"Communication works for those who work at it."
We are a team of simulation facilitators, partnering with charities and NGOs to simulate realistic donor conversations. We give fundraisers the opportunity work with actors to practice, experiment and build confidence before the real conversation takes place.
Working with Charities
These include:
Initial Approaches
Making the Ask
Handling Objections
Long Term Stewardship
We work with charities and NGOs to strengthen the confidence and effectiveness of major donor fundraisers. We do this by realistically simulating the kinds of high-stakes conversations that shape donor relationships.
We give fundraisers a safe space to practise these, refine their messaging and communication style, and receive targeted feedback.
This approach helps teams communicate with greater clarity, empathy, and impact - ultimately deepening donor engagement and maximising the potential of every fundraising opportunity.
Relationships are built on conversations, and major donor conversations can be high stakes. Whether it's approaching a prospective donor, exploring their interests, making a significant ask or responding to their pushback, these moments can be difficult to get right. And there might not always be an opportunity to practice these conversations before they happen.
Our actor-facilitators create realistic donor conversations where fundraisers can practise, make mistakes, try different approaches and receive constructive feedback in a safe environment - before doing it for real. So when the real conversation happens, they've already had the chance to practice, adjust their approach, and built genuine confidence.
Simulation provides:
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Safe practice
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Immediate feedback
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Emotional realism
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Confidence-building under controlled pressure
Why practice donor conversations?
18%
of lapsed donors said they stopped giving because of poor service or communication.
20%
more income over three years was associated with a one-point increase in supporter loyalty in research covering almost 50,000 donors across 12 UK charities.
53%
£50 million
of the reasons donors gave for leaving related to communication, information, recognition or how they were treated.
was raised in the first year of giving from donors recruited through face-to-face fundraising in 2024.
Don't believe us? Here's some statistics...
We have worked with companies in the legal, management consulting, construction, healthcare, tech and energy sectors.
Across all of them we have found that the learning and honing of communication skills has a hugely beneficial impact on both the success of an organisation, and the people within it.
Major donor fundraising isn't simply about making the ask. It's about building the relationship that makes the ask possible — and maintaining it afterwards.
Research involving almost 50,000 donors across 12 UK charities found that a one-point increase in supporter loyalty was associated with 20% more income over three years and 15% more retained donors.
SOURCES: SOFII About Loyalty Chartered Institute of Fundraising carnegieinvest
Why Use Trained
Actors
Realism matters.
Internal peer-to-peer roleplay often fails because:
A colleague pretending to be a donor knows what the exercise is
Colleagues hold back or “go easy” on each other
Scenarios feel artificial and inauthentic
Emotional stakes are low
Our actors aren't simply there to play a role. They can tell fundraisers how their approach actually landed.
Trained actor-facilitators bring:
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Realistic reactions and emotional believability to the fundraiser
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Neutrality and no-workplace history
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Awareness and focus on body language
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Consistency in performance throughout the conversation
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Adaptability in real time depending on the fundraiser's approach
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Targeted, personalised feedback from the donor's perspective
A versitile and diverse team
At JM Roleplay, we pride ourselves on working with a diverse team of highly trained, professional actors who bring the performance expertise required to create believable, responsive donor characters.
Our actors are carefully selected to ensure the right fit for every scenario and fundraising objective. Whether you require consistent roleplay delivery facilitators or forum theatre specialists we ensure you have the right person, in the right place, at the right time. We will be fully briefed, aligned to your objectives, and ready to deliver.
Our actors have also worked with a wide range of leading organisations across the corporate and professional sectors, including:
How We Work
We don't just use generic case studies and expect them to fit your charity. We work with you to understand the conversations your fundraisers actually need to have, then build realistic scenarios around them.
We start by asking questions and listening carefully, so we can understand your organisation and your fundraising objectives, your donor relationships and the situations your fundraisers find challenging. We then write and develop custom scenarios, scripts and delivery methods, working alongside you to ensure they are fully realistic, relevant and effective.
Your fundraisers will then get to practice having these conversations with one of our professional actors, who will give feedback and explore what happened - including how the conversation felt from the donor's perspective.
A Look at our Simulation Delivery
Get in touch with
JM Roleplay
Have a donor conversation your team would like to practice?
We'd be happy to talk through what you're trying to achieve, and design a roleplay format to suit your needs.
Feel free to in touch via the contact form, email or LinkedIn.
General Inquiries
admin@jmroleplay.com
+44 7463 139 521
+44 7876 744 063