With arts philanthropy static in the UK and declining in the US, what needs to be done to persuade the next generation of mega-rich donors to support culture? Michelle Wright, CEO of Cause4 and Programme Director of the Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy Programme. examines the challenges ahead.

Laura Greenfield explains the fundraising term ‘case for support’ and why this document is important to your development activities. She provides a step-by-step guide to creating your organisation’s case for support and how to tailor it to meet the needs of your different donors.

NSPCC Fundraising Manager Rebecca Taylor reflects on her time in arts and cause-led charities and shares her recommendations for successful fundraising.

This collection brings together four presentations exploring innovative storytelling, fundraising in the face of disaster, crowdfunding and team development approaches.

In this article, Fern Potter likens fundraising to choreographing a dance – starting with a clear vision that is developed into a strategy that can be used to achieve your organisation’s fundraising goals. A good fundraising strategy can help fundraisers overcome the fear of asking people for money.  

Find out how the constituent arts organisations of Manchester’s newest arts centre, HOME, took on the challenge of raising funds for their £25 million capital build project and the revenue projects, with a limited budget.

If arts and cultural organisations want to secure long-term, sustainable funding from corporations their fundraisers need to be empowered to negotiate and build partnerships – we know how companies can meet our needs, but we rarely find out how we can meet their needs. In this guide Sarah Winchester spoke to Beth Upton from Money Tree Fundraising ... Read more

The Lyric Hammersmith wanted to thank every donor who contributed to their capital campaign, no matter how small. Libby Penn from Spektrix explains how they did it. This article originally appeared in Arts Professional.

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company based in a purpose-built venue in North London. They create theatre for all ages and run successful outreach projects, education courses and membership programmes throughout the year. This case study takes a look at Chickenshed’s hugely successful gala and events programme, which raises approximately 50% of Chickenshed’s fundraised income each year. Forecast income ... Read more

Founded in 1973, the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) performs baroque and classical music in the style and spirit in which it was first performed. In this case study, the AAM describes the planning process involved in organising a fundraising gala to celebrate its 40th Anniversary. It was the AAM’s first gala in their 40 year history and ... Read more

This guide provides key points to consider when organising a donor cultivation or stewardship event. From identifying the objectives of the event and who to invite through to targetting your messaging, selecting the most appropriate event host and making the most of your organisation’s unique qualities. The guide includes a useful sample event timeline to help you plan ... Read more

Learn all about how the Museum of Modern Art has successfully established a strategic department for fundraising to harness the untapped potential for Planned Giving and ensure the Museum’s stability and future success.

This AMA conference 2014 session led by Michelle Wright, Clare Titley and David Byrne, looked at how arts organisations can better address the needs of current and prospective donors. The panel shared their thoughts on the barriers and opportunities open to the sector and how we might work together to overcome address these.

Trustees of arts boards should be playing a significant part in supporting fundraising activities, according to Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Chair of Cause4. In this article, Sir Thomas explores the ways in which arts and cultural organisations can support their trustees to think about their leadership role in supporting fundraising. He suggests several key themes to help ... Read more

This interview with The Pilgrim Trust’s Director, Georgina Nayler, offers an insight into the grant application process from a funder’s point of view. It provides a guide on how to apply for funds from trust and foundations; from planning an application and common mistakes through to the key ingredients of a successful application.

This AMA conference 2014 session led by Sally Bagwell (NPC) and Sarah Gee (Indigo-Ltd), looked at the emerging practice of donor segmentation in the fundraising sector. NPC’s report Money for Good UK explores the habits, attitudes and motivations of donors in the UK. This session explored the seven donor types outlined in Money for Good UK and how the arts sector can ... Read more

The Rotterdam Philharmonic (RPhO) is a modern orchestra that has its roots deep in the classical music tradition and embodies the temperament of its home base, Rotterdam. This case study explores the ways in which the RPhO are planning to develop income generation from major gifts by strengthening integrated research. By introducing prospect mapping and tracking tools, the ... Read more

This AMA conference 2014 session led by Graeme Williamson, a freelance fundraising consultant who previously worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC),  discusses how to engage boards, trustees and executive teams to give input to and provide support for your fundraising strategy. Using his experience at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), where he worked with the board ... Read more

In this article, Charlotte Appleyard challenges the donor pyramid concept and considers the argument that persuading an individual giver to give your cause £10 is just as important and as hard as convincing a major donor to give you millions. Motivation for giving is the same whatever the amount and this article argues that any level of fundraising ... Read more

This AMA conference 2014 session led by Sarah Winchester discussed how to secure financial commitments for your organisation by taking a strategic approach to fundraising. During her career Sarah has secured over £15 million for organisations ranging from the big; The Princes Trust – to the small; Proten Youth a start-up charity working out of Brixton. ... Read more