Try for free
Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising
Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising

E114: Balancing Inclusive Philanthropy and Motherhood in Nonprofit Leadership with Bree Muehlbauer

21 October 2025 37:58 Haley Cooper | Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Certified Stress Management Coach, Certified EmC Trainer

Listen to episode

About this episode

I’m so excited to bring you this conversation with Bree Muehlbauer, an accomplished fundraiser, nonprofit leader, and senior director of philanthropy at Digital Health Strategies -  a healthcare-focused digital marketing and fundraising agency. Bree is a CFRE and inclusive philanthropy certificate holder who blends her technical fundraising expertise with a deep commitment to equity and inclusion—all while navigating motherhood and leadership.

In this episode, we explore the intersection of data-informed fundraising, inclusive philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership culture. Bree opens up about how becoming a mother transformed her perspective on leadership and the critical importance of creating supportive, flexible workplaces for parents and caregivers in the sector.


In this episode:

  • [02:47] Bree's journey from educator to nonprofit fundraiser
  • [04:31] What inclusive philanthropy really means
  • [06:48] The risks of bias in data and AI for nonprofits
  • [08:48] Becoming a data-informed fundraiser
  • [12:23] How motherhood transforms leadership perspectives
  • [14:44] Planning for maternity leave and reentry in nonprofits
  • [18:27] Building a supportive workplace culture for mothers
  • [23:14] Inclusivity and caregiver support in nonprofit work
  • [25:41] Work-life balance, perfectionism, and urgency
  • [29:03] Trust, flexibility, and building resilient nonprofit teams


RESOURCES

E17: Empowering Nonprofits through Data Equity and Communication Strategies with Meenakshi Das

E26: How Employers Can Provide Psychological Safety And Support for Working Parents with Lacey Kempinski, CFRE & Founder of Balanced Good


CONNECT WITH BREE

LinkedIn: Bree Muehlbauer

Instagram: @breeheartskale

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com

Produced by Ideablossoms

More AI podcast episodes

Browse all →

Want to find AI jobs?

Join thousands of AI professionals finding their next opportunity

We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

© 2026 Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising. All rights reserved.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about how DevFound's AI matching, resumes, and referrals work.

DevFound's AI Copilot ingests your profile, goals, and live job data to deliver curated matches in seconds. Every match includes a resume variant, suggested referrals, and interview prep so you can act immediately. The more feedback you provide, the sharper the Copilot becomes.

AI-led job searches shrink the hours spent sifting through boards and formatting resumes. DevFound pairs automation with your personal outreach, so you reserve energy for interviews and negotiation. Traditional networking still matters, but AI gives you a lift before you even send a message.

Modern AI roles expect comfort with production-grade code, data fluency, and practical ML tooling. The strongest candidates pair deep technical chops with storytelling—translating model impact to product, GTM, and exec partners. Continuous learning keeps you ahead as stacks evolve.

DevFound rewards active seekers. Keep your profile fresh, respond to match quality prompts, and enable alerts so you never miss a role. The AI prioritizes companies and teams that align with your feedback, accelerating both introductions and interview invites.

High-density tech hubs continue to host the deepest AI talent pools, yet distributed teams are catching up fast. Use DevFound filters to hone in on onsite, hybrid, or fully remote roles and watch openings expand across time zones.

DevFound aggregates thousands of remote AI openings and flags the nuances—core hours, async culture, and visa needs—up front. The Copilot also recommends how to position your distributed work experience so hiring managers know you can thrive on a remote team.

Still have questions?

Contact Support