Setting Up For Strategy Success
Case Study: Western Port Biosphere
AskRIGHT were delighted to be approached by the Western Port Biosphere Foundation to hold a series of ‘stress test’ workshops for their dedicated board and executive staff, helping them refine their fundraising strategy. Since 2003, this tenacious not-for-profit has connected with the local community to create a sustainable future for the UNESCO listed Western Port Biosphere Reserve, environmentally, socially and economically.
Project Summary
In the last few years, Western Port Biosphere Foundation has grown, both in terms of new funds secured and staff. 2023 saw an exciting and ambitious strategic plan land and AskRIGHT began working with them to help their next task in hand; to operationalise it and grow fundraising income.
Project Actions, Impact and Results
Project Actions
Western Port Biosphere Foundation’s team were keen to be as efficient as possible with their resources whilst utilising external fundraising expertise to ensure their strategy was headed in the right direction. An initial proposal submitted was tweaked following conversations between agency and client, with an updated proposal for workshops to test the existing strategy agreed upon.
To keep costs down an online format was designed, utilising digital whiteboard tools to make the sessions as interactive as possible. The workshop spread across two separate occurrences, one that allowed the team to focus on the big picture and ensure the goals in place were the right ones to proceed with, the second looking at the more tactical elements of the plan to make sure it was actionable and able to be implemented with consideration to the team’s resources.
AskRIGHT director Fi Riley led the workshops and loved the energy the team brought to the discussions:
‘We had a brilliant group ‘round the table’ who were engaged with every step of the process. The online forum was the perfect setting to bring everyone together and I loved how each member fully participated and moved the conversation forward to help us reach the desired outcomes.’
Impact and Results
AskRIGHT facilitated the workshops to sense check the existing draft strategy, assess the impact and urgency of key pieces of work and review resources and audiences. Over the course of the two sessions, the team was able to agree its vision and goals for the fundraising strategy, and begin to create a top line action plan for delivery, whilst understanding the resources required to take the plan off the page and into implementation.
As Fi Riley shared ‘The team achieved an incredible amount in those two sessions – it was really inspirational to facilitate them through the process. They had a strong starting point with their draft strategy and a committed and passionate group of people in attendance, but it was still exciting to see the strategy take such strong shape from the power of coming together to agree a way forwards.’
Testimonial
"We were looking for someone external to our organisation with extensive fundraising expertise and a fresh perspective to stress test our thinking before we made a financial commitment to proceed. Fi fit the bill perfectly and facilitated us in getting to agreement about priorities and next steps."
Mel Barker, Chief Executive Officer
Western Port Biosphere Foundation
