Fundraising represents a significant element of income for the majority of arts organisations. It is not seen as an easy task and can be time-consuming and fruitless. Thankfully there are some simple, common sense practices that can be applied to improve the success ratio, writes Rick Bond.
As anyone who has spent time fundraising will appreciate, it’s not a general shortage of money available to arts organisations that’s the problem. This fact may come as a surprise to some but there is actually rather a lot of money available. It’s just that there is also a lot of competition out there as well, some of which is better resourced and better trained than others. You may not be able to afford teams of fundraisers, so what can you do to edge ahead of the competition and attract support from funders?
Begin with this thought, “Nobody will give me money simply because I need it”. People give in return for a benefit to them. Sometimes this may be as simple as the feel-good factor involved. Readers of The Big Issue buy the magazine because of its content and because it feels good for a moment to have helped a homeless person. The mission facing a fundraiser is to discover what would make a funder feel good about giving you some of their money (assuming it’s money you want).
Too many funding applications miss a vitally important trick through simply requesting money for something they want. This doesn’t always allow the funder to make the link between their own concerns and the application. By starting with a clear understanding of potential funders’ criteria, the application will move in the right direction. Discover what is important to them and why they believe it will make the world a better place. Then, let them know that you are trying to address the very same issues that concern them and that you have a solution to offer. In essence, you are offering to help them through an investment of their money in you.
There are some simple steps that can improve the quality of your application. You should foster a sense of interest and integrity between you and the funder through the way you make your case. It’s easy to make prescriptive claims about your successes and abilities but then, from a funder’s perspective, “you would say that wouldn’t you”. Substitute words such as ‘unique’ and ‘successful’ with concrete evidence, facts and statistics. Select those relevant to the specific criteria, allowing funders to draw their own conclusions; and supplement this with endorsements and independent statements from respected sources.
Finally, make your case using their language, not yours. This can easily be done by researching literature, reports, guidelines and interviews with the prospective funder. People respect those who ‘speak their language’. Remember, you are asking funders to trust you to do the right thing with their money. Anything you can do that reassures them you are a low risk will advance your request towards the top of the pile.
Simple techniques and common sense perhaps, but applying simple principles can be the key to unlocking those fundraising wallets.
Rick Bond is Director of The Complete Works (UK) Ltd, a company specialising in consultancy, training and facilitation for cultural organisations in the UK.
t: 01598 710698;
e: rick@thecompleteworks.org.uk; w: http://www.thecompleteworks.org.uk