The Mary Valloni Show

Have you ever caught yourself holding back or dimming your light so you don't stand out too much, intimidate others, or risk failure?   You're not alone.   So many of us struggle with the fear of shining brightly, even when we know deep down we were created for more. In this episode, Mary unpacks why we hide and the barriers that keep us from stepping fully into who we are. You'll hear about: The...

We've all been there... stuck in the mud of life, spinning our wheels, and wondering if we'll ever move forward. In this episode of The Mary Valloni Show , we'll unpack the single most powerful question you can ask yourself when you feel stuck. It's simple, practical, and can shift your perspective in an instant. If you are wrestling with career choices, finances, relationships, health, or faith,...

Have you ever set a goal that looked good on paper but fizzled out before you got there? You're not alone. Most goals stall out because they're missing the fuel that keeps us going... heart motivation! Head motivation - "I should do this." Heart motiviation - "I want to do this." In this episode, Mary unpacks what heart motivation really is, why head knowledge alone isn't enough, and how to connec...

Have you ever felt like your dreams are out of reach? You're not alone. Most people don't go after what they really want because of three common roadblocks: Fear – of failure, success, or rejection. Lack of Clarity – not knowing what you want or how to begin. Scarcity Mindset – believing you don't have enough time, money, or connections. In this episode of The Mary Valloni Show , Mary shares her p...

If you've ever felt stretched thin, resentful, or stuck in situations that drain your energy, it's time for a reset. In this episode, I'll walk you through my  6-step process for creating healthy boundaries that protect your time, energy, and focus without feeling guilty. I'll also share my  shopping mall analogy that makes boundaries simple (and even a little fun) to understand, plus a short exer...

In this episode, we explore the quiet power of joy: what it is, why it matters, and how it can radically shift the way you live and lead. You'll learn the difference between happiness and joy, discover why joy is essential (especially in seasons of overwhelm or uncertainty), and uncover what actually happens when you begin to make space for it in your daily life. We talk about: What joy  really is...

Over the years, I've done a lot of things because I thought I  should, especially for my dad (who passed away 12 years ago when this episode airs!). But that one word, " should ," has carried more weight than I ever realized. In this episode, I share why I decided to remove "should" from my every day life and how that one shift has allowed me to take my power and voice back. If you've ever felt gu...

After nearly 5 years, The Mary Valloni Show is back with new direction and new focus. In this relaunch episode, Mary shares the full story behind the podcast's evolution, from its beginnings in 2017, to the pause in 2020, and now to a powerful return in 2025. Whether you're a longtime listener or brand new here, this episode will help you reflect on your own seasons of pause, transition, and renew...

If you have been following the Fundraising Freedom Podcast, when I first started it I actually called it the Mary Valloni Show. And if you've been following for a while, you know that I follow the steps that I teach in my book, Fundraising Freedom . Those steps follow the acronym FREEDOM because what I want for you, and what I want for me, is freedom. So, I have been spending the last several week...

Today we're talking about how to create a personal or an organizational budget that actually works for you coming into 2021. I know that budgeting is something that some people love, and other people hate - there's a love-hate relationship with the budget. And for many of you, you've probably already gone through the budgeting process. Usually, that happens in the fall time as you're preparing for...

Today, we are jumping into the topic of thankfulness. As we gear up for our Thanksgiving holiday this week, I wanted to be sure that we talked about how we can thank our donors. So, we're going to talk about the top 20 ways to thank your donors in 2020. As you know, this is such an unusual year. In the seventh step of my Fundraising Freedom process, Make Your Difference, it's all about thanking pe...

My guest today is Sarah, Olivieri. Sarah is the founder and the heart behind the company Pivot Ground. She's a nonprofit business strategist, an author, and a former executive director. I think she's going to bring just a huge wealth of information to you on how to pivot during this season.   Tell us a little bit more about you and the work that you do.   Well, I come from a nonprofit background a...

Today we're talking about the number one reason fundraisers fail. Contrary to popular belief, it's not because we didn't work hard enough. The number one reason fundraisers fail is from internal conflict. As you know, right now we are dealing with a pandemic, more than likely about to be hit with some economic challenges because a lot of people are without jobs at this point. And so there's still...

We are talking about how to build a new relationship with money today. In the last couple of episodes, I have been really practical in my messaging. But today, I wanted to take a little bit of a different turn on our conversation and talk specifically about money itself. Now for those of you who have read my book, Fundraising Freedom , I talk specifically about our relationship with money (on page...

Today, we're going digging into the year-end appeal and I'm sharing the three things you need to include in your letter. This is very specific for 2020. As you know, this year has been very unusual so that means that your year-end appeal needs a new and fresh update. Did you know that a quarter of all nonprofits will bring in nearly half of their income off of this one letter? For some organizatio...

Today, we're talking about how to end 2020 strong. And we're really going to be talking about your 90-day plan. These last 90 days are going to end the year strong and allow you to really come into these final last months with some clarity, focus, and really give you some practical steps on how to actually achieve the goal that you're looking at. As many of you know, December is the largest giving...

Today we're talking about the seven questions to ask yourself before that next big meeting. If you've been following the podcast for a while, you've been following the seven steps that I teach in my book, Fundraising Freedom .  On all the lessons that I've taught over these last 173 episodes, I hope that you've gotten to a place where you realize that the secret to the sauce is your volunteer team...

I want to share with you today some common things that successful people do.  Number one, they don't allow fear to cripple them .  Now think about people who are public speakers, they do not let the fear of public speaking stop them from accomplishing or stepping foot on stage. They don't allow fear to cripple them. And they allow that fear to be that emotion. They just make that little flip of th...

Today we're talking about virtual events, live events, all that good stuff with my guest, Wendi Freeman. Wendi is the founder and CEO of Be Bright Events. She has worked in the for-profit space, and she's done a lot of work in the nonprofit space as well. Wendi has more than 15 years of experience; she's planned events, conferences, workshops, retreats, masterminds for groups that are anywhere fro...

Today we're talking about the three things you need to effectively grow and multiply your cause.  The reason why I wanted to talk on this topic is that multiplication is really what we're all about, right? When we join or when we start up an organization, our goal here is to affect as many people as possible in a positive way. We're trying to impact lives and help people who maybe have never been...

We've been talking a lot lately about a variety of different ways that you can raise funds and today, I wanted to bring a special guest on to talk specifically about working with philanthropists. Kris Putnam-Walkerly is a Global Philanthropy Advisor and she has more than 20 years of experience working with philanthropists.  Kris has an award-winning book called Delusional Altruism and she has help...

My guest today is Ben Starling III.  Ben is a former director of philanthropy, has worked on huge projects like the Museum of the Bible and Scripps Research Institute. He's from Palm Beach, Florida, and he runs a business called Southern Philanthropy. Southern Philanthropy offers custom-tailored fundraising services for profit, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropists. Tell us a little bit abo...

In the past few months, we have been talking about how to navigate this new "normal" as we walk through the season of a pandemic. Over the course of these last several months, you've had to make a shift. You've had to start looking at different ways of running your fundraising efforts. And so today, we're going to continue on that topic. I'm going to give you a list of the industries that are actu...

Today I'm joined by Philippa Fabbri, director of communications, fundraising, and school design at the Elsen Academy in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape South Africa.  What do you enjoy about fundraising? I wouldn't say I'm passionate about fundraising but I'm passionate about showing the longevity of my school and making sure that we outlast any crisis that comes our way.  I think fundraisers have go...

Today I'm talking about moving to online fundraising. How do we still build relationships and still communicate and engage donors in the online space? First of all, I just want to share a few statistics with you. Only 3% of charities rated their board and executive leadership as being digitally savvy. This means that we are used to communicating face-to-face; this is very common and very normal in...