The National Arts Fundraising School

23/10/2025

Maybe worth thinking about impact investment...? https://figurative.org.uk/about/what-is-social-impact-investment/

30/05/2025

Have you been on the National Arts Fundraising School and live in Scotland? If so I'd love you to come to our champagne and canapés garden party on 2nd July 17.00-19.00- celebrating 5 years of being Edinburgh-based.
Event will be in central Edinburgh in one of the lovely private gardens- below. And we have a Plan B if it rains.

If you'd like to come please let me know at [email protected]

01/05/2025

You asked for it and now it's here. Team NAFS are running just two 'open' Masterclasses in Making the Ask. Your chance to learn from Bernard Ross and Sarah Shooter the secret skills to close any fundraising ask. There are two chances to take part:

Wakefield 12th June
London 23rd June

Normal price is £149 but there are 10 places exclusively for NAFS alumni- or people in your organisation- for only £99. Saving £50! AND you get a FREE copy of Making the Ask £19.99.

Secure your place now- just follow the link below. And in the special secret code box write 'Alumn*' We'll automatically apply the discount.

Join us on Thursday, June 12th in London or Monday, June 23rd in Wakefield for a masterclass about "Making The Ask" in fundraising.

06/02/2025

Seeing some positive feedback about this approach- where you submit a a funding application to 250 sources at once...worth a try?

This is a unique and exciting addition to the philanthropy services that we offer to…

13/01/2025

The 2025 round of NAFS programmes- online and residential- are available and booking up.
You can find out about them here https://www.nationalartsfundraisingschool.com/ Three bits of good news:
We've been able to reduce the prices again 999 for the online and 1499 for residential
Lincolnshire based artists and organisations can secure a FREE place - detail here https://www.nationalartsfundraisingschool.com/2025/01/dont-miss-out-free-places-on-the-national-arts-fundraising-school/
Berwick based artists and organisations may be able to secure subsidised places though funds available in the Northumberland CCZ . Contact [email protected]
Oh and we have a free discovery webinar to find out more about the School on 31st January at 15.00. Have a friend who might benefit? Sign them up! https://www.nationalartsfundraisingschool.com/2025/01/wondering-if-the-national-arts-fundraising-school-is-right-for-you/

Join our free 30-minute webinar to have all your questions answered, happening on 31st January 2025 at 15:00. Find out over a half hour in an informal discovery webinar where you can meet the programme leaders, hear from previous attendees, and find out which version is best for you.

19/12/2024

So moved and impressed by the courage of Gisele Pelicot https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cnv35lp14z9t (And horrified at the attitudes and actions of men. The shame is on us.)

Pelicot's ex-husband Dominique has admitted all charges - but most other men on trial deny what they did was r**e.

12/12/2024

Interesting insights on Generational Differences in Giving

Get your data-packed infographic to start improving your supporter engagement based on unique generational supporting habits and preferences.

20/09/2024

Don't miss out! Do you live or work as an artist/producer/facilitator or arts, cultural, heritage or community arts organisation in Lincolnshire?
If you do you could secure one of three FREE places- worth up to £1600- on the online or residential national arts fundraising school in November.
But you need to apply in the next 7 days!
(It is the world's simplest and fastest application form...)

If you live in the South and East Lincolnshire Council Partnership area and need support for your work, as an arts, cultural or heritage organisation, or even as an individual artist, we’ve some exciting news. Support from the Partnership means we can offer FREE places on the 2024 residential and ...

06/09/2024

Exciting news if you live in South and East Lincolnshire Partnership Area...and want to secure funds for your arts, culture, heritage or community project. There are 10(!) fully funded bursaries for both the residential and online programmes.
Covering everything you ever wanted to know about fundraising this programme could be your route to success.
Here's what a previous beneficiary said: “The School was brilliant. The skilled and knowledgeable programme leaders covered loads of ideas and underpinned it with inspiration and insight. We’ve now transformed our approach to fundraising, and we’re planning to send another trustee to build up our capacity.”
Bruce Knight, Trustee & Arts Director, The Sessions House, Spillsby.
But time is running out to apply...https://www.nationalartsfundraisingschool.com/south-and-east-lincolnshire-bursary-2024/

29/08/2024

Don’t miss your last chance in 2024 to bring decision science into your fundraising

Decision Science shows how seemingly tiny nudges drive dramatic results. These nudges are used by the big charities to raise money and by successful commercial companies to sell ‘stuff.’ But how do use them in the arts, culture and heritage world to engage audiences to support you?

Find out when you invest in this one-day Masterclass brought to you by the trusted team at the National Arts Fundraising School.

Join 29 other ambitious fundraisers as you’re led by me, and the super smart Marina Jones, Executive Director, Development & Public Affairs at ENO, through the latest insights transforming fundraising in the arts, culture and heritage worlds. We’ll show how you can radically improve your fundraising online, in membership schemes, though legacies, with tap-to-donate points, ticket add-ons, and even face-to-face with major donors.

In an insight -packed day you’ll discover how decision science helped a

• Municipal museum double gifts from its tap-to-donate boxes by using different images on entry and exit.
• Scottish visitor attraction grow online individual giving from £20K to £1.3M in just 18 months.
• National childrens’ arts education project increase audience gifts by 17% using a simple piece of paper on every seat.
• Performing arts venue improve average gifts 400% by changing the sequence of donation options.

There’s just one opportunity for you to get up to speed: London 