5 key takeaways from the Supporter Experience Summit 2025
- Kay Harrison
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 3
One sunny June day in London, a roomful of supporter experience professionals came together for the Supporter Experience Summit 2025.
What is the Summit, you ask?
The Supporter Experience Summit is an all-day event, championing the importance of investing in the supporter experience as a foundation of successful fundraising.
Featuring a masterclass in best practice, a line-up of charity guest speakers, and practical challenges inspired by real-world case studies, delegates came away with a playbook full of techniques and ideas for delivering an excellent supporter experience across all areas of their organisation.
It’s hard to squish several hours of conversation (and many cups of coffee) into just a few points, but these were some of our key takeaways, ideas and actions:
Roger: For me, the whole day was summed up by the phrase “A great supporter experience is all about provoking positive emotions”. Doesn’t it sound simple when you put it like that?
Richard: I really like simple things you can do right away, without any need for budgets or approval or even much planning! That’s why one of my most memorable moments was hearing about “The Andrew Test” – from Andrew Moran at The Children’s Society. When writing a thank you letter, it’s sometimes difficult to understand how it might sound to the person it’s being sent to. The Andrew Test simply involves reading it out – either to a real or imagined audience. You’ll have a better understanding of whether it’s right, and if not, it will become clear what you might need to change. Give it a go!
Tash: Our guest speaker, Stuart at The Leprosy Mission, told us to "try, try, try…". It was a powerful reminder that we don’t need to wait for things to be perfect before moving forward. Instead, we should focus on continuous improvement — making small, meaningful changes over time. The world around us is constantly evolving, and so are our supporters’ expectations. That means we must keep trying, keep refining, and keep adapting to deliver the best possible supporter experience.
Sally: The importance of “surprise and delight” – that’s the stuff that creates memories and emotional connection. I thought the “Paws for Thought” team did this brilliantly in their hackathon challenge, weaving in simple moments of joy and fun (which would also help them get to know their supporters) right from the start of their welcome journey through to their ideas for in-person events. And it put a smile on everyone’s face. Charities do serious work, but that doesn’t mean all our work should be serious 😊
Kay: When it’s done right, the positive ripples that come from delivering a great experience can’t be ignored. I loved a comment from Beth at Action Aid: “You know you’re doing a good job when someone writes to thank you for your thank-you letter!”. For me, it’s a reminder that the positivity and good feelings that come from delivering an amazing experience work both ways – they help to improve the experience for staff, become a great example of the impact of investing in that experience, and make it easier to get buy-in for more. It’s a virtuous circle!
What’s next?
We’ll be back again soon with more opportunities to share best practice in supporter experience excellence with the sector. It’s what we love to do!
Want to join us next year? Register your interest for the Supporter Experience Summit 2026 here.
And if you’re not already, make sure to subscribe to our mailing list – you’ll be joining thousands of supporter experience professionals and get ahead of the curve with exclusive news and events updates, just like this one.
Our team can also deliver tailored sessions like these at your organisation to help kickstart your supporter experience journey. Drop us a message to find out more:
