Case Study - Nova Fundraising
Why a VA?
Nova Fundraising was in an enviable position of being extremely busy and they knew they needed to shift some of the workload in order to concentrate on their priorities. Emma understood they had to be very discerning about where they were spending their time and so began taking note of any tasks that were a drain on their time. Among these tasks were general admin and diary management as the team were attending meetings regularly and needed to be more organised.
Emma had already worked with a VA in the past and knew her own tendency to want to maintain control over the aspects of her working day. This is something we’re familiar with at Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance and it’s not unusual for individuals to want to keep overseeing and managing the tasks that they’re used to factoring in. However, Emma also understood that there was likely someone out there who would be better equipped to take over the organisational aspects, freeing her and the team up to focus on the areas they needed to.
Emma-Louise and Emma also mentioned that they were keen to improve their social media presence and focus on delivering value to their audience via email newsletters as well. They needed someone who was proactive and would take the bull by the horns, implementing a schedule and giving them a friendly nudge when deadlines were approaching.
Nova Fundraising
Nova Fundraising offers a range of professional fundraising consultancy services, specifically aimed at small to medium sized charities who are looking to develop, review or implement a new fundraising programme.
Nova Fundraising’s services are tailored to your organisation and apply hands-on practical experience integrated with fundraising academic theory and research to inform the best possible solutions for your organisation.
We spoke to Directors, Emma-Louise and Emma, about how the support of Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance is integral to Nova Fundraising’s ongoing operations.
“Investing in a VA is an investment in ourselves, and by doing so we’ve improved ourselves tenfold. We’re a more professional outfit, we’re more structured, and we feel genuinely more confident.””
“Working with Nova has been an amazing experience. They were welcoming and patient with the processes as they can take a little time to take shape and to get to know how we work together. They include me as part of their business and trust that I care as much about their business as they do. The keys have been their willingness to delegate, to be open to try new things, and to set up strong communication channels.”
The benefits
Emma and Emma-Louise had often spoken about wanting to work more ON the business rather than IN the business, yet had been ‘getting on with it’ in terms of the volume of admin they had to do. They didn’t have space to proactively tackle the all important business development tasks because they were so busy running the business from the admin side. They had some fabulous ideas and plans in the pipeline that they were struggling to get off the ground, simply because there weren’t enough hours in the day.
Natasha stepped up and enabled them to prioritise, not only taking a lot of the admin off their hands, but also prompting deadlines and driving the business development tasks forward.
Natasha has been hugely helpful in pushing priorities that would perhaps be deprioritised due to workload, making sure Nova Fundraising are consistently working ON those valuable business development tasks.
Natasha’s proactive approach has been instrumental in streamlining Nova Fundraising’s workflow and keeping them on track with their business development goals. She has been able to effectively manage their workload and bring a new level of organisation to their tasks, ensuring that key priorities are not neglected. This has allowed Emma and Emma-Louise to focus on other important aspects of their business and feel confident that their projects are in good hands.
Adding value
Natasha has not only helped to drive the proactive tasks, she has also enabled a level of consistency within those tasks that Nova Fundraising had wanted to accomplish for some time.
Emma and Emma-Louise refer to Natasha as their ‘accountability unicorn’! Not only is she a ‘rare find’, but her energy and joy are much welcomed within the team. She is very much involved in the growth of the business and Nova Fundraising appreciates the knowledge, knowhow, and ideas that Natasha brings to the table.
“The suggestions and ideas are highly welcomed, and Natasha is providing solutions and input which go beyond our original brief specs.”
Why Us
Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance was recommended to Nova Fundraising by people who were in the industry and worked with Joanne and the team already. This, coupled with the initial first impression on their call with Joanne gave them the confidence to move forward.
Emma and Emma-Louise mentioned how impressed they were that Joanne was able to match them with the right Virtual Assistant, Natasha, and how immediately they knew she would be an asset. It’s not uncommon for businesses to underestimate the importance of having not only
someone who is capable of doing the work, but someone who also fits in with their already established culture and their personalities. And so this being taken into consideration was a very welcome bonus.
Joanne’s ability to find the right fit in terms of both skill and personality made a huge impact on Nova Fundraising’s decision to work with her. This extra step in the hiring process showed Nova Fundraising that Joanne values their success and was dedicated to helping them achieve it.
“Natasha made the onboarding process seamless, introducing us to new ways of doing things that meant we didn’t have to take forever showing her the ropes.”
“We were probably expecting the process to be more difficult, bringing someone new into the business, but Natasha is definitely a representative and extension of us so that seamlessness is a real asset.”
