and people-pleasing. Using the image of lava rock—with...

What Teachers and Fundraisers Can Teach Each Other About Burnout, Boundaries, and Being Human Teachers and fundraisers may seem worlds apart—but underneath the surface, they're doing remarkably similar emotional work. In this special podcast swap episode, Erin joins Betsy Burris , host of Teaching Through Emotions , for a wide-ranging conversation about the invisible emotional labor that come...

How Your Words Can Make Donors Pull Away Have you ever answered a simple question and then kept talking long after you'd already answered it? Maybe you've explained your reasoning, then explained your explanation, then explained why you explained it in the first place. If so, you're not alone. In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuade-Wright explores the...

 Why Moving Faster Isn't Always the Answer What if the thing making you feel like you need to speed up is actually the thing asking you to slow down? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser , Erin McQuade-Wright explores the hidden cost of living in a constant state of urgency. From fundraising campaigns and Giving Tuesday deadlines to overflowing inboxes and endless to-do list...

The “state” shift that turns scarcity into abundance… fast In this episode, Erin sits down with Dr. Pollyanna Chavez, hypnotherapist and NLP trainer, to explore why your state might be your most powerful fundraising tool. Pollyanna shares the surprising origin story that led her into hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming — a wild mustang that mirrored her internal anxiety — and then guides Erin...

And Why They Keep Becoming Your Reality What if the thoughts you repeat most often about money are quietly shaping your entire life? In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright explores the hidden “money mantras” many of us inherited in childhood — beliefs like money is hard to make , there’s never enough , I have to sacrifice myself for money , or people with money...

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...