In this soul-soothing episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., sits down with fundraising coach, burnout buster, and author of What the Fundraising, Mallory Erickson. A former “accidental fundraiser” turned executive coach, Mallory brings a compassionate yet data-backed perspective on one of the sector’s stickiest problems: burnout. Spoiler alert, turns out it’s not just about working too many hours. From pandemic pivots to deep dives on limiting beliefs, Mallory invites fundraisers to rethink the way they show up; for their donors, for their missions, and most importantly, for themselves.

Mallory kicks off with a candid look at her own crash-and-burn moment in the fundraising trenches, which sparked a journey through coaching, behavior design, and neuroscience. The aha moment? Our nervous systems weren’t built for constant rejection, scarcity thinking, and “spray and pray” donor outreach. From internalized shame about asking for money to the “double the goal, same resources” treadmill, she lays out the five hidden drivers of burnout: rejection, uncertainty, and power dynamics all made the cut. “You can’t mindset your way out of a toxic culture,” she says, “but you can start with alignment.”

The conversation digs into Mallory’s signature approach, alignment-first fundraising. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill “manifest a million-dollar donor” advice. It’s neuroscience, baby. Mallory helps fundraisers identify the disconnect between how they feel and what they do, using frameworks that put self-awareness at the center of strategy. Through tools like asset mapping, funder lenses, and yes, actually asking if a donor is the right fit, fundraisers learn to lead with curiosity and trust, not desperation. “Alignment isn’t just a tactic,” she explains, “it’s the foundation for genuine connection.”

Bill and Mallory also explore how fundraisers can lead up, even in environments thick with scarcity mindset and outdated metrics. From convincing skeptical bosses to try a new approach (“just give me two months!”) to shifting culture one pilot project at a time, Mallory’s coaching is both practical and powerful. And for those who feel stuck between mission and meltdown, she offers a gentle but firm reminder: transformational fundraising is possible, but only if we transform ourselves first.