Customer story: Willen Hospice

• Around 90% of key CRM data is now up to date, giving Willen a much stronger foundation for fundraising and supporter engagement. 
• Supporter data from multiple sources is being brought together, helping the hospice build a fuller picture of supporter activity. 
• More than 600 retail loyalty cards have already been issued, creating new opportunities to understand and engage Willen’s retail supporters. 
• New Data Engine dashboards are giving fundraising managers information and insight they did not previously have. 
• Improved training and user engagement are helping teams make better use of the CRM and keep supporter information up to date. 
• Premier Customer Success provides ongoing product expertise, best practice and technical support, helping Willen get more value from its investment. 

Willen Hospice supports people with life limiting illnesses across Milton Keynes and relies on fundraising to help deliver its vital services. 

Like many charities, its supporter relationships span far more than traditional donations, from retail and lottery to events, regular giving and other fundraising activities. Bringing those different interactions together is key to understanding supporters and creating more meaningful opportunities to engage with them. 

When Tim joined Willen, data from a wide range of fundraising platforms was not consistently making its way into the CRM. Rather than simply replacing the system, he wanted to understand what could be achieved by getting the existing platform, data and users working more effectively together. 

That decision has paid off. After a focused programme of data recovery, cleansing and user training, Willen is now around 90% of the way towards having its key CRM data up to date. With the foundations in place, the hospice can now focus on what that data can unlock. 

One of the biggest opportunities for Willen is bringing more of its supporter activity together. 

The hospice has around 32 different fundraising platforms, alongside its retail operations, lottery and other supporter activities. 

The ambition is to move towards a much richer view of each individual supporter, understanding, for example, whether someone donates, shops in Willen’s stores, donates goods, plays the lottery or takes part in fundraising events. 

That insight can help teams move beyond treating each interaction in isolation and start thinking about the whole supporter relationship. 

Willen has already begun bringing retail customer and donation data into its CRM, opening up potential new audiences for marketing. This work has happened alongside the launch of a new retail loyalty scheme, with more than 600 loyalty cards already issued. 

For Willen, having better data is only part of the opportunity. The real value comes from being able to turn that data into useful insight. 

This is where Access Data Engine is making a significant difference. 

Tim describes the standard reporting functionality as useful, but says Data Engine has opened up far greater possibilities, allowing the team to select the information they need and build reports around it. 

Willen is now using this capability to build dashboards for individual fundraising areas. A dashboard for regular giving has already been created, with work underway on dashboards for legacies and in memory giving. 

“It’s giving the fundraising managers responsible for those teams the tools and information they just didn’t have before.” 

Technology only delivers value when people use it, and Willen has invested heavily in helping its teams get more from the CRM. 

Through a train-the-trainer approach, colleagues have been supported to understand the fundamentals of using Access Charity CRM effectively, from keeping supporter records up to date to recording conversations and finding supporter information. 

That focus on adoption has helped shift perceptions of the CRM. Users who had previously been disengaged are now updating the system and seeing that it can be straightforward to use. Meanwhile, managers are beginning to benefit from the improved information and reporting available to them. 

The platform also makes it easier to capture information as part of everyday work. For example, Access integrations with tools such as Outlook and Word allow users to transfer information into CRM records without having to manually recreate it. 

For Willen Hospice, one of the biggest benefits of working with Access has been the level of personal support behind the technology. 

Through Premier Customer Success, the hospice has dedicated expert support working alongside the team, helping them understand what the CRM can do, sharing best practice and identifying opportunities to get even more value from the platform. 

The relationship has included regular monthly calls and check ins, as well as hands on sessions to explore new and existing functionality. Access has also helped Willen think beyond its immediate requirements, sharing examples of how other charities are using the system and advising on how to structure their approach. 

For Tim, that expertise is particularly valuable for a charity like Willen, where resources are limited and there is not necessarily capacity to have a CRM specialist in house. 

That support also gives Willen access to deeper technical expertise when it is needed. Tim says that while some challenges could be tackled internally, having Access experts who understand the platform and can work directly with the data can turn work that might take the hospice months into something that can be completed in days. 

But it is not just the technical expertise that has made the difference. For Willen, it is the relationship. 

Despite Access being a large organisation, Tim says the experience has retained a strong personal touch, with the team feeling approachable, enthusiastic and genuinely committed to helping the hospice succeed. 

“They’re just great people, really approachable, full of enthusiasm and commitment in terms of trying to do the best they can for you.” 

That sense of partnership has become an important part of Willen’s CRM journey, giving the team confidence that they have the expertise and support around them to keep developing what the platform can do. 

For Willen, Premier Customer Success is not simply about having someone to contact when they need help. It is about having a knowledgeable partner alongside the team, helping them make better use of the technology today while continually looking at what they could achieve tomorrow. 

Having initially been asked to investigate whether Willen needed a new CRM, Tim took the opportunity to look at what else was available on the market. 

There are powerful alternatives, he acknowledges, but they can come with significant cost and complexity. 

For Willen, the conclusion was simple. Access Charity CRM already has the capability to support its ambitions. 

Rather than starting again with another platform, Willen is continuing to invest in the system it already knows, while unlocking more of its functionality and improving the quality of the data behind it. 

“For us, Access does plenty, and plenty more that we’ve not even begun to touch, to be honest.”

With its data foundations significantly stronger, Willen is now looking ahead to the next stage of its CRM journey. 

The team wants to continue bringing supporter data into the CRM, develop its reporting and dashboards, and explore more advanced functionality, including supporter journey automation. 

The longer term goal is clear: use better connected data to understand supporters more effectively, create more relevant engagement and give fundraising teams the insight they need to maximise every opportunity. 

And importantly, Tim sees this as an ongoing journey rather than a one off CRM project. 

For Tim, the experience has reinforced that the value of a CRM comes from the combination of technology, data, people and expertise. 

With its data now in a much stronger position and teams beginning to make greater use of reporting and insight, Willen can focus on what comes next rather than looking back at what went wrong. 

And having seen what the platform can deliver, Tim is confident recommending Access Charity CRM to other charities. 

He also believes charities considering a CRM should make use of the expertise available to them, particularly when moving from an existing system and dealing with data migration. 

That combination of a capable platform and knowledgeable support is helping Willen continue to build confidence, capability and value from its CRM. 

“I would recommend Access CRM.”

Willen Hospice shows what is possible when a charity combines better data, engaged users and the right CRM expertise. 

Access Charity CRM can help you bring supporter information together, understand your relationships more clearly, give fundraising teams actionable insight and build more effective supporter journeys. 

Discover how Access Charity CRM can help your charity get more from its data.