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Modernising Volunteer Management at the Natural History Museum

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Industry

Museums

Challenge

The Natural History Museum faced substantial challenges in managing its volunteer programme, including inconsistent engagement across departments, reliance on outdated HR systems, and inefficient paper-based processes. The need for a centralised and dedicated volunteer management system became increasingly evident.

Results

Since implementing Better Impact, the Natural History Museum has observed marked improvements in volunteer management. These include more accurate and accessible data, enhanced volunteer engagement, streamlined operations, and compliance with data protection requirements. The Museum saved 2,184 hours per year, valued at £52,500 annually, and achieved a return on investment (ROI) of 425%. Bounce-back emails were reduced to rare occurrences.

Key Product

Better Impact

2,184
Hours Saved Yearly
£52,500
Annual Value of Time Saved
425%
ROI

When the Museum closed during the pandemic, we emailed all volunteers and 43% of those emails bounced back. The data was so inconsistent, we simply couldn’t get in touch with people. It was a terrible feeling — as though we didn’t care, when in reality we just didn’t have the right systems in place.

Vanessa Theed

Volunteer and Apprenticeship Strategy Manager at the Natural History Museum

In hindsight, I would have had a meeting with all areas of the volunteer chain to ensure everyone was on board with the changes—rather than just those on the Volunteer System User Board.

Vanessa Theed

Volunteer and Apprenticeship Strategy Manager at the Natural History Museum

For others considering a similar shift, do your research on what’s wrong with your current processes and procedures right now and what needs to be improved. Create a checklist of what you currently do and what a new system will do for you. Talk to your users, including your volunteers… Use the ROI calculator. Everyone wants to cut costs at present, and Better Impact is a great tool to show what can be saved so you can spend more time on the development of your volunteer programme and adding value to your organisation.

Vanessa Theed

Volunteer and Apprenticeship Strategy Manager at the Natural History Museum

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About Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre, home to over 80 million objects spanning billions of years. The Museum plays a vital role in exploring the natural world and helping society tackle pressing challenges through education and engagement.

The Challenge

The Natural History Museum, a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre, struggled with managing its extensive volunteer programme. Volunteers were managed across various departments using outdated HR systems and paper-based processes, leading to inconsistent engagement and inefficiencies. When the Museum closed during the pandemic, a significant issue surfaced: 43% of their emails to volunteers bounced back due to inconsistent data. Vanessa Theed, the Volunteer and Apprenticeship Strategy Manager, remarked, 'The data was so inconsistent, we simply couldn’t get in touch with people. It was a terrible feeling — as though we didn’t care, when in reality we just didn’t have the right systems in place.'

The Solution

The Museum realised the need for a centralised volunteer management system and chose Better Impact for its comprehensive features. Better Impact facilitated a transition to digital processes, offering self-service data management, e-learning tools, and compliance support. Vanessa Theed highlighted the importance of involving all stakeholders in the transition, stating, 'In hindsight, I would have had a meeting with all areas of the volunteer chain to ensure everyone was on board with the changes — rather than just those on the Volunteer System User Board.' The Museum implemented Better Impact to manage their volunteer information more effectively, streamline operations, and enhance overall volunteer engagement.

The Results

The implementation of Better Impact resulted in substantial improvements for the Natural History Museum. The Museum saved 2,184 hours per year, translating to a value of £52,500 annually. The ROI was an impressive 425%. The accuracy and accessibility of data improved, and bounce-back emails were reduced to rare occurrences. Vanessa Theed advised others considering a similar shift to thoroughly research their current processes and use the ROI calculator provided by Better Impact, emphasising, 'Better Impact is a great tool to show what can be saved so you can spend more time on the development of your volunteer programme and adding value to your organisation.'

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