# Successful major donor fundraisers share interest in popular psychology

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/04/08/successful-major-donor-fundraisers-share-interest-popular-psychology/
- Published: 2014-04-08T10:26:09+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Some of the UK’s most successful major donors fundraisers share an interest in popular
psychology, Kent University’s Beth Breeze told delegates to a conference presenting
the latest academic research in fundraising last week.

Dr Breeze presented preliminary findings from her three-year study exploring the
personality traits of successful major donor fundraisers: _The Formation of Fundraisers:
The Role of Personal Skills in Asking for Money_.

This found that major donor fundraisers were “avid readers” of books on popular 
psychology, such as Malcolm Gladwell’s  _[Tipping Point](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point)_
and Richard Thaler’s _[Nudge](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book))_.

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They also have a “hinterland beyond their day job”.

The study also suggests that fundraisers:

 * Are emotionally intelligent: self-aware, self-confident with good social skills
   and the ability to ‘read’ people
 * Have had formative experiences that mean they are not afraid to speak up for 
   and ask for what they want and don’t have taboos about money
 * Work behind the scenes as enablers and scene-setters rather than craving recognition
   for themselves (“I hate to break it to you, but there are no famous fundraisers,”
   Dr Breeze said).

However, even though her research looks at individual personality traits, Breeze
warned against a “damaging myth” that great fundraising is embodied in individuals
rather than across whole organisations.

“Perfect fundraising organisations are those where the ceo is committed,  most people
in the organisation are ambassadors and relationship builders, and fundraising is
seen as being “message aligned”, Breeze told delegates. “But there is a damaging
myth that you can embody fundraising in a person rather than an organisation.”

She said that fundraising textbooks often “buy into this myth” and presented examples
from fundraising books from the 60s and 70s that gave lists of attributes that great
fundraisers should have.

 * **[£40 million donation for Imperial College London](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/06/04/40m-donation-imperial-college-london/)**(
   4 June 2014)
 * **[Giving Magazine to connect social investors worldwide with charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/09/08/giving-magazine-connect-social-investors-worldwide-charities/)**(
   8 September 2014)
 * **[Major donor residential course returns in 2015](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/09/15/major-donor-residential-course-returns-2015/)**(
   15 September 2014)