What happens when a fundraising team fully embraces the idea that donors’ love should be met with love in return? In this first blog of four, Sam Jacklin and Tassy Serradura share how Animal Welfare League South Australia used Philanthropic Psychology to deepen donor relationships and achieve a sustained 20% increase in gift value.

Every other person seems to be asking me whether I thought AI was going to replace me as a fundraising copywriter. But although AI might be able to do the mechanics of my work, I seriously questioned whether it could build authentic relationships. I added AI to the list of things to ask Prof. Jen Shang about.  

Philanthropic psychology starts with the heart. It starts from assuming your donors are caring and loving people. Stronger relationships and connections lead to better wellbeing for your donors – and their gifts flow from that.  This ‘heart-first’ approach is a perspective shift.

Advocates of donor-centred fundraising and the community-centric fundraising movement have butted heads over the last few years. But what if we could invite donors to be part of something where the essence of who they are allows them to forge deeper connections than “donor as hero”?

Donor-centred fundraising was becoming a dirty concept. Pressure to move the fundraising story away from the donor was mounting. This made it very hard for fundraising copywriting practitioners like me. I even wondered whether I should bow out of fundraising copywriting altogether. But then I learned more about Philanthropic Psychology.

Vu Le’s provocative article on donor-centrism has caused heated debate within the sector. But what are the issues with this critique, how do differing definitions cause tension and how does donor wellbeing fit into the argument? Prof. Adrian Sargeant shares his thoughts on Vu’s arguments.

I don’t see donor centricity as the dominant paradigm in fundraising. For that to be true, the majority of organizations in our sector would need to be able to identify donors needs and follow through on their satisfaction, and they do not. The metrics we use to assess our practice are almost exclusively financial and we care little for our supporters and how we make them feel. True donor centricity would require organizations to look to the wellbeing and growth of their supporters. And as a sector, we’re not there yet.

Do you really know who your supporters are? The more you understand about your donors’ identities, the more you can speak to them in ways that resonate. To kickstart 2021, we’re challenging everyone to really get to know who the people that support you are. Want to know how to go about it? Read on.