Location: On Demand!
Speakers: Mallory Erickson & Bryan Funk
one theme has become impossible to ignore:
Fundraisers don’t struggle with strategy. They struggle with readiness.
Confidence, emotional preparedness, clarity of approach, and the ability to navigate unpredictable moments inside donor conversations — these are the real predictors of fundraising outcomes heading into 2026.
✔ You manage fundraisers
✔ You want to better understand the emotional and behavioral barriers to fundraising action
✔ You want to be supporting your fundraisers more fully but are short on time and resources
✔ You feel like traditional training or working with a coach or a consultant just hasn’t been enough to sustain the transformation throughout the year
More consistency in donor conversations and follow-through (understand where your team is at in terms of their skills and readiness to move conversations forward).
Overall skills fundraisers need most heading into 2026 and how to ensure that your team is able to build them, and sustain them.
Bryan Funk is the Head of Marketing at Practivated. He believes in the power of people – and in the technology that helps them unlock their full potential. For 15 years, he’s worked at the intersection of fundraising, community building, and nonprofit technology, raising over $100M for causes ranging from human rights and mental health to healthcare and global development.
He has led peer-to-peer programs, corporate partnerships, and global marketing campaigns helping organizations like Invisible Children, To Write Love On Her Arms, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Virtuous expand their reach and impact.
At the core, his work is about helping nonprofits actualize their vision – by connecting strategy, storytelling, and technology to move missions forward.
Mallory Erickson works at the intersection of fundraising strategy, executive coaching, and behavior design to help nonprofit professionals master the most human part of their job, connection. A former fundraiser turned coach, she’s the creator of the Power Partners Formula™️, a framework that has helped over 60,000 nonprofit leaders raise more from aligned funders without burnout, overwhelm, or compromise.
She is the author of What the Fundraising and host of the podcast by the same name, where she unpacks the hidden systems that shape how fundraisers show up, from chronic stress and perfectionism to the scarcity mindset embedded in the sector’s DNA. Her work centers on the belief that when we support the people behind the purpose, we get better results and a more sustainable social impact sector.
In 2024, Mallory launched Practivated, an AI-powered platform where fundraisers can practice real donor conversations in a safe, dynamic environment. Think: a flight simulator for fundraising. From big asks to tough objections, Practivated helps fundraisers rehearse, refine, and build confidence because performance improves with practice, and fundraisers deserve that too.
Practivated empowers fundraisers to take confident action by providing a safe space to practice and grow, strengthening donor connections and driving lasting impact.
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