Buying more time in the fight against degenerative illness: Boosting efficiency at PSPA

Background

PSPA is a lifeline to so many. It’s the only UK charity working to improve the lives of people living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) or Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); two severe, degenerative illnesses. The charity was struggling with issues that will be familiar to so many nonprofits, and with so much at stake – fundraising, member support, pushing to find a cure – we embarked on a mission to help ramp up efficiency and impact. 

PSP and CBD are both caused by a build-up of protein on the brain which damages nerve cells. Impacting mobility and behaviour, the conditions – although different – have a profound effect on the quality of life of several thousand people in the UK. The role of PSPA is many-fold; providing information and support to everyone affected by PSP and CBD; promoting and funding research and working towards finding a cure; raising awareness; and, crucially, fundraising to make all of this possible.

Solution

Cirrico is dedicated to applying innovative technology to accelerate the impact of nonprofits – we knew we could help. PSPA has a huge job to do, but cumbersome working practices were limiting the influence of devoted staff. Our first step was to understand exactly how the charity uses its data, find the opportunities to transform daily working procedures and plot its path to future growth.

Details of 35,000 members – people living with PSP and CBD, carers, volunteers, health professionals, donors – were stored across multiple platforms, slowing down essential interaction with, and understanding of, the people at the heart of the charity’s work

We introduced our Nonprofit Success Pack to create one all-encompassing, multi-functioning, GDPR-compliant CRM system. Used to its maximum potential it would revolutionise the way that the charity functioned, from fundraising to member support.

And so, we carried out an intensive training programme, leaving no team member in any doubt about the transformative power of our changes. People, not technology, make the difference. We had to ensure that the whole team was ready, inspired, and motivated to amplify the impact of their every working day.

Summary

The new CRM saves hours of time each day. There is no more searching and cross-referencing multiple databases to find accurate information. Members are no longer hanging on the phone, waiting for their details to be located and pieced together. There are no more question marks around where donations came from, or clumsy syncing between JustGiving, Paypal and charity records. Marketing campaigns are personalised but quickly implemented, thanks to CRM integration with Mail Chimp, and analysing the success of campaigns is simple and effective with easy to read reports and dashboards, helping to increase engagement with members.

At Cirrico, we don’t do anything unless it will improve world. It’s a privilege to work with an organisation like PSPA, where our precise application of technology will have such a direct impact on human lives and drive forward human progress.