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Demonstrating the value of Research during a restructure. Natalie Westfall - NSPCC. The Fundraising restructure. Proposal – split the team by activity and take on a wider remit Perceived impact on our team – could lead to missed fundraising opportunities and growing inefficiencies
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Demonstrating the value of Research during a restructure Natalie Westfall - NSPCC
The Fundraising restructure • Proposal – split the team by activity and take on a wider remit • Perceived impact on our team – could lead to missed fundraising opportunities and growing inefficiencies • Our response - gathered evidence to support our view of keeping the team as one and show where we think we can add most value.
Challenges • Our remit • New Prospecting process • No financial target • Researcher : MGO ratio (ours is 1:54!) • Relevant measures: Income v’s Impact
Measures of value • Workload Management • Raiser’s Edge attributes
Measures as evidence Costs • An hour of a Researcher’s time = £25 • Research resources – by the hour, per Researcher = £3 • Total cost for Prospect Research = minimum of £28 an hour Question: what should we spend this money on?
Outcomes • Team kept together but with a reduction in resource • Tighter remit of work agreed • Keeping the team together secured our continued objectivity • Now part of a Strategy Unit that has a mandate to challenge and influence.
Learning Points • Measuring input can evidence impact and value • Having impact is not all about money • The importance of feedback • Less resource has forced us to focus on what we need to deliver.
Learning Points • If we can’t justify doing a piece of work we shouldn’t do it • Understand other departments’ priorities and use them to set our own • Measures are important in demonstrating the part Research plays in achieving Fundraising’s strategic objectives.
Achievements since the restructure • Creation of a new New Prospecting process • Clear remit and mandate for how we work • Smarter allocation of time to tasks and projects • Smarter ways of working within the team and with others
Next steps • Implement new measures which feed directly into our Fundraising Strategy • Training others in basic research and sharing access to sources • Analyse the value of information sources • Continue to challenge some information requests
Next steps • Investigate if we can robustly link research to income • Track donor entry points • Use strategic objectives to drive prospecting • Gather feedback from FMT and refine processes
Conclusion • Measures can be used to great effect • Gathering feedback is a key piece of evidence • Even one measure can make an impact if it’s the right one • Have confidence in the value you add!