THE DONOR DECISION LAB: How To Use Decision Science To Supercharge Your Fundraising

Want to know what really drives your supporters to give — or walk away? In this engaging and highly practical Masterclass, Bernard reveals how cutting-edge ideas from decision science and behavioural economics are transforming fundraising success around the world. Based on the acclaimed books Change for Good and Change for Better and grounded in the work of Nobel Prize-winners like Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, this masterclass will change the way you think about fundraising—forever.

You’ll discover how leading organisations such as UNICEF, Greenpeace, Médecins Sans Frontières, and even the US Olympic Team are using powerful psychological insights to drive donor behaviour. You’ll also explore case studies from zoos, museums, and media organisations that have radically grown their income – some by over 1000% – by applying these techniques.

What you will learn:

Specifically, we’ll explore:

• What is decision science, and what does it tell us about how we make decisions?
• Why are we all predictably irrational – and what does this mean for fundraising?
• How businesses use psychology to persuade us to buy – and what we can learn.
• How emotions and the subconscious impact decision making.
• The key rules and heuristics that change our attitudes and behaviour unconsciously.
• How you can change a supporter’s behaviour without changing their minds.

This approach has helped a UK Zoo go from £20K to £1.3M small donor income in 14 months, NPR in the USA raise $1M in 6 weeks to counter the Trump cuts, and a museum in Australia double contributions. The Masterclass is based on Change for Good by and Change for Better by Bernard Ross and Omar Mahmoud.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Understand the difference between System 1 and System 2 decisions.
• Create a decision architecture for any programme.
• Improve supporter communications and commitment.
• Integrate behavioural economics into digital behaviour.
• Design powerful decision architectures for your fundraising programmes.

Learning opportunities:

• Case studies.
• Small group exercises.
• Interactive activities.
• Chances to apply the learning to your work.

Suggested level of participants:

• This masterclass is suitable for all.