The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser
The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser is the podcast I wish had existed during my 15 years in fundraising. It’s a love offering to the people behind the mission—the professional fundraisers who give their hearts and energy every day to make the world better.
This show isn’t about strategy, metrics, or money. It’s about you—the human being doing the work. Each episode offers real tools and soulful conversations to help you regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your purpose, and renew your energy so you can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage.
If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, overworked, or caught in the constant pressure to perform, this podcast is your invitation to return home to yourself. Join me to learn how to cultivate balance, resilience, and authentic impact—from the inside out.
Full Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/fkFZpmNYF3v
Episodes
45 episodes
One Foot In, One Foot Out
What Your Split Energy Is Communicating Before You Say a WordYou 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 & Bal...
Why do I Keep Doing That?!
The Hidden Patterns Making Fundraising Harder Than It Has to BeSeptember 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,...
The Awkward Middle
Navigating the Heebie Jeebies of Learning in PublicWe 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 ...
The Fastest Way to Lose a Great Idea
Why your first reaction to a big vision may be the very thing keeping you smallHave 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...
Ready Is Not a Feeling | with Tania Cervoni
How to Stop Believing the Stories That Keep You SmallWhat 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
The Medicine We've Forgotten
How Plants Can Help You Return to Calm, Healing, and Self-SovereigntyIn 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...
Who Does She Think She Is?
The Fear That Keeps Brilliant Women Playing SmallHave 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 ...
Getting Fired Might Be the Best Thing That Ever Happened to You.
How Unexpected Endings Can Lead You Back to YourselfLosing 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...
How to Fundraise as a Board Member Without Burning Out
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Fundraising ExperienceServing 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 ...
Calm the Chaos, Challenge Distortions with Kelly Hint
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 do...
The Lava Rock Effect
Why Other People's Emotions Keep Pulling You Away from Your Most Important WorkHave 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...
The Emotional Work No One Trains You For, with Betsy Burris
What Teachers and Fundraisers Can Teach Each Other About Burnout, Boundaries, and Being HumanTeachers and fundraisers may seem worlds apart—but underneath the surface, they're doing remarkably similar emotional work.In this...
You're Talking Yourself Out of Donations
How Your Words Can Make Donors Pull AwayHave 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 explai...
The Urgency Trap
Why Moving Faster Isn't Always the AnswerWhat 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 ...
Your Nervous System IS the Fundraising Strategy, with Dr. Pollyanna Chavez
The “state” shift that turns scarcity into abundance… fastIn 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. ...
The Thoughts You Keep Thinking About Money
And Why They Keep Becoming Your RealityWhat 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 explore...
The Myth of the Selfless Servant
Why Overresponsibility Eventually Turns Into ResentmentWhat 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 e...
Why Nice Fundraisers Become Bitter
How resentment quietly builds when you abandon yourself for the missionHave 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, exhau...
You’re Not Stuck—You’ve Hit Your Money Ceiling
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?
When Fundraising Becomes Your Identity, with Mallory Erickson
Why Stress, Comparison, and “Not Enough” Are Driving More Than You ThinkIn this conversation, Erin McQuade-Wright sits down with fundraising coach and What the Fundraising host Mallory Erickson to explore the inner dyna...
You’re Walking Past Money Every Day (Here’s Why)
The hidden filter that’s keeping you from seeing opportunity right in front of youIf 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 powerf...
Why You Feel Stuck (and the Simple Shift That Gets You Moving Today)
The hidden reason you’re avoiding action—and how to move anywayIf 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 episod...
Why Asking for Money Feels So Personal
The Psychology Behind Fundraising Discomfort — And What to Do About ItWhy does asking for money feel so… personal?In this episode, Erin explores the moment many fundraisers recognize: when a professional ask suddenly feels ...