DRAFT Citizen Science Funding Toolkit
for the Great Barrier Reef Citizen Science Alliance
Overview of Phase 1. Assess
The first phase of developing a business strategy for a citizen science non-profit is to assess the current organisation through the lens of finance.
OBJECTIVE:
The objective of the assessment phase is for an organisation to better articulate their unique marketable values, key assets and partnerships, and theory of change.
WHO:
The assessment phase can be championed by one person in the organisation, but must be participatory in nature and include substantial input and buy-in from all key personnel - from volunteers to board members. Depending on the capacity of the organisation, it may be useful to contract specialist expertise to facilitate the scoping phase, but it is vital that there is access and support to all levels of the organisation.
DURATION:
Expect that the assessment phase will take 1-6 months. The size and complexity of the organisation, the range of products and services, and the extent of previous strategic planning will affect the time frame.
TOOL:
The "business model canvas" is a tool that is commonly used across sectors and geopraphies to succinctly describe the values and components of a business. The canvas is a useful tool for non-profits to assess their organisation through the lens of marketability and investability.
OUTPUT:
A draft business model canvas that succinctly describes the key components of the existing organisation.
Business Model Canvas Introduction
The business model canvas is one-page template that summarizes nine key components of a business. Watch a 2-minute overview of the canvas from Strategyzer here.
The left side of the canvas describes the key partners, resources, activties and cost structure. The right side describes the customers, channels, and revenue sources. The centre describes the "value proposition" - or the "promise" of value that the organisation will deliver to its customers.
The canvas is open source and freely available from many websites. We recommend either:
Download the Business Model Canvas from Strategyzer
or
Use the free online diagram software Lucid Chart with canvas template inlcuded
Original or Modified?
Several adaptations of the business model canvas are available for your consideration. Some versions are tailored to non-profit organisations (for example: http://nonprofitcanvaskit.com/) and some are tailored to social enterprises (for example: http://www.socialbusinessmodelcanvas.com/) The adaptations are aimed at incorporating elements of non-profits and social enterprises that are not explicit in the original version. There are advantages and disadvantages for each version. In this toolkit, we will recommend using the original open-source canvas and will explain how to optimize it for citizen science non-profit organisations.
Components of a Business Canvas for Citizen Science Non-Profits
Customers
Non-profit organisations are normally more comfortable with the terms "volunteer," "donor," and "stakeholder" than "customer." The shift in terminology may help non-profit organisations to understand who values the outputs of the organisation enough to contribute towards the creation of that value. A "customer" is any individual or entity that recieves value from your organisation, and in the case of a non-profit organisation, the customer may or may not pay money to recieve the value.
You may consider splitting the "customer" section into 1) "beneficiaries" - those that recieve a benefit but are not presently paying for the benefit - and 2) "investors" - those that are paying in time or money for value to be created - whether or not they currently recieve any financial returns. (note: potential investors for citizen science organisations in the Great Barrier Reef are discussed more in the "investor" section of the toolkit).
Describe your customer segments in terms of their demographics, motivations, and other binding characteristics.
Customer Relationships
This component describes how the organisation engages, communicates, and recieves input from their customers. Consider:
* What formal and informal communication do we have with our customers?
* How do customers engage with organisation staff, volunteers, and board members?
* What are characteristics of organisation-customer relationships that the organisation emphasizes (for example, trust, openness, collaborative, etc)?
Resources
For this section, assess the essential, non-financial resources that the organisation needs to operate and deliver value. For example, these may include specific staff capacities, member / volunteer base, access to scientific equipment, consortia or knowldegs-sharing forums, etc. Do not include partnerships here because they are considered in the section below. Do be considerate of the catalysts and levers which enable your organisation to be successful. Keep in mind that each key resource will inform the "cost" section below.
Partners
Every business requires partnerships to be successful, it this is likely more true for non-profit organisations. The organisation should comprehensively consider the partners that enable mission delivery, including funding partners, implementation partners, suppliers, government agencies, knowledge sharing partners, distributors of organisational benefits (for example, a popular science publication that broadcasts your citizen science results), stakehodlers, etc. List all key partners, preferably grouped by sector or other attribute.
Cost
List the key components of cost for your organisations. Actual numbers are not necessary; just the names of the categories or types of costs. This list will likely include categories such as staff, equipment, supplies, administration, insurance, etc. Don't forget to include goods and services that are currently donated or in-kind (e.g., boat time, fuel, technical knowledge, etc) if the items are essential to organisational function.
Revenue
List or briefly describe the mechanisms through which the organisation recieves monies and covers costs (for in-kind donations). Consider if you recieve grants, member fees, individual donations, loans, etc. Actual numbers are not necessary. It may be useful to note the main source of revenue for each type of mechanism, for example, "grants: government, in-kind donations: tourism industry."
Channels
The "channel" is the pathway through which your customers recieve value. The common symbol is a truck, signifiying how goods are moved, but for the context of a citizen science non-profit organisation, consider:
* In what format do we create value - reports, data, events, etc?
* Where do our customers go to recieve our outputs - community fairs, training sessions, websites and databases, schools, etc?
For each value proposition, summarize the channels through which the value reaches the customer segments.
Value Proposition
In environmental conservation, the term "value" carries multiple meanings. For the purpose of a citizen science non-profit organisation assessing their value proposition(s), the organisation should consider:
* What ecological, social, and financial benefits do each customer segment recieve?
* What unique goods and services does our organisation produce that other organisations serving our customers do not?
Summarize these benefits in 1-3 value propositions. For example, one organisation may have value propositions related to education and scientific data, while another organisation may blend their goods and services into one value proposition centered on community engagement.
Activities
The "activities" section summarises the types of projects and programs that your organisation delivers. For citizen science, these may include activities such as monitoring, data analysis and reporting, education events and products, etc. For the business model canvas, do not go into detail about each specific project; rather condense the activities into broad groupings based on the intent and/or audience of the projects.
