Upcoming Training Events

The Art of Fundraising – Online Training Courses

“The Art of Fundraising” is our series of online training course written specifically for fundraisers working in the arts and culture sector. Drawing on the latest research, best practice and case studies from across the cultural sector, these courses give you the knowledge, skills and tools you need to raise more money for your organisation.

We have four courses running in January and February:

The Art of Grant Fundraising

“The session struck a good balance between top-level concepts and specific detail. Examples were used well to engage participants, facilitate useful discussion and get people thinking about strengths and weaknesses within this area of work. Subverting thinking to consider the objectives of the funder was a very insightful.”

“I have gained skills in how to write better bids that i can take forward and use in my next fundraising efforts.”

“I am completely new to writing grants, and was feeling very hesitant, but now feel like I can utilise my existing skills along with the new knowledge to complete quality applications.”

“I’ve been raising grant applications for several years, and have had previous training in it, so I really wanted a ‘refresher’ and update. This turned out to be very much more than that – lots of revision, for sure, but plenty of new ideas and insights, a lot of which go back to the Planning to Fundraise session in September. Excellent value!”

The Art of Grant Fundraising

  • Thursday 16th January 2025, 10am - 1pm
  • Online
  • £95

It’s no secret that competition for grants is getting tougher. With funders reporting a significant increase in the number of applications they receive for each funding round it’s never been more important to make sure your application is as strong as possible. This half-day online training session will take you through every step of the grant process, giving you the skills, tips and confidence you need to submit brilliant grant proposals.

By the end of the session you’ll be able to answer the following questions:

  • Where can I find funders for my organisation or project?
  • What information do I need before I start writing an application, and where can I find it?
  • How do I build relationships with funders before, during and after submitting a proposal?
  • What information should go in my funding proposal?
  • How can I make my proposal stand out from the crowd
  • What are the common mistakes people make when writing funding proposals and how can I avoid them?
The Art of Fundraising from Your Audience and Visitors

“I really came away from the session feeling like I had new insight and felt very inspired.”

“I now have lots of relevant ideas about how to increase our donations and simple techniques I can pass onto other staff.”

“I was very interested in the content throughout. It was easy to understand and David was great at explaining the information, offering interesting supporting examples. I think it was a good combination of exercises and presenting that kept me engaged.”

The Art of Fundraising from your Audience and Visitors

  • Thursday 30th January 2025, 10am - 1pm
  • Online
  • £95

Every day, people who love what you do walk through your doors, visit your website and engage with your work. But how many of them end up making a donation? Whether you are looking to introduce a new individual giving programme or you’re trying to take your existing programme to the next level, this session will help you to increase the amount of money you raise from your audience and visitors. We’ll look at how to identify who your target audiences are, how to develop fundraising asks that match their motivations, how you can make it easy for people to give and what you should do after someone donates to increase the chances they’ll give again.

By the end of the session you’ll be able to answer the following questions:

  • Who are our potential supporters and what motivates them to give?
  • Do we need a Friends/Membership scheme?
  • What do we need to include in our fundraising message?
  • How can we engage people with your message?
  • How can we make it easier for people to give?
  • What should we do after someone makes a donation?
  • How can we get more people to give again?
The Art of Major Gift Fundraising

“Thanks to the course I now have increased confidence in pitching.”

“Thank you – this has been one of the most helpful and positive sessions!”

“I now feel more confident about asking.  After this course I will be more engaged with donors.”

The Art of Major Gift Fundraising

  • Thursday 13th February 2025, 10am - 1pm
  • Online
  • £95

Have you ever read news stories about other cultural organisations receiving large donations and wondered how they did it? Or found yourself thinking “if only we knew people like that”?

Perhaps the whole notion of asking for large donations seems terrifying.

This course aims to demystify major gift fundraising and to show you that large donations might be closer than you think.

We’ll walk you through the process of identifying potential major donors and give you tips for confidently building relationships with them. We’ll help you prepare for making the ask and talk you through what comes next,

By the end of the session you’ll be able to confidently answer the following questions:

  • How do I find potential major donors for my organisation?
  • How do I approach them and build a relationship?
  • How do I know how much to ask them for?
  • How do I know when it’s time to ask?
  • How do I confidently “make the ask”?
  • What happens next?
The Art of Legacy Fundraising

“I feel more motivated and confident to take the next stage in implementing a strategy for fundraising through legacies”

“The session covered all the aspects I had hoped for and I feel able to promote the idea of legacy giving to the rest of the Board.”

“Very helpful course. I feel more confident to lead a small project to introduce a legacy section on our website and associated activities to inform, promote and benefit from the new webpages.”

“Helped us to understand a lot of the terminology and process behind legacy giving which I had previously found confusing from my own research.”

The Art of Legacy Fundraising

  • Thursday 27th February 2025, 10am - 1pm
  • Online
  • £95

“We don’t have time to focus on legacy fundraising. We need money now!”

Sound familiar?

Legacy giving is often overlooked by cultural organisations. However, with a significant transfer of wealth on the horizon, there are many reasons why your organisation needs to be talking about gifts in Wills. This online training session aims to demystify legacy fundraising so you can confidently launch and grow your legacy fundraising programme.

By the end of the session you will be able to answer the following questions:

  • What are the different types of legacy and why is it important for me to know the difference?
  • How can I find the people most likely to leave a legacy to my organisation?
  • What does my legacy fundraising messaging need to include?
  • How can I sensitively promote legacy giving as a way for people to support my organisation?
  • What should I do when someone tells us they've added us to their Will?