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State of Donor Conversations Report

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A Practical Look at What’s Working in Fundraising.

The State of Donor Conversations Report 2026 analyzes 1,885 simulated donor meetings across 442 fundraisers to uncover what’s really working in the field today. With 5x the data of our first report, the patterns are clearer and more actionable than ever.

Backed by data from Practivated’s AI-powered practice platform, the report highlights key strengths, common challenges, and where practice makes the biggest impact.

Discover how fundraisers are building trust and where they struggle. If you’re a fundraising leader, this report is your roadmap to stronger teams, deeper donor relationships, and more meaningful results.

What You’ll Learn

Practivated’s State of Donor Conversations Report 2026 reveals how fundraisers perform in real-world practice simulations, highlighting both relational strengths and structural challenges.

Each session was evaluated by Coach Tivy across 4 core skill categories, 16 specific indicators, and 4 dimensions of donor sentiment, drawing on 30,164 individual skill evaluations.

While 90% of conversations end with improved or sustained positive donor sentiment, ask effectiveness sits at just 46%, the lowest-scoring skill across the dataset. The data shows practice is the critical factor in turning connection into commitment.

What’s Inside

  1. The ask remains the #1 skill gap, but fundraisers show measurable improvement when they get feedback from Tivy and try a similar scenario again.
  2. Relational skills are improving, with Trust Building (+6 pts), Active Listening (+4 pts), and Balance of Dialogue (+5 pts) all rising within one month on the platform.
  3. High donor sentiment masks low conversion. 90% of conversations end positively, yet warm relationships often stall without a clear, confident ask.
  4. Conversation type matters, a lot. Foundation conversations produce the strongest next steps, while event contexts make fundraisers more hesitant to ask.
  5. Coach Tivy’s suggestions are remarkably consistent: be more direct in the ask, summarize before transitioning, and define next steps before ending.
State of Donor Conversations 2026