About the client
Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) delivers 24/7 helicopter emergency medical services. Its primary income is driven by a successful charity lottery, with supplementary revenue from legacies, individual giving and fundraising events.
Challenge
KSS aimed to diversify income beyond lottery dependence. However, the existing CRM system obscured the full supporter landscape and restricted data-driven decisions. Cross-sell potential, supporter segmentation, and digital engagement strategies were hindered by poor visibility and limited email permissions.
Our solution
Wood for Trees conducted a three-phase foundation audit to expose actionable insight:
- Phase 1: Data collation and schema decoding through technical review and stakeholder interviews
- Phase 2: Detailed analysis surfaced supporter behaviour patterns, campaign overlaps, and structural data gaps
- Phase 3: Strategic recommendations were implemented, prioritising lottery upsell, email consent acquisition, and digital-first engagement
Results
- Clear ‘big picture’ view of supporter base to inform diversification strategy
- Identification of significant gaps in email consents, triggering a compliance and acquisition initiative
- Uncovered lack of cross-sell activity; led to the launch of successful lottery line upgrade campaigns
- Foundation audit insights guided the charity during Covid-19 to pivot quickly with digital-led emergency appeals
- Supported structural evolution of fundraising by validating new income streams and reallocating resources
The audit served as a catalyst for data transformation, campaign innovation and long-term income planning.
