What happens when motherhood, burnout, and a deep belief in people-first leadership collide? You build a business that challenges the way nonprofits work from the inside out.

In this episode, Haley Cooper shares how she took her experience in fundraising, leadership, and nonprofit strategy and turned it into a business focused on helping organizations become more connected, sustainable, and human-centered. From launching The Savvy Fundraiser during maternity leave to writing a book, hosting a podcast, and building the Lead With Heart Summit, Haley’s story is a reminder that entrepreneurship can be both deeply personal and powerfully mission-driven.

We also dig into nonprofit burnout, the danger of reactive leadership, why diversified funding matters more than ever, and how boundaries, clarity, and emotional connection can transform both organizations and the people leading them.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship can be the bridge between ambition and a life that actually works. Haley built The Savvy Fundraiser because traditional work structures no longer matched the reality of being a parent, a leader, and a human being with limits.
• Burnout is not a personal failure, it is often a systems problem. Haley’s work centers on helping nonprofit leaders build healthier cultures where people feel connected, supported, and able to do meaningful work without constantly operating in survival mode.
• Saying yes to everything is not a growth strategy. Early in business, Haley took on too many kinds of work from a scarcity mindset. One of her biggest lessons was learning that clarity, boundaries, and focus create more sustainable success than being everything to everyone.
• Your business should be designed on purpose, not built by default. Haley talked about the importance of choosing offers, projects, and platforms strategically instead of piling things on just because there is an opportunity or because someone else is doing it.
• People do not leave missions, they leave unhealthy cultures. One of the strongest ideas in this episode is that nonprofits can only thrive when the humans behind the mission feel safe, valued, and supported.

Guest & Host Information: 

• Guest, Haley Cooper, Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser
• Co-Host, Ashlan Glazier-Anderson, Owner of AshbeanPDX Marketing
• Co-Host, Victoria (Tory) Proppe, Owner of Imagine Marketing Strategies

Connect with Haley:

• Website: www.thesavvyfundraiser.com 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-cooper-cfre 
• Lead with Heart Summit on April 16 & 17: https://leadwithheart.vfairs.com

Connect with us:

• On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaketheLeap-Today 
• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taketheleap_today 

Like our content? Be sure to subscribe and review!

Want to keep in touch?

Find us on:
Youtube
Instagram