Fundraisers get into this work because they care about the mission and enjoy connecting with people. Increasingly, the work pulls them away from both.
In this episode, host Derric Bakker is joined by Mallory Erickson, founder of Practivated, a consultant who works with fundraisers across the sector and builds AI designed to make fundraisers better rather than replace them, and Trish Davis, a fundraising leader working inside a large organization.
Together they look at why fundraisers burn out, from the five components of fundraising that Mallory describes as driving chronic stress to the busy work that crowds out the relationships that give the job meaning. They examine the fork the sector now faces, between AI that gives fundraisers capacity and autonomous systems that take humans out of the conversation, and why trust makes that choice so consequential. The conversation covers the research trap that stops fundraisers asking questions, what leaders should do with the time AI creates, and where to draw the line on disclosure when donors interact with AI.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open: robot fundraisers and the end of our imagination
00:33 Why burnout has become such a persistent challenge for fundraisers
02:19 Meet Mallory Erickson and Trish Davis
02:49 Trish on reading A Better Way to Fundraise during a season of burnout
05:02 The five components of fundraising that drive chronic stress
06:47 Too little time on the parts of the job that give meaning
08:38 The fork in the road: AI that supports fundraisers or AI that replaces them
11:02 Which fork the sector is actually on
14:25 Trust as the most important currency in fundraising
15:02 Start with the experience, not the technology
17:08 What it means for a fundraising tool to work, and why Mallory built Practivated
18:53 The research trap: when knowing a donor stops the questions
20:07 What to do with the capacity AI creates
26:02 Where to draw the line: disclosure and AI that impersonates humans
29:51 One thing to take away
32:36 Closing: restoring the joy of being a fundraiser
ABOUT THE GUESTS
Mallory Erickson is the founder of Practivated, where she builds AI tools designed to help fundraisers be better rather than replace them, and a consultant who works with fundraisers across the sector.
Trish Davis is a fundraising leader working inside a large organization.
RESOURCES
Learn more about Practivated: practivated.com
Learn more about DickersonBakker: dickersonbaker.com
Purchase A Better Way to Fundraise, by Derric Bakker: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Way-Fundraise-Reshaping-Philanthropy/dp/B0GXPQNSCH
Subscribe to Derric's Substack for more on relational fundraising: www.betterwaychampions.substack.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Better Way Nonprofit Podcast explores the ideas and opportunities reshaping the future of the nonprofit sector. Each episode features candid conversations with innovative leaders helping nonprofits find better ways to lead, grow, and thrive. Hosted by Derric Bakker, founder and CEO of DickersonBakker.
#NonprofitFundraising #FundraiserBurnout #AIForNonprofits #DonorRelationships #NonprofitLeadership
