Drawing on RSPCA UK’s PhilPsych journey, this final blog in our four-part series shows how small shifts in language, gratitude and donor recognition can help supporters feel seen, valued and connected to the change they make possible an focuses on what every fundraiser can do, even with limited time, budget or team capacity.

At RSPCA UK, philanthropic psychology has helped the team create moments of connection that feel personal, sincere and deeply human. 

From handwritten notes to thoughtful tributes and events built around shared values, the philanthropy team has shifted the spotlight towards donors’ love, identity and hopes for a kinder world. 

This third blog (of four) explores how deepening connection, harnessing shared values and celebrating donors as part of the mission can bring philanthropy vividly to life.

At RSPCA UK, Sarah Colberg found that corporate partnerships can be built on love, as well as strategy.

By helping partners feel the meaning of their support, not just understand its impact, the corporate team began to deepen relationships, spark richer conversations and co-create new possibilities.

This blog explores how curiosity, gratitude and philanthropic psychology can turn corporate partnerships into something more human, purposeful and powerful.

Emma-Louise Singh reflects on how IFSP’s Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology reshaped her understanding of giving as an expression of love, fulfilment and human connection, and inspired her forthcoming doctoral research into Gen Z, digital socialisation and new forms of philanthropic engagement.

In this blog, we reflect on Prof. Jen Shang’s conversation with George Hayes on the Civil Society Podcast and a question at the heart of her work: how can giving become more meaningful, not just more impactful? Drawing on research with philanthropists around the world, the piece explores how identity, purpose, and authentic human connection can help charities nurture deeper and more rewarding donor relationships.

Animal welfare begins with compassion, but sustaining it requires strong donor relationships, staff support, and long-term resilience.

For Izzy Tutcher at Leicester Animal Aid, Philanthropic Psychology offered a framework for challenges she had long been trying to solve. Her story shows how PhilPsych can help charities strengthen supporter connection, rethink fundraising, and better protect the people behind the mission.

In a conversation on the Untapped Philanthropy podcast, Professor Jen Shang explores how Philanthropic Psychology helps us see giving in a new light: not simply as action, but as an expression of love, identity, and purpose. This blog reflects on what becomes possible when family foundations are understood not just as institutions, but as spaces shaped by human relationships, authenticity, and care.

In this final blog, Sam Jacklin and Tassy Serradura explore how Philanthropic Psychology can help animal welfare organisations move beyond a simple “animal people versus people people” divide. Using insights from the Love Project 2.0, they show how understanding donors’ identities, allegiances, and perceptions of threat can help transform perceived enemies into friends.

What does it look like to test love with rigour? In this third blog, Tassy Serradura shares how Animal Welfare League South Australia used disciplined A/B testing to apply Philanthropic Psychology in direct mail, increasing average gift value while strengthening donors’ sense of connection and care.

How do you move an organisation from understanding donor love to truly feeling it? In this second blog, Sam Jacklin and Tassy Serradura share how donor research, emotional insight, and patient internal change helped Animal Welfare League South Australia build a whole-organisation approach to loving donors back.

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.

Stepping into philanthropic psychology can feel like entering a whole new landscape. In this blog, Becky Carlino, shares how to choose the right starting point for your PhilPsych journey, whether you want a deep dive into the science or practical, hands-on application. Discover how different certificates connect, and how to design a learning path that fits your role, goals and heart.

In our latest community survey, fundraisers shared honestly about the pressures they face and the care they bring to their work. Drawing on philanthropic psychology, we explore gentle, practical ways to shift attention towards joy, gratitude and self-compassion, supporting your wellbeing so you can continue to nurture others with confidence.

Many fundraisers carry hidden fears about getting an ask wrong or being rejected, but fear isn’t a flaw - it’s human. Philanthropic psychology offers a fresh lens, inviting fundraisers to understand donors through identity, emotion and genuine connection. When giving is seen as a shared expression of who we are, asking shifts from anxiety to authenticity and care.

In this blog post by June Steward, Valerie Mullen Pletcher reflects on her 25-year fundraising career, emphasizing that at its core, fundraising is about love. Based south of Washington D.C., Valerie's work has been shaped by her strong conviction that philanthropy and love are inseparable. Through her time with the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy (IfSP), she gained the tools and language to solidify this belief, not only in her own practice but also in her approach to training and transforming her team.

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.

Threats or danger posed by our environment are nothing new and have continuously challenged humans for centuries. Now we have new insight shedding light on how threats affect people’s intention to donate. What better time to understand the impact of threats on donation intention than right after a global pandemic? It turns out that this knowledge can seriously impact your fundraising!