A good way to make sense of this change – and separate fact from assumption – is through the use of tracker studies.  By regularly and consistently ‘taking the temperature’ of the donating public, their changing wants can be [...]]]> We hardly need to mention that the needs, tastes and preferences of donors are changing.                         

A good way to make sense of this change – and separate fact from assumption – is through the use of tracker studies.  By regularly and consistently ‘taking the temperature’ of the donating public, their changing wants can be more clearly seen.

Our very own Paul Seabrook, committee member and co-founder of research company Fastmap has been doing just that.

Fastmap’s annual Charity Tracker Survey was first run in 2005, and most recently in Feb 2012.

Come along to our networking event

Tuesday 24^th April at The Devonshire Arms (upstairs bar), 17 Denman Street, Piccadilly, London, W1D 7HW

Come along to hear and discuss the important findings of this ongoing study, revealing:

• changing patterns of donor loyalty and value (not all bad news as you might think)
• motivations for giving
• reasons for lapsing
• attitudes to charity communications from direct mail to social networks

Tickets cost just £5 (including nibbles) but are strictly limited in number at this venue.

To book online and for venue details click here:  http://insightnetworkingevent.eventbrite.co.uk/

•  Doors open from 5.30pm

• Speakers on 6pm approx
• Questions, drinks and networking from 6.30pm until the bar empties.

Paul Seabrook – Board Director, Head of Research and Co-founder

Former Head of Research for CCB, Paul brings a wealth of both client side and agency experience having work at senior levels within the automotive industry for 15 years. Paul has a Business Studies degree and a post-graduate diploma in Marketing from the CIM.

‘How to get ahead in analytics’ featured guest speakers Jonathan Moxham from British Red Cross and Damion Deansfrom Haigh Recruitment with lots of useful hints and tips on  how you can make the most of career opportunities in [...]]]> If you missed our April 4th networking event, you can find a copy of the slides here.

‘How to get ahead in analytics’ featured guest speakers Jonathan Moxham from British Red Cross and Damion Deansfrom Haigh Recruitment with lots of useful hints and tips on  how you can make the most of career opportunities in this sector and what experience and skills you need to move on.

Presentations from British Red Cross and Haigh Recruitment

Next informal SIG networking event

Wednesday 4th April 2012, from 5:30pm for 6pm start

Upstairs at the Angel Pub, 73 City Road, London, EC1Y 1BD

Charities have never been in more need of good analysts. 

Experts predict a global shortfall in the supply of skilled insight practitioners against a backdrop of an [...]]]>  

Next informal SIG networking event

Wednesday 4^th April 2012, from 5:30pm for 6pm start

Upstairs at the Angel Pub, 73 City Road, London, EC1Y 1BD

Charities have never been in more need of good analysts. 

Experts predict a global shortfall in the supply of skilled insight practitioners against a backdrop of an explosion in customer data. If you’re interested to know more about how you can make the most of the career opportunities presented by this environment and what experience and skills you need to move on, do come along to our informal networking event.

Tickets cost just £5.  Book online at: http://insightnetworkingapril2012.eventbrite.co.uk/

For more information visit our events page here.

Now we [...]]]> The one thing that the SIG members ask for time and time again are best practice case studies for using data and insight in fundraising.  The new SIG awards have been launched in response to this, to generate a fresh view on what leading edge practitioners are achieving . . . and how.

Now we know that many of you won’t have entered industry awards before, so we have created a ‘Tips for Writing your Entry’ guide to help get you started.  We so often take for granted the good work that we do, day in, day out – so why not seek some recognition for the results achieved?

You’ve done the hard work and achieved some excellent results.  So here are a few reasons why it is worth making a small amount of extra effort to package up your experience and learning into an award entry:

• Industry recognition.  Not only will an award win look good on your own CV but your work will a credit to your organisation, too, underlining the value delivered from investments in fundraising and insight.  Now that will impress supporters in the Annual Report.
• Bolster internal profile.  Being unassuming is a common trait of us analytical folk, but let’s seek credit where credit is due.  Even the process of crafting an award entry will help you reflect upon your team’s intelligent approach, helping you to articulate why you have been successful and how you have contributed significantly to fundraising performance.  Won’t the investment in better insight and data capabilities be so much easier to make?
• Increase team morale and loyalty.  Winning an award will ensure your diligence and wisdom is celebrated.  Success breeds success and you will find it easier to retain key staff and attract talent into your team and the organisation.
• Best practice case studies for the industry.  Your work can help educate and inspire others, continuing to raise standards within the sector and our discipline.

