43: Mallory Erickson | A New Way to Fundraise

Mallory Erickson, and I discuss the importance of changing the narrative of nonprofits around money, engagement, and donor-organization relationships.

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Shifting Strategy and Mindset Through Introspection

“I'm here for two reasons. In addition to moving more money into the nonprofit sector; I'm here so that fundraisers feel freaking proud of the work that they are doing to be those money movers!” Click To Tweet

Being a fundraiser is very gratifying but it can also be nerve-wracking. As professionals and the face of an organization, we try to do our very best working with donors and putting ourselves out there. Nonetheless, we are also humans who sometimes feel fear and anxiousness over asking for someone else’s hard-earned money.

Asking for money with confidence

On today’s episode of Creating Community For Good, I was joined by Mallory Erickson, a certified fundraising coach with experience serving over 50 fundraisers and organizations. She, like myself, believes in the importance of changing the narrative of nonprofits around money, engagement, and donor-organization relationships. It is not about begging or chasing donors for money anymore, it’s about providing people with an awesome opportunity to join a cause and fuel a movement!

I know, I know, it is much easier said than done. The fundraising world is filled with passion and while it is a job, it is also a true life calling to work in this sector. Work and personal drive jumble together and more often than not fundraisers, even the most experienced ones, go through a roller coaster of emotions every week. Will the potential donor get back to me? Did I get my message across? Are people even paying attention? Mallory is an expert at talking about limiting beliefs and how to turn them into a positive, constructive and strategic journey and in this episode, she shares with us the GAIL’s: the four main types of thoughts that limit our potential and interrupt our growth in the fundraising sector. Gremlin, Assumptions, Interpretations and Limiting Beliefs.

How many assumptions do we make based on first impressions without having true, reliable information? How many stories do we tell ourselves about our skills — and believe them to be true? How many times do we listen to the voice in our head that warns us about catastrophic results… that may not be real? There is power in challenging what we accept as true, and that change is what we need, personally and as a revolution in the non-profit sector. Join this conversation with the amazing Mallory Erickson and take a sneak peek into her mind-blowing strategies both for building your confidence as a fundraiser and to create better and more meaningful relationships with donors. Clue: it’s about shifting the paradigm from an ask to an offering.

Key Takeaways:

01:19 – “I absolutely hated fundraising!” Mallory Erickson’s story: How to weave executive coaching with fundraising consulting.

04:35 – Gremlin, Assumptions, Interpretations & Limiting Beliefs (GAIL): The four primary types of thoughts that cut fundraising potential and the best strategies to get rid of them!

19:32 – Debunking myths about fundraising: How to ask people for money with confidence.

29:54 – It’s not a limited pot! How there are enough prospects out there when you have the right mindset.

33:47 – Asset Mapping: How to be helpful, engage your donors, and speak their language.

40:39 – Mallory’s golden Five & Dive strategy to organize and focus your leverage efforts.