Geological Society

The Geological Society of London is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Its aims are to improve knowledge and understanding of the Earth, to promote Earth science education and awareness, and to promote professional excellence and ethical standards in the work of Earth scientists, for the public good.

The Brief

The Philanthropy Company were commissioned by the Geological Society to scope the potential to raise philanthropic income and identify any potential barriers to success. They also wanted help to develop a compelling Case for Support and identify which of their charitable activities were most likely to attract funds.

Our response

Through a process of interviews both internal and external, we were able to test various messages with potential supporters and identify key priorities for the Society. We conducted some comparator analysis of other learned societies and professional membership bodies in order to support our recommendations on what it was possible to achieve.

The Results

The project concluded with a comprehensive report of our findings, including: recommendations for staffing and resources; an indication of how much they could raise over a period of time with investment and which activities to prioritise. We also made recommendations on how to scale up their Corporate Affiliate Scheme to attract more funding from this important source.