www.charitycomms.org.uk/events

1. Bridging the Gap: Integrating Communications
and Fundraising Workshop
25 May,2011
CharityComms is the professional membership body for charity communicators. We
believe charity communications are integral to each charity’s work for a better world.
W: www.charitycomms.org.uk T: 0207 426 8877

2. How Friends of the Earth
transformed strategy and structure
to deliver integration
Joe Jenkins
Director of Fundraising,
Communications & Activism

3. Health Warning!!
• Discussing how we’ve approached integration
within a new structure
• Though lessons may be transferable, more
relevant if your charity has separate
fundraising and communication resources
• I didn’t have time to do lots of pretty pictures
• This is a work in progress – come back next
year for results!

4. Friends of the Earth
• the UK’s most influential national environmental
campaigning organisation (working in England, Wales &
Northern Ireland)
• the most extensive environmental network in the world,
with around 1 million supporters across five continents, and
more than 70 national organisations worldwide
• a unique network of campaigning local groups, working in
more than 200 communities throughout England, Wales
and Northern Ireland

5. Friends of the Earth
• 1971 – launch
• 1972 – pass the ban on import of fur
• 1974 – no nukes – govt cancels plans to build 32 new nukes after campaigning
• 1979 – campaign for more bike use to stop pollution. British rail cancel their ban of bikes on board
• 1980 – 200k people protest outside Nelson’s Column against govt plans for nuclear testing
• 1983 – start a paper recycling cooperative
• 1984 – expose the use of damaging pesticides in products which leads to removal of pesticides and
dramatic government overhaul of law
• 1985 – launch first ever tropical rainforest campaign exposing destructive activities of UK companies
• 1988 – first UK launch of global warming campaign
• 1989 – pioneer the first doorstep recycling programme
• 1991 – expose drinking water supplies for 14m people are contaminated with pesticides and take govt
to high court to get this damage reversed
• 1996 – Launch campaign against genetically modified organisms
• 2005 – expose the use of palm oil in products and the destructions of rainforest habitats to make these
• 2008 – the climate change bill becomes law after hundreds of thousands of people protest and 95% of
politicians are lobbied.
1971 - 2011

6. Friends of the Earth
• Over 150 people employed by national office
• Raise approximately £10million every year
• Dependent on individuals for over 90 per cent of income.
• Prompted awareness over 90%
• Spontaneous awareness around 15-20%

7. Context – our challenge in 2009
• Over a decade of successful growth
• Massive campaign success
• Dramatic changes in external environment
• Green gap
• Awareness, income, supporter numbers and influence
facing decline
• Financial gap

8. Solution
• Identify high level priorities
• Re-structure organisation to streamline and focus around
priorities
• Introduce new, small Senior Management Team
• Focus on integration – internally and externally
• Develop new approach to strategy

9. New SMT
Executive Director
Managing Director
Director of Policy & Director of Fundraising,
Campaigns Communications & Activism
Director of Resources Director of Organisational
Development

10. Introducing FCA
Director of Fundraising,
Communications & Activism
Head of Fundraising Head of Head of Activism
Communications

11. Introducing FCA
• Single integrated overview of all external engagement with
audiences
• Responsible for integration of engagement &
communication activities, including:
– Fundraising Strategy & Programme
– Brand & Reputation
– PR & Communications (Events, Publications, Digital etc)
– Local Group Network
– Individual Activism
• Involve people in taking action for the environment

12. Integrating Fundraising, Communications & Activism
• Separate strategies, • Integrated strategy,
processes, structures, processes, structure,
systems, cultures systems, culture
• Siloed between • Integrated across
departments AND AND within
within departments departments
• Disjoined supporter • Delivering supporter
experience journeys

13. Cut-out & Keep List of Key Lessons The Glib List!
1. Break the cycle
2. Lead from the top
3. Win champions
4. Aim for perfect – plan for good enough
5. Make it the day job
6. Agree some objectives more equal than others
7. Challenge false choices
8. Spread the burden
9. Speak the same language
10. Celebrate difference
11. Share what you do
12. Always bring back to the WHY