  . . . and don’t forget, by preparing your entry for the SIG awards you will have the material to adapt for other industry awards that you may also wish to enter such as the Database Marketing Awards, the Data Strategy Awards, the prestigious DMAs and others.

So why not clear a few hours in your schedule and invest in drafting your SIG award entry soon?

Tuesday 29th November 2011

Registration opens: 0930 am, conference starts 10am, ends 4.30pm Venue: Amnesty International UK, Shoreditch, centralLondon

This year’s conference has a simple but compelling theme; a showcase of the strongest case studies we can find to demonstrate how analysis and insight [...]]]> IOF Insight in Fundraising SIG Annual Conference (Rich text format attachment for circulation)

Tuesday 29^th November 2011

Registration opens: 0930 am, conference starts 10am, ends 4.30pm
Venue: Amnesty International UK, Shoreditch, centralLondon

This year’s conference has a simple but compelling theme; a showcase of the strongest case studies we can find to demonstrate how analysis and insight has made a positive impact atBritain’s biggest charities.

Whether you work for a large or small fundraising organisation, these case studies will underline the power of analysis and show how you can increase the impact of insight.

Covering analysis techniques, insight resources and, most importantly, how insight was actually used to influence the bottom line, we’re confident every attendee will leave better equipped to make the same differences themselves.

Sessions include:

• How the RSPB’s insight-driven strategic review is helping to push the whole organisation forward
• The role classic analysis has played in opening new market segments for RNLI
• Other big charity speakers to be announced

We’re continuing to use the excellent and well-located facilities at AmnestyUKbut will be simplifying the event layout and agenda to accommodate more attendees – for those that have been before that also means no traipsing up and down stairs between sessions!

Prices including all refreshments and lunch are:

Note:  We are teaming up with the Small Charities Coalition to offer seven free places to their members (charities with annual income under £1m).  Look out for details in their newsletter coming out at the end of September.    If you are not already a member you can sign up at http://www.smallcharities.org.uk/

For queries please contact Liz Cook, email  liz@insightsig.org or telephone 0782 57 57 209

Warm regards 

The Insight in Fundraising SIG committee

Getting a truly accurate measure of life time value is a goal for many analysts but of course it isn’t easy.  Modeling behaviour into the future and the differing nature of recruitment channels make it tricky to create meaningful comparisons.

How can [...]]]> Networking event: Measuring lifetime value, Tuesday 27^th September, Devonshire Arms, Piccadilly, Central London.

Getting a truly accurate measure of life time value is a goal for many analysts but of course it isn’t easy.  Modeling behaviour into the future and the differing nature of recruitment channels make it tricky to create meaningful comparisons.

How can an analyst address these issues and serve up the robust numbers needed to base decisions on?

John Whitehead (Supporter Planning and Insight Manager at WaterAid) and Nigel Magson (Data Consultant) will share their views and experience.

Just as importantly, there will be plenty of time for attendees to discuss this topic and indeed any other during the evening, helped by the informal venue, light snacks and a drink or two.

Please book ahead as numbers are limited to 40 at the Devonshire Arms,Denman Street, two minutes fromPiccadilly Circustube (same venue as our last event in June)

Tickets cost just £5 and can be booked here http://insightsigseptevent.eventbrite.com

Any queries please contact Liz Cook on liz@insightsig.org.

(0782 5757209)

About the speakers

John Whitehead is Supporter Planning and Insight Manager at WaterAid.  He has worked in the charity sector for over 15 years, having previously worked for both the National Trust and John Grooms (now Livability).

Before that he worked in commercial marketing and advertising, including time at Air Miles, Evans Hunt Scott, CACI and Saatchi & Saatchi.  He is a Founding Member and Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing and a Member of the Institute of Fundraising.   And he likes finding stories in numbers…

Nigel Magson has spent over 20 years in the data services industry. Along the way he’s become a Fellow of both the Institute of Direct Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Because of his special interest in not-for-profit marketing, in 2006 he co-founded the Insight special interest group as part of the Institute of Fundraising, aiming to raise standards for analysts working within the Charities sector.

