I recently embarked on an exciting project with my client - the development of a five-year strategy for the whole of the fundraising department. Although we mainly work with individual giving, this work included each area in fundraising; corporate, major donor and trust and supporter services, ensuring that the whole department works towards a common goal.

We brought in an independent facilitator who used specialist tools to formulate and run a pre-planned workshop day to generate the strategy. Having run many of these types of workshop before, Brian had an objectiveness that helped to keep the day running as efficiently as possible. At times he was forced to cut through the charity jargon in order that we came up with a clear overarching aim and a set of strategies supporting that aim.

Prior to the workshop, and to make sure that our strategy was soundproof, we conducted a comprehensive overview of the marketplace involving a PEST analysis, competitor and share of voice analysis, in depth audience profiling including pen portraits and an organisational internal analysis.

Each attendee, including the head of fundraising, the fundraising and supporter services managers, and key agency partners were sent the marketplace analysis materials in advance for reading, thus guaranteeing the maximum amount of time at the workshop was given over towards the development of the five-year goal and its supporting strategies.

We held the workshop at an independent conference facility to ensure focus on the task in hand throughout. After a packed agenda we finished with a few well earned drinks and dinner, giving people time to chat and mull over what had been achieved from putting sixteen professionals in a room for a day!

Now all we have to do is put the strategies in place. Onwards and upwards…

Marcella McGing