Creative Conversations: Dan Geaves on Donor Trust, Connection & Fundraising Innovation

When the fire alarm sent us out onto the street one morning, we wandered over to Three Williams for coffee with Tim, our favourite singing barista. Tim greets everyone with a smile and genuine curiosity, and before long the whole team was caught up in the warmth of it. His kindness has sparked some unexpectedly thoughtful conversations over time. It’s a small reminder that the best work, like the best relationships – often begins with simple human connection.

Over coffee, the idea of connection felt like the perfect starting point for a conversation with Dan Geaves our Creative Director about what motivates his work, what he’s seeing change in the sector, and where charities have the opportunity to create deeper relationships with supporters.

Here is a snipet:

What aspects of our work genuinely motivate your day to day as creative director?

I recently discovered that The Smith Family are still using a regular giving product and the associated supporter experience that I led the Marlin team to create in 2013. I love that with thought and methodical collaboration something bold was introduced and it has endured. Fundraising thrives on good communication within a relationship, and I am motivated to create those communications carefully. Ideas pop up everywhere but it takes genuine care to create an idea that lasts because it does something unique and works as a result.

Is there a trend, shift, or insight from 2025 that you think will significantly influence how charities communicate or create impact going forward?

Members of The Benchmarking Project were told in 2025 that the charities who do best are those who know the most about donors. They were encouraged to consider that “we are not doing enough to ask donors questions, to get insights, and we’re not changing things when we learn about them.”  So.. I have been excited to start using a new research tool that identifies the drivers of donors and prospective donors trust. Trust is the factor that determines loyalty, and NPS scores. Discovering what drives trust in a given charity is a game changer for curating messages within acquisition and retention journeys.

What client creative challenges excite you most and why?

Supporter value proposition work. It bridges the gap between brand and fundraising. It sets up a platform for growth by navigating the need to agree why someone should choose your charity and yet leave space for it to be tailored to different audiences and communication. At Marlin, I have been able to help almost 100 organisations now with this type of deep thinking. It is hard and that makes it challenging.

What client ambitions inspire you?

I am moved by the need for people to come together to tackle big things. My Mum describes that when I was 8 I pestered [sic] my cub pack to work towards the World Conservation badge because it was a badge none of us could get alone.

Considering the challenges and opportunities emerging in the sector, what evolution do you hope to see and in what ways could Marlin help shape that future? What inspires you about that direction?

Patience. Throughout my time in fundraising I’ve been aware of the paradox that loads is understood about fundraising and yet no one categorically knows what  will work… they’re just predicting.  This is why direct and digital fundraising should be about testing… and testing requires patience.  I am grateful to the clients who create the space for themselves to test and learn. Failure really does help.