14. What did we do
• Led with restructure
• One strategic programme for Engagement
• Hierarchy of strategic objectives
• Strategic projects
• New thinking on Audience Strategy
• New business planning processes
• Internal Communications

15. Restructure
Director of Fundraising,
Communications & Activism
Head of Fundraising Head of Head of Activism
Communications
• Established strategic rationale
• Recruited Director / Appointed Heads
• Clarified decision-making rights/responsibilities
• Set expectation for new structure to develop strategy
• Achieved intervention / change of direction

16. Engagement Programme
• Replaced 4 strategic programmes
(Fundraising, Reputation & Reach, Activism, Supporter
Development)
• Provides strategic direction for integration
(across FCA, and with rest of organisation)
• Clarifies priorities and desired outcomes
• Provides single reference point for all engagement activities

17. Hierarchy of Strategic Objectives
• Identify key objectives for delivery by FCA
(raise money, deliver individual and group actions, build
powerful relationships, strengthen brand)
• Provides framework for decision-making
• Supports resolution of conflicting priorities
• Doesn’t directly inform resource allocation
• Dynamic hierarchy (evolves over time)

18. Strategic Projects
• Differentiate between “projects” and “activities”
• Agree priorities and resources
• Determine where change is necessary
• Focus on biggest impact
• Address systems, processes, dependencies

19. Audience Strategy
• Consolidated all existing audience research
• Identified need for shared understanding of target audiences
• Identifying and addressing key strategic (audience) questions
• Creating new Market segmentation
• Creating new Base segmentation
• Agreeing approach to Campaign Segmentation

20. Planning
• Established new organisation-wide approach to strategy
• Agreeing standard templates (with flexibility)
• Establishing interdependencies
• Operationalising strategy

21. Internal Communications
• Early integration of management team (Heads & Team
Leaders)
• More positive/consistent use of “cascade comms”
• Regularly brief and agree key messages with managers
• Established schedule of meetings (Annual Away Days,
Monthly Managers, Monthly Teams, Weekly Senior
Managers)
• Encouraged more creativity and innovation

22. Integration in Practise: Brand Re-launch
• Established cross-department working group
• Used Hierarchy of Objectives to inform project brief
• Used Engagement Programme to inform approach
• Establishing shared language on audiences
• Shared understanding of different requirements
from brand
• FCA Management Team supporting conflict
resolution
• Collaborative working on design & delivery
• New structure/processes enabling rapid pace

23. Integration in Practise: Nuclear Campaign
• Petition live within 24 hours
• Local groups and activists contacted within 3 days
• Updated fundraising appeal within 7 days
• Established new processes for decision-making, collaboration,
delivering key messages to different audiences
• Able to make quick clear links between opportunity and strategy

24. Integration in Practise: New fundraising event
• Used Hiearchy of
Objectives and
Engagement
Programme to clarify
brief
• Strong collaborative
working between
Fundraising & Comms
• Event idea has
developed from concept
to launch in less than 6
months
• Set ways of working for
future collaboration

25. Key Lessons
1. Break the cycle
2. Lead from the top
3. Win champions
4. Aim for perfect – plan for good enough
5. Make it the day job
6. Agree some objectives more equal than others
7. Challenge false choices
8. Spread the burden
9. Speak the same language
10. Celebrate difference
11. Share what you do
12. Always bring back to the WHY

26. Discuss!
• Any thoughts / questions on Friends of the Earth
approach
• What could (does) work for you – and why
• What wouldn’t (doesn’t) work for you – and why

27. Bridging the Gap: Integrating Communications
and Fundraising Workshop
25 May,2011
CharityComms is the professional membership body for charity communicators. We
believe charity communications are integral to each charity’s work for a better world.
W: www.charitycomms.org.uk T: 0207 426 8877