Generating media headlines

Commissioning new research in order to generate headlines is often an effective and cost-effective media tactic. On most days national and local media includes reference to the findings of a new survey. Research of this kind can be used to raise awareness of a charity’s work, draw attention to an issue of importance or be used to support the launch of a new campaign etc.

Key case studies: Scouts Volunteering Project

The Scout Association provides adventurous activities and personal development opportunities for 400,000 young people aged 6-25 in the UK. Internationally, over 28 million young people across 216 countries participate in Scouting. Within the context of increasing professionalisation, and with a desire to invigorate volunteer recruitment (within their own organisation and in Britain in general), the Scout Association commissioned nfpSynergy to conduct a thought leadership project into the future of volunteering.

nfpSynergy designed and conducted a 3-pronged research programme:

- beginning with a comprehensive review of existing data and information on volunteering across the globe from academics, government, social commentators and the third sector
- including a substantial phase of qualitative interviews with experts in volunteering among personnel from charities and other organisations representing the third sector
- and culminating in an original quantitative survey among members of the Scout Association which yielded nearly 4,000 responses 

As a result of this research, the Scout Association is now in possession of a wealth of information related to:

- trends in volunteering
- profile and attitudes of current volunteers (Scout Association volunteers compared to the national average)
- expectations and motivations for volunteering by their own volunteers
- discussion of volunteering as a political objective
- location of perspectives on volunteering within the broader social context
- future recommendations for how best to maximise volunteer recruitment and retention by taping into the priorities of today’s citizens

This project culminated in presentations to key staff within the Scout Association and was followed by a substantial thought leadership report which was published in November 2005 and is available from our website. The report, ‘The 21st Century Volunteer’, was designed to help voluntary organisations understand the current volunteering environment and to anticipate the ways in which volunteer management will need to change over the coming years.  It examined a number of key social, economic and political trends which are shaping the face of volunteering, including the government drive to promote volunteering, escalating education levels; widespread affluence; increasingly fragmented families; greater time-pressures and rising aspirations for self-fulfilment and leisure. The key findings of the report were mentioned by Charities minister Paul Goggins in his speech reviewing the end of the year of the volunteer.