Projects

Cancer Research UK

Project Outline

To work with the major donor team to improve the usage and capability of The Raisers Edge database though system development, improved business processes, user training and support.

This involved an in-depth review and mapping exercise of business and functional requirements, providing recommendation documents submitted to the board for approval, implementing agreed recommendations, documenting new processes and staff training.

Testimonial

Charlotte's expertise and enthusiasm were absolutely central to our ability to successfully complete a project to get all our high value fundraising teams onto Raiser’s Edge and using it in a consistent way. I found Charlotte to be a pleasure to work with. She is a real Raiser’s Edge expert but she also understands fundraising and how to utilise a database to enable successful fundraising. She supported us in driving process development, recommended database set up and processes, provided thorough documentation and personally carried out training. All of this to an extremely challenging timetable! I would recommend her whole heartedly to other organisations.

EMMS International

Project Outline

To carry out an audit of their financial processes with the aim of aligning The Raiser’s Edge with their accounting package to ease reconciliation processes, promote transparency and improve reporting. As part of the project, the gift coding structure was reconfigured to suit fundraising and financial reporting needs and processes were established to clearly allocate gift processing and gift aid responsibilities. Staff training was also provided.

National Portrait Gallery

Project Outline

The National Portrait Gallery has been a client for a number of years. Initially, I advised in the restructuring of their database and planned and prioritised the cleansing of data, to ensure integrity and abidance with data protection regulations. Through consultation, I developed numerous training sessions for new and existing users in a ‘bite- sized’ format. More recently, I was asked to work on a highly complex gift aid project, which involved carrying out a gift aid audit and working with the HMRC and the outside agency to ensure all identified issues were resolved and confidence in the data restored.

Since 2009 Charlotte has worked with us many times with everything from staff training to developing our use of Raiser's Edge, problem solving and most recently a large and complex Gift Aid project. Aside from being hugely knowledgeable about Raiser's Edge, Charlotte's attention to detail and logical approach to tasks have been invaluable to us, and very reassuring in the face of daunting projects. I would definitely recommend Charlotte.

Oasis

Project Outline

I provided ongoing support to Oasis for three years. After carrying out a database audit, I worked with staff members to implement agreed recommendations to improve the structure of the database and data integrity. I developed bespoke training courses for staff and helped to advise and write procedural documentation.

I was also an adviser in restructuring their financial coding to improve reconciliation processes and to align The Raiser’s Edge with their accounting software package. This involved co-ordinating with the Finance department and creating a set of custom management and financial reports using Crystal reports.

Charlotte carried out a detailed database audit and produced a comprehensive report highlighting areas of weakness and strength, and made a series of recommendations to improve the database structure and data consistency. She created a timeline for data clean up and offered much needed support and guidance in implementing changes. Charlotte worked in a methodical way translating technical information to non-technical users when required. Her calm and logical approach made the whole team feel confident that this project would be completed and her prioritisation enabled the project to be broken down into manageable sections with clear goals. The project was completed on time and to budget and Charlotte left us in a much better position data wise than when we started, I would highly recommend working with her on a database or business process project.

Science Museum Group

Project Outline

I have had an ongoing relationship with the Science Museum Group for the last 6 years, as a trainer, advisor and project manager. The largest piece of work was a data migration project for the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) division of the Science Museum Group, which demanded excellent data cleansing, data mapping and importing skills. More recently, I have provided interim Raiser’s Edge training and support during staff changes, managing and improving their in-house direct debit processing and perfecting the routine for importing donations collected at the museum entrance.

Charlotte has been invaluable in helping us with numerous tasks and projects over the last few years. One project was highly complex and involved migrating data from an old database used by the Museum of Science and Industry to The Raiser’s Edge. She provided excellent advice and carried out the cleaning, restructuring and importing of the data impeccably. She is an excellent trainer and is extremely knowledgeable about the Raiser’s Edge and how it can be applied to successfully manage fundraising. More recently, she has helped to manage and improve our direct debit process and provided excellent bespoke training to a new member of staff. Charlotte is a real pleasure to work with and we would recommend her to any organisation.

University of Surrey

Project Outline

I worked with the University of Surrey initially as a trainer and then as an adviser to streamline and document the process for transferring student data to The Raiser’s Edge following graduation.

In 2009, I managed an amalgamation project to transfer data from several departments external to the Alumni and Development department. This involved carrying out extensive interviews to determine business and data requirements, analysing data to be transferred as well as cleansing, mapping, importing of data and writing of procedural documentation.

The University of Surrey initially approached Charlotte to help fill a gap due to a vacancy in our Data Support Team in the Alumni & Development Office. Charlotte has been able to help bridge this gap, provide a bespoke training programme for new team members and also streamline our processes and provide support for larger projects.
Charlotte has provided a professional service to the whole of the Alumni & Development Office, and has been able to tailor her training and advice to the specific needs of the team members. Her experience and ability to understand and translate a business need into a practical application, together with the detailed documentation she has provided, has enabled our team to move on confidently and independently.

Westminster Abbey

Project Outline

I carried out a business and process audit of The Raiser’s Edge database, identifying areas for improvement and assisting in much of the restructuring and cleansing of data.

I then was asked to assess the suitability of The Raiser’s Edge as a central contact database for departments across the Abbey. This involved meeting with each department, assessing their data, their functional requirements and overall support for the project. My findings were presented in a report which was reviewed by the board for approval.