280: Intentional Leadership in Fundraising with Floyd Jones

Episode 280 of the What the Fundraising podcast, hosted by Mallory Erickson, titled "280: Intentional Leadership in Fundraising with Floyd Jones" was published on January 27, 2026 and runs 52 minutes.

January 27, 2026 ·52m · What the Fundraising

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Summary

Growth isn’t about doing more or filling checklists; it’s about doing what matters within your capacity and rhythm. In fundraising, true impact comes with honoring long-term engagement over quick monetary wins, creating space for transformation, and holding firmly to mission and values while adapting methods. When distraction, uncertainty, and external pressure are inevitable, leaders have to ground themselves, set boundaries, and act with purpose to cultivate clarity, resilience, and meaningful connections. Every action sends ripples, and you have to be mindful of what impact yours will create. Joining us today is Floyd Jones, a speaker and coach who helps organizations to build sustainable communities that drive lasting impact. Believing that strong communities are the heart of any impactful mission, he collaborates with organizations and leaders to turn followers into dedicated supporters by centering on a community-first approach throughout his career. His specialization is on providing strategies to help leaders grow their reach, build deeper connections, and inspire consistent support. Floyd joined Mallory in this episode to discuss sustainable fundraising and leadership, where mission, values, and relationships guide growth and adaptability. In this episode, you will be able to: - Discover ways to align your fundraising strategies and leadership with mission and values. - Recognize the difference between transactional and relational donor engagement. - Apply grounding and self-regulation techniques in uncertain times as a leader. - Understand the effect of intentional actions that ripple through teams, communities, and the broader sector. - Understand how people-pleasing can distract you from mission-driven decision-making. Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Support for this show is brought to you by Practivated. Practivated delivers AI-powered donor conversation simulations that let fundraisers practice in a private, judgment‑free space—building confidence, refining messaging, and improving outcomes before the real conversation even begins. Developed by fundraising experts with real‑time coaching at its core, it’s the smart way to walk into every donor interaction calm, prepared, and ready to connect. Learn more at practivated.com. Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point