{"podcast":{"title":"What the Fundraising","slug":"what-the-fundraising-4083661","podcast_index_feed_id":4083661,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/what-the-fundraising","website_url":"https://malloryerickson.com/Podcast/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/da8b9e20-daa4-11eb-bb81-87d9ee1fa7bb/image/What_the_Fundraising_-_podcast_artwork.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Mallory Erickson","episode_count":312,"summary":"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 ri…","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T22:17:44.649319+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-the-fundraising-4083661"},"episode":{"title":"296: Real Talk on Confident Fundraising: Answering Your Questions with Mallory Erickson","slug":"296-real-talk-on-confident-fundraising-answering-your-questions-with-mallory-erickson","published_at":"2026-04-21T10:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-the-fundraising-4083661/296-real-talk-on-confident-fundraising-answering-your-questions-with-mallory-erickson","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-the-fundraising-4083661","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ICAAL2778276666.mp3?updated=1776786947","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ICAAL2778276666.mp3?updated=1776786947","summary":"This episode takes a slightly different approach. Instead of the usual format, Mallory responds directly to a range of thoughtful questions from her community! She begins by discussing how to handle anxiety before donor conversations, encouraging fundraisers to acknowledge their feelings rather than push them away. Simple techniques, such as validating emotions with phrases such as \"that makes sense,\" can help reduce stress more quickly. She also explains that preparation and practice are key to building confidence, introducing AI-based tools that allow fundraisers to rehearse conversations and develop strong muscle memory. Mallory also highlights how confidence impacts fundraising success, noting that low confidence can lead to missed opportunities and inefficiency. She further addresses burnout and loss of motivation, explaining the \"freeze\" response and suggesting that sometimes people need energizing activities rather than just rest to regain momentum. A key theme in the episode is a shifting mindset. Mallory encourages fundraisers to stop feeling guilty about asking for money and instead see it as an opportunity for donors to contribute to meaningful change. She also emphasizes curiosity when handling objections, focusing on understanding donors rather than persuading them. Overall, the episode reinforces the importance of practice, emotional awareness, and purpose. Mallory also points to the growing role of AI in supporting fundraisers, helping them build skills while keeping human connection at the center. In this episode, you will be able to: Recognize practical ways to manage anxiety before donor conversations. Learn how validating emotions can reduce stress and improve performance. Understand the role of preparation and practice in building fundraising confid…","meta_description":"This episode takes a slightly different approach. Instead of the usual format, Mallory responds directly to a range of thoughtful questions from her commu…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2753,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-the-fundraising-4083661/episodes/296-real-talk-on-confident-fundraising-answering-your-questions-with-mallory-erickson/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-the-fundraising-4083661/296-real-talk-on-confident-fundraising-answering-your-questions-with-mallory-erickson.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}