Before he set up Tangible Data in 1996, he spent 10 years working for British Gas, where he managed the development of marketing databases used for direct marketing, business planning and modelling.

“In a tight economic climate, getting external context for fundraising performance seems as important [...]]]> On Thursday 9^th June analysts from throughout the charity sector met up at the Devonshire Arms in Piccadilly to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of benchmarking, sip a pint and mingle.  Below you will find a description of the event:

“In a tight economic climate, getting external context for fundraising performance seems as important as ever.

But can benchmarking really bring practical, actionable benefits?”

Abi Savvides Head of Fundraising Planning and Information at Alzheimers Society, and Allan Freeman at Freestyle Marketing  shared their views and experience at the event and their insight and time was much appreciated.  Cheers!

There was also plenty of time before and after the talks for attendees to meet fellow Insight professionals and develop their networks; all over a beverage or more and with a light buffet.  Apart from some noisy equipment rattling behind the bar the event went off without a hitch and was well-attended.  We hope to see you at the next one!

2010 Conference presentations available

For those that made it, and those that didn’t, all the documents are available from our website http://insightsig.org/resources/november-2010-conference/ Please, fill your boots.

Training

The Insight Special Interest Group is very pleased to continue [...]]]> Another year of uncertainty and change?  Whatever happens in 2011, you can never be too well-trained or well-connected.

2010 Conference presentations available

For those that made it, and those that didn’t, all the documents are available from our website http://insightsig.org/resources/november-2010-conference/ Please, fill your boots.

Training

The Insight Special Interest Group is very pleased to continue to offer high quality training at excellent prices, starting from £45.

Information on other training courses and Insight activity can be found on our website: http://insightsig.org/events/training/

Good luck in 2011.

All at the Insight SIG

Forecasting; Classic RFV, Attrition & LTVs; Data Enhancement; Creative Research; Web & Online Integration; Social Media [...]]]> The INSIGHT SIGs 4^th annual conference was held at Amnesty on 30^th November.  Around a 100 members of the group attended and unleased their inner analyst participating with the panel & workshop sessions that spanned 8 diverse areas including:

Forecasting; Classic RFV, Attrition & LTVs; Data Enhancement; Creative Research; Web & Online Integration; Social Media tools;  Analysis Technology and Recruiting analysts

If you attended or would like to see what was talked about the present decks used to stimulate discussion have been posted up to the website www.insightsig.org.uk and they are free to all to access.

Delegates heard from panel members from a wide variety of organisations including Cancer Research UK, RSPB, Breakthrough, Amnesty International, PDSA, and JustGiving.  Feedback from the delegates rated the day highly with over two thirds rating the sessions and day as excellent/good.

Nigel Magson, INSIGHT Chair, commented that “It was great to see that the sector is enthusiastic and engaged with getting insights from data to improve fundraising and organisational performance.  The case studies show that the sector has really come a long way in the adoption of more sophisticated techniques and technology.  Analysts are not only the drivers of fundraising income across a range of areas, they are also custodians of organisational insights that are key to wider organisational strategic direction.”

Linkedin

The group continues to foster the wider community of analysts and those keen to develop insight, and announced it has launched a Linkedin group in addition to its website.   Please join the group and conversation…

Training

Training is vital to development and the group’s training programme launched this summer and led by Stuart McCoy and Julie Pitt has had excellent feedback.  Attendees have been improving their skills on campaign testing, excel and excel pivoting.  Forthcoming courses are planned for February – please contact Julie Pitt.

The Torch Hypothesis

Some of the delegates were bemused by Nigel’s use of a torch in his opening address and he has explained it below for all those who were not thinking quite as laterally before their first cup of coffee!

Sometimes analysts need to challenge received wisdoms.  The Chinese believe that “Many hands make light work” and we challenged that hypothesis in the conference room and found it wanting.  Many analysts hands did not make the torch work.  A set of batteries would have. It was a null hypothesis.

Analysis can be like that.  It can lead you down blind dark dark alleys. We can be pursuing something we know might fail.  But as analysts we are not disheartened, we don’t stop asking questions and challenging received wisdom. We have to have faith. One day the torch will come on.

Even a null answer gives us insights.  For instance, at the conference we can see that analysts are not afraid to ask questions, and if they have multiple questions they raise two hands.  (Thankfully they also use deodorant!)

Enough said.