Session: Wisdoms from the past, for great fundraising now

Fundraisers are generally rubbish about learning from the past – we tried it once twenty years ago and it didn’t work so we chase after the next shiny thing - yet there is so much wisdom from the past that can teach us so much about how great fundraising works and approaches that we think are fresh today were used decades or centuries ago.

This session explores the best lessons from the past and how they draw on behavioural science principles that work to persuade and influence more gifts. The wisdom from the past can help us do great fundraising now. It will explore how fundraisers have always been excellent persuaders and even before they had fancy names like heuristics and nudges, humans knew how to influence other humans.

It will explore why these techniques work and how they can be applied to improve fundraising today. As well as issues that have always challenged fundraisers (core costs, emotional labour of the work, cultures of philanthropy and images we use to show the impact) and explore historical and current answers to those challenges.

Marina Jones

Marina Jones is Deputy Development director at the English National Opera and has over 20 years’ experience in fundraising. Marina spent 13 years at the Royal Opera House working on campaigns, supporter engagement, legacies and trusts and foundations. She also worked at Polka Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and the Orange Tree Theatre. Marina leads Rogare’s History of Fundraising project and is also Trustee of Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival and Pusey House. She completed an MA with Distinction in Philanthropic Studies with a dissertation on legacy giving. Marina is a keen behavioural scientist experimenting and writing on how to use decision science in fundraising.