DonorVoice Online Course: The science of supporter motivation
by Dr. Stefano Di Domenico and Dr. Kiki Koutmeridou
Start Date: 20th January 2021 
Price: £1945
Christmas Discount: 20% till 6th January
This isn’t a theoretical course; theory is meaningless unless applied.
Delivered by two academics and full-time practitioners, this course will provide you with the theoretical background on supporter motivation, but more importantly with the skills to apply this insight on your day-to-day work. You’ll benefit from their expertise in philanthropic psychology and in fundraising practice. 100% evidence based – everything you learn will be based on case studies of successful in market application that are unavailable anywhere else.
When you sign up, you’ll be asked to bring an appeal you’re currently working on, whether that’s an email, your control/banker or a brief for a new appeal. At the end of each week, you’ll apply what you learned to your working appeal and at the end of the course you’ll be asked to submit your reworked appeal. Shortly after, you’ll receive an assessment of how well you’ve applied the insights as well as ideas for further improvement.
You’ll leave this course with your next appeal having the key motivational factors incorporated and with a deeper understanding and hands-on practice on how to repeat this in future appeals.
Course Frequency: once a week
Course Day & Time: Wednesday at 10am ET / 3pm GMT
Class Duration: 60 minutes
Course Outline
Week 1: Identity
- What is it & why it matters; evidence from the field
- How to collect it
- How to use it in targeting & in fundraising copy (all channels & donor stages)
Week 2: Personality
- What is it & why it matters; evidence from the field
- How to target specific traits relevant to fundraising
- How to speak to different personality traits differently in your appeals
Week 3: Motivation
- Motivation Quantity vs. Motivation Quality
- Why it matters? Evidence from the field
- How to trigger high quality motivation in your appeals (all channels & donor stages)
Week 4: Psychological Needs
- What are they & why they matter; evidence from the field
- How to satisfy your supporters’s psychological needs?
- How would fundraising copy change (all channels & donor stages)
- How to uncover and fix dissatisfaction
Week 5: Bringing it all together in your work. Submit your coursework and receive:
- Full review of how you’ve applied these insights
- Practical advice on how best to combine and apply all elements
- Guidance on improvement and test ideas
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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