Better conversations. Deeper donor relationships.
Practical, interactive training that helps major gifts and philanthropy teams listen more deeply, understand what drives a donor, and build relationships that last well beyond a single gift.
Half-day · 2 × 90-minute masterclasses · $2,000 + GST · Not valuable? You don't pay.
In the room
How much of this actually goes to the front line?
Sounds like knowing where your gift lands really matters. What would you want it to do?
Honestly? My mum spent her last weeks in palliative care there.
Now you know why they give.
Every major gift starts with a conversation.
The donors who give most generously are the ones who feel heard, not pitched to.
Deeper discovery
Better questions surface the personal motivation behind a donor's interest.
Better-timed asks
Concerns surface early, so the ask lands at the right moment and the right level.
Lasting stewardship
Donors stay with the organisation that makes them feel understood.
The programme
The techniques we teach.
Empathy Is Your Superpower
- Recognise the emotions and concerns behind what a donor says
- See the situation from the donor's side
- Use mirroring and labelling naturally
- Ease hesitation and build trust in sensitive conversations
The Art of Listening
- Listen to understand, not to prepare a reply
- Ask questions that uncover what really matters to them
- Hear the story behind the gift
- Reflect understanding before making the ask
Run by Steve Jones: 30+ years in sales and relationship-building across Australia, the UK and the US.
Nobody sits and watches.
Every person is active in every step. We practise observable behaviours, not concepts.
Reset
A conversation, not a lecture. Why the skill matters, with the team weighing in.
Demonstrate
Each technique is modelled live while the team calls out what they notice.
Practise
Pairs and triads work real scenarios, with an observer giving feedback.
Commit
Each person names one technique and one real conversation to use it in that week.
Same moment. Different conversation.
Small shifts in wording change how safe the other person feels to open up.
Exploring a donor's priorities
Why are you only interested in that program?
What drew you to that program in particular?
"I'm not sure my last gift made a difference."
Well, our annual report shows...
It sounds like seeing the impact really matters to you.
Start with the NFP Checkup
See where your team really stands.
A free, 7-minute diagnostic built for charity and NFP fundraising teams. A 7-page personal report for each person, and a team view for you.
Take the free CheckupUnderstanding donors
Reading what really drives a supporter's giving.
Self-awareness
Managing their own reactions in the moment.
Composure
Staying steady when a conversation gets hard.
Storytelling
Making impact land so donors can see it.
Become a founding partner.
We're working with our first NFP partners to shape this programme around real fundraising teams. Proof your team has grown, measured before and after.
What you get
- The half-day programme, built around your donors
- The NFP Checkup for your whole team, before and after
- A debrief on what changed between the two
What we ask
- Honest feedback on the session
- A short testimonial, if you're happy with it
- Permission to share the before-and-after shift, anonymised
A half-day built around your donors.
- Format
- 2 × 90-minute practice-led masterclasses, half a day with a break
- Delivery
- In person, at your office
- Group size
- Up to 10 people
- Investment
- $2,000 + GST
- Guarantee
- If your team doesn't find it valuable, you don't pay
Book a 20-minute call.
We talk about your team and shape the scenarios around your donors.
steve@deciphersales.com.au · 0425 292 605