What the Fundraising

What the Fundraising

What the Fundraising is the podcast for impact leaders and change-makers who are tired of doing things the old school way and are looking for best practices to raise money, run their organization, and think about the nonprofit sector in a whole new way. Every Tuesday for 40-60 min, your host, Mallory Erickson, will be having real and raw conversations with some of the best personal and professional development experts, many of whom are outside the nonprofit sector. These are bestselling authors, world-renowned researchers, and TEDx experts, most of whom have never spoken to a non-profit audience before. They have come ready to share expertise, lessons, and stories that will fundamentally change the way you show up as a leader and fundraiser. There are so many valuable lessons nonprofit leaders are missing because they are outside of their typical orbit, but no more. Mallory is bringing them in and helping to apply her guest's expertise to disrupt the nonprofit sector once and for all. So if you are ready to learn how to upgrade your fundraising strategy, leadership skills, energy, habits, and mindset to bring in more funding and actually have some fun doing it, then this is the right podcast for you. If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.

Episodes

November 18, 2025 25 mins
In this episode of What the Fundraising… Change is the hardest thing to sustain but the most important thing in the nonprofit sector. Most of the time, leaders in nonprofit find themselves stuck between knowing what needs to evolve and struggling to make it happen. From outdated systems and burnout to scarcity mindset and fear of failure, the barriers to change are deeply human and structural. This conversation examines why good i...
Mark as Played
In this episode of What the Fundraising... Fundraising isn’t just about asking; it’s about understanding. The most successful fundraisers know that sustaining an organization couldn’t be done with passion alone. Passion must be combined with skill, strategy, and authentic human connection.  David Rhodes is an award-winning and bestselling author, keynote speaker, educator, deputy director at PennPAC, and founder of Dot Dot Org. W...
Mark as Played
In a world where leadership is often measured by individual success, today's episode shifts the spotlight to the strength found in unity and shared purpose. Joining us is Carmen James Randolph, the Founding President and CEO of the Women's Foundation of the South, to explore how collaboration, compassion, and collective power can transform communities and drive lasting change.  Carmen introduces the foundation's mission, which is ...
Mark as Played
Fundraising is often considered to be transformational, but most of the time it’s designed to measure only transactions. Behind the scenes, a quiet disparity has begun to shape the fundraising sector: a major gift fixation, hierarchies of value within teams, and a culture that rewards revenue over relationships. It’s time to reimagine success by tracking what truly matters. Join us in our journey to prove that sustainable philanthr...
Mark as Played
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 ...
Mark as Played
The emerging technologies force the social impact world to see an uncomfortable truth: progress requires both courage and conscience. This conversation highlights not only the ethics of using AI responsibly but also the responsibilities that come with choosing not to use it, the opportunity to let technology amplify human connection rather than erode it, and how institutions can prepare for a future where technology moves faster th...
Mark as Played
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 internationall...
Mark as Played
Although people often perceive fundraising as refined conversations and confident asks, the reality is far more complex. Many fundraisers often struggle with self-doubt, suspicious of whether they fit into the category of a ‘good fundraiser.’ Whether it’s redefining what skills matter, reframing the role of data, or turning challenges like lapsed donors into opportunities, this episode explores how shifting perspectives can open ne...
Mark as Played
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 connection...
Mark as Played
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 Tanza...
Mark as Played
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 misinfor...
Mark as Played
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, understa...
Mark as Played
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 ...
Mark as Played
Did you know a scarcity mindset can drain energy and limit your impact, but a strategy mindset builds stability, confidence, and growth?  In this episode, Mallory and Karen from Infinity Giving explore how nonprofits can break free from a scarcity mindset and embrace a strategy mindset that prioritizes financial stability. They focus not only on the importance of challenging assumptions, normalizing money conversations, and meet...
Mark as Played
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 ...
Mark as Played
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 bo...
Mark as Played
In fundraising, success relies less on perfection and more on continuous improvement. This conversation evaluates how nonprofits can balance vision with pragmatism, prioritizing embracing continuous growth instead of unattainable ideals. From identifying what not to do to relationship intelligence, we cover the importance of understanding households, leveraging employer connections, recognizing non-linear donor journeys, and spotti...
Mark as Played
What if doing good, and business isn’t in opposition? Ethical fundraising, value-driven sales, and authentic relationships can thrive in the powerful space created by the intersection of doing good and business. In this episode, we explain how viewing money as a tool rather than a corrupting force aligns with purpose-led work. From rethinking donor fatigue to the value of storytelling, this episode challenges the recurrent assumpti...
Mark as Played
Challenging the outdated assumptions about who gives and how in fundraising, research has found that women are not only more generous than men, but they also give differently, diversely, and collaboratively. In this week’s episode, we break down the myths and misconceptions about women donors and examine the importance of relationship-building, storytelling, and recognition. Women seem to redefine philanthropy from giving across va...
Mark as Played
This week on What The Fundraising, Mallory is joined by Lindsey Fuller, a human-centered leadership coach, keynote speaker, and executive director of The Teaching Well, an education administration program based in Oakland, CA. Together they explore a crisis that too many of us are navigating: burnout. Together, we unpack the intersection of workplace wellness, self-awareness, accountability, and systemic barriers to healing. Linds...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Ruthie's Table 4

    For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.