What Is Your Philanthropic Culture Score?

A simple way to reflect on the donor experience your organisation is creating

Every charity has a fundraising culture. 

Some cultures are shaped intentionally through strategy, leadership, research, and donor understanding. Others emerge more subtly through habits, deadlines, income pressure, and the way things have always been done. 

Every fundraising culture teaches donors something about their relationship with your organisation. 

It teaches them whether they are seen primarily as a source of money, or as people with values, needs, hopes, and a meaningful connection to the cause. 

And it teaches fundraisers something too: whether their expertise is valued, their development is supported, and whether they have the freedom to learn, innovate, and do their best work. 

The Philanthropic Culture Score assessment is a reflective tool to help charities understand how their fundraising culture supports donor connection, case quality, professional support, innovation, and the wider culture of philanthropy. 

The full assessment includes 36 questions, but you can begin with a shorter six-question version. It is a useful starting point if you want to open a conversation with your fundraising team, senior leadership or board about the kind of donor experience your organisation is creating. 

You may discover areas where your organisation is already creating strong, meaningful donor relationships. You may also find places where your communications, decision-making or culture could become more donor-centred, more relational, and more aligned with the principles of Philanthropic Psychology. 

You can take the Philanthropic Culture Score quiz here.