What is the current scale and focus of donations from agrifood charities in the UK agriculture sector?

This is a market research project conducted over six weeks to provide insights into where charitable investments are being made, and to help identify current and future needs to support the sector.

Department: Fundraising

Supervised by: Laura Davis

The Placement Project

There is currently no up-to-date, detailed map of the total funding, grants and charitable investments made to UK the food and farming sector. The amount of investments being made by the public sector are published and easy to extract, but there is no detailed insight on where smaller charities are directing their efforts – and by how much. To help provide insights into where resource can best directed to meet the agrifood sector’s most pressing needs, and where charitable investments – small and large – and other funding is currently being directed, a short undergraduate UROP research project is proposed that will explore the current state of play and knowledge within the University of Reading’s Campaigns and Supporter Engagement Office (CSEO) and a collaborative of donors known as the Agrifood Charities Partnership (AFCP). Brexit adds urgency to this need. It places a collective responsibility on the whole sector, from organisations focusing on research into the agricultural sciences, to education, skills development and public engagement to work much more collaboratively in order to target where potential charitable investment is best delivered for the biggest impacts, and how it should complement government and industry funding.

Tasks

Market Research involving: • Previous research reviews • Website searches • Telephone and where appropriate face-to-face interviews • Collating, interrogating and extrapolating research findings • Producing a final report

Skills, knowledge and experience required

• An understanding of the aims and desired outcomes of the project • Independent thinking and organisational skills • Planning skills • Research, interpretation, and communication skills both verbal and written • A background in the agriculture, food and farming sectors (desirable, but not essential)

Skills which will be developed during the placement

This research project will provide insights into the world of market research, the agrifood sector and philanthropic donors; and, develop the student’s analytical, communication and problem solving skills

Place of Work

CSEO, L11, London Road Campus, RG1 5EX

Hours of Work

9-5

Approximate Start and End Dates (not fixed)

Monday 02 July 2018 - Friday 31 August 2018

How to Apply

The post will be advertised centrally on the UROP website until Friday 18th May 2018. Please send a CV and covering letter to the Project Supervisor (click on supervisor name at the top of the page for email). Successful candidates will then be invited to interview.