[Trailblazer Celebration] RSPCA Makes Every Penny Count and Every Animal Matter

Every week of this month we’re celebrating our European Nonprofit Trailblazer. In this story, you’ll find out how the world’s largest and oldest animal welfare organisation is building stronger supporter relationships to help create a world without animal cruelty. Follow #NGOTrailblazer on our social channels and keep an eye on the blog for weekly updates.

From cats and cattle to badgers and butterflies, the RSPCA wants to create a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. It improves the welfare of farm animals. It rescues pets. It protects wildlife. It reduces the suffering of animals used in research or rescues them when they’re not being cared for properly. 

The RSPCA is a Nonprofit Trailblazer for animal welfare, helping to prevent cruelty and promote kindness on a massive scale. In 2018, the organisation investigated more than 130,700 complaints of alleged cruelty and its 300-plus inspectors rescued nearly 103,000 animals across England and Wales. 

The RSPCA is committed to creating a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion – whether they live in our homes, on farms, in their natural habitats, or research facilities.   

As well as rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abandoned, abused, and neglected animals, it undertakes investigations and campaigns to create a better future and a kinder world. For example, it helped to secure longer prison sentences for animal abusers and pushed for new puppy farm legislation to prevent the defenceless from being exploited for profit.

Balancing resource with demand 

Although the RSPCA has achieved a number of successes both locally and nationally, its services are still in great demand. The nonprofit’s cruelty line received more than 1.1 million calls in 2018 from people requesting urgent help for animals in distress. 

Balancing demand with supply is an ongoing challenge – especially when the organisation’s income is almost entirely dependent on legacies, donations, and charitable activities. 

Like all nonprofits, the RSPCA wants to ensure as much of its income directly supports its cause – 81p of every £1 already goes straight to animal welfare. But the RSPCA wants to do even better than that. And it’s turning to technology to help. 

To help maximise the impact of its annual income – which hit £142 million in 2018 – the nonprofit is modernising the systems and processes that underpin a range of core activities. From engaging with supporters and rehoming animals to assigning cases to inspectors, the RSPCA is entering a new chapter in its 195-year history. 

Cloud platforms, mobile apps, artificial intelligence, and digital channels will all be part of this new chapter, which will enable the RSPCA and its people to work faster and smarter. For example, inspectors will be able to check their tasks, log case details including photos, and locate their appointments all from a single device. By digitalising the case management process, the organisation will be able to learn more about animal cruelty hotspots and create more targeted campaigns. 

Building stronger supporter relationships with personalised content  

The RSPCA community stretches well beyond its 1,800 employees  – it has more than 600,000 active donors and campaigners as well as thousands of volunteers who devote their time every year to support the cause. And the RSPCA wants to get closer to every single one of them. 

To build stronger relationships with its supporters, the RSPCA first needs to gain a better understanding of how they interact with the organisation and their main interest areas. A new supporter relationship management system founded on Salesforce will help deliver this visibility. But this is just beginning. 

The organisation plans to use the insights captured in Salesforce to transform how it engages with supporters, delivering more personalised and targeted content. In an age when we are all bombarded with information, staying relevant is key for nonprofits.  

Mobilising the next generation of campaigners 

To continue its mission, the RSPCA needs to do more than just improve engagement with current supporters; it needs to mobilise the next generation of animal welfare campaigners. 

In 2018, the nonprofit launched its first fully-integrated prevention programme. Generation Kind is designed to teach children about empathy and respect for animals. More than 2,500 primary schools have already signed up to take part in classroom activities. 

Campaigns like this will help the nonprofit get closer to achieving its 10 key animal welfare outcomes, which include a 25% reduction in animal cruelty and mistreatment and a 100% increase in the number of farm animals covered by the ethical food label, RSPCA Assured, by 2021. 

New technology, especially AI, will make it easier for the organisation to track – and report – its progress against these and other targets. Measuring and demonstrating impact is vital for maintaining trust and confidence in supporter and stakeholder relationships – especially in uncertain economic times. By boosting visibility and efficiency, the RSPCA will be able to ensure that every pound and every animal matter. 

Want to learn how the RSPCA is transforming processes and empowering their people with Salesforce?

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