3 Fundraising Mistakes to Avoid in 2026 with Sarah Olivieri [Episode 429]

Most nonprofits are walking into 2026 making the same three fundraising mistakes that quietly sank them in 2025. None of the three look like mistakes from the inside. They look like prudence. They look like stewardship. They look like the responsible thing to do when reserves feel thin and the board is anxious. They are actually the most expensive habits in the sector.

In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down the three patterns that drain nonprofit fundraising power, why scarcity mindset masquerades as good financial management, the difference between spending money and investing it, and the three leadership moves that shift a whole organization into a culture of abundance. She uses the dam metaphor a client gave her, walks through what return on investment really means at the line-item level, and lands on what it takes from a leader to hold the line while the board and staff catch up.

• Executive directors sitting on reserves and wondering why the organization feels stuck
• Nonprofit leaders heading into 2026 budget planning who want a different financial posture this year
• Founders and CEOs trying to shift their team out of a culture of saving and into a culture of growing
• Boards that are unintentionally reinforcing scarcity through their financial decisions

• Before saying no to an expense, ask what the return on this investment would be, not what it costs
• Audit one place this week where your organization is hoarding instead of investing
• Lead with abundance language in your own spending first, then bring it into your leadership conversations
• Hold the line when others slip back into scarcity, and expect to repeat yourself a lot before it sticks
• Decide whether your organization is in stability mode or growth mode, and let that decision drive how you treat reserves