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
The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser
Is This Podcast for YOU?
Why fundraisers burn out—what it costs us, and what becomes possible when we finally turn inward and get free.
Episode Summary
In this opening episode, Erin McQuade-Wright—former professional fundraiser of 15 years—shares why she created The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser and why focusing on the inner life of the fundraiser is not only healing… but essential for our sector’s sustainability.
Fundraising is the engine of the nonprofit world, yet fundraisers are burning out every 16–24 months. Erin names this reality, shares her personal story of fundraising trauma, and introduces the tools and perspectives that helped her shift from white-knuckled survival to grounded, aligned leadership.
If you’ve ever felt overstretched, anxious, alone, or like the numbers were “good” but the cost was too high, this episode offers validation, resonance, and a new way forward.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why fundraising burnout is so widespread—and why it’s not a personal failure
- How Erin’s 15-year career and health challenges revealed the emotional cost of traditional fundraising norms
- Why mindset alone isn’t enough (and why somatic awareness matters deeply)
- How fundraisers can use their work as a mirror for personal growth and healing
- Why caring for your internal landscape makes you a more effective, confident fundraiser
- What this podcast will offer you each week—and how it can support your long-term wellbeing
Key Takeaways
- The numbers may show success, but your body will tell the truth.
- Fundraiser burnout is systemic—not a reflection of your skill, value, or dedication.
- Your inner climate shapes your donor relationships and your effectiveness far more than tactics alone.
- You can heal old fundraising patterns and shift into a more aligned, joyful way of working.
- This podcast exists to nourish your body, mind, and spirit—not to teach strategies, but to tend to the fundraiser herself.
Reflection Question
Where is fundraising currently costing you energy, peace, or wellbeing—and what might become possible if you didn’t have to white-knuckle your way through it?
Take a moment to journal on this or reflect during a quiet part of your day.
If this episode resonated…
Subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode, and share this with a fundraising friend who might need this space of support, grounding, and encouragement.
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser
Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough
Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.com
Connect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright
Hello, and welcome to the Brave and Balanced Fundraiser podcast. I'm your host, Erin McQuade-Wright. I'm a former fundraiser of 15 years who earned fundraising certifications and raised millions of dollars, but yikes, you guys, the numbers said I was good at my job, but it was costing me a lot when it came to my energy, my brain power, my health, and my spirit. This podcast sets aside the fundraising strategies, the campaign best practices, the tips and tricks for raising more money, and it puts the spotlight squarely on the fundraiser herself, how kindly she talks to herself in her own head, the wellness of her body in this profession, and the resilience of her spirit. I care about these things, not just because of my own experience in fundraising, but because fundraising is a really important profession. It's the engine that powers our entire nonprofit sector, which in America accounts for well over$1 trillion of our economy every year, and with fundraisers on average exiting their positions every two years or less. I see that a whole lot is riding on the effectiveness and health of the fundraisers themselves, and if you're one of them, this podcast is for you. I'll be bringing you the deeply healing tools that helped me work through my own fundraising trauma and step into a more authentic and joyful version of myself. I'll also be welcoming guests who will inspire you with their insights and maybe even challenge you to see things differently. You can expect this podcast to nourish you and show you how to use fundraising as a mirror to help you grow into an upgraded version of yourself. You can also expect that new episodes will drop every Tuesday. I created this podcast as a love note to fundraisers everywhere because quite frankly, this is the podcast I wish had been available to me when I was a fundraiser. White knuckling my way toward my goals, my health suffering. My stomach and knots and my brain racing at three in the morning with a running list of how I was failing my team, my organization's mission, and the community we served. If that sounds familiar to you, I want this to be your place to take a pause, to exhale, and to check in with what's happening inside of you. It's my sincere hope that you'll listen with an open heart and leave feeling seen, supported, and inspired to do your best work. Now, I invite you to subscribe to the show and share it with a fundraising bestie who could use the support. I appreciate you.