How to become a fundraising charity rather than a charity that fundraises

Lucy Caldicott – Director of Fundraising

James Spears – Head of Direct Marketing

NCVO Evolve 2013

This session

How to make a case for long-term fundraising investment and build support throughout the organisation

This session will provide real life examples of the challenges faced putting together a robust long-term donor acquisition and retention programme and how CLIC Sargent fundraisers tackled them

2

Intro to CLIC Sargent

2005 merger of CLIC (Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood) & Sargent Cancer Care

4,000 children and young people diagnosed p.a.

We provide clinical, practical, financial and emotional support to help them cope with cancer and get the most out of life

£25m turnover 13-14 (from £18m in 09-10)

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Post merger

All income voluntary fundraised

Majority of services costs are staffing ( e.g. social workers)

Range of unpredictable income sources – events

Income profile seasonal (Christmas, Dec financial y/e)

Reliance on non-repeatable income sources:- charity of the year partnerships- appeals surpluses

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Improve predictability of income

Grow income

Improve profitability

Manage risk

Services strategy to grow YP service – agreed 2011

Fundraising strategy

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Fundraising strategy

Strengths and weaknesses of existing income streams

Areas of most potential identified

Cross selling

Cost efficiency

Diversification

Regular giving, multi-year relationships with companies, individuals, charitable trusts

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Background to building a case for individual giving investment

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Huge potential and passion

Couldn’t prove long term case and some poor results – Trustees loathe to invest

Limited affordability

The recession had taken hold

No structured Direct Marketing Team

No established contact plan

Ineffective supporter database

Some acquisition testing already

Challenges

To build trust

To create a Direct Marketing team

To communicate effectively with supporters

To implement a new database

To improve supporter care

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Building trust

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Showed that budgets could be achieved

Forecasting using industry measures, other charities’ and

internal data

Regular reporting

June 2011, more detailed and

ambitious strategy approved by

trustees

Significantly reduced risk

Creating a DM team

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Structure - long-term ambitions but realistic

about short-term.

Data

LegacySupporter Relations

Campaigns

DM team 2008

Head of Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing Manager

Marketing Assistant

Donor Development

Officer

Legacy Admin Manager Funds Manager Database

Executive

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DM team 2013Head of Direct

Marketing

Direct Marketing Manager

Senior Direct Marketing Executive

Direct Marketing Co-ordinator

Legacy Marketing Executive

Direct Marketing Executive

Direct Marketing Data Manager

Senior Direct Marketing Database Executive

Direct Marketing Database Executive

Legacy Manager

Supporter Relations Manager

Supporter Relations Executive

Gift Aid Executive

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Contact Plan and Cross-team working

Introduction of more visible and shared contact plan

Cross-selling - Regionalised newsletters and e-newsletters

Gift Aid Activity

13

Implementing a new database

Resources

Processes and project plan

Technical development

Communication

User testing

User training

Using it

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Supporter Relations

Cover the basics

Income generating

Gift Aid

DD income processing

KPIs & reporting

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Results

Mar

-07

Jul-0

7Nov

-07

Mar

-08

Jul-0

8Nov

-08

Mar

-09

Jul-0

9Nov

-09

Mar

-10

Jul-1

0Nov

-10

Mar

-11

Jul-1

1Nov

-11

Mar

-12

Jul-1

2Nov

-12

Mar

-13

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

£0

£50,000

£100,000

£150,000

£200,000

£250,000

Monthly Direct Debit income and number against time

Number of donors

Income including Gift Aid

Month

Num

ber

of

Dir

ect

Debit

s (t

housa

nds)

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East West North0

20

40

60

Gross Income v ExpenditureM

illi

on

s

Results from Fundraising as a whole

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2009-10 2010-11 2011-120

5

10

15

20

25

30

Gross Income

Expenditure

Discussion