The Fundraising Everywhere Podcast

Feeling the Data: Measuring Emotion in Individual Giving

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What does it actually feel like to be a donor — and why does it matter more than you think?

In this episode, host Simon Scriver is joined by Steven Dodds (Managing Director) and Paul Seabrook (CEO) of Beautiful Insights, a full-service market research agency specialising in the charity sector. Together they explore one of the most overlooked challenges in fundraising: how do you measure the emotional experience of your supporters, not just the financial data?

The conversation covers:
  • Why satisfaction alone doesn't predict donor loyalty or generosity
  • The SAFE Index — Beautiful Insights' benchmarking tool for measuring non-financial supporter KPIs
  • How donors often vividly remember why they first gave, but rarely recall anything about the ongoing supporter experience
  • Why feeling "useful" might actually be a warning sign in your donor data
  • How charities can compete with commercial brands that have mastered emotional advertising
  • The difference between transactional stewardship and communications that genuinely move people
    • This episode sets the scene for Steven and Paul's session at the upcoming Individual Giving Conference, where they'll dive deeper into the specific emotions that drive donor retention — and which ones should have your attention.

    Find out more about the SAFE Index and Beautiful Insights at beautifulinsights.com
    Join us at our Individual Giving Conference 2026
     

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    And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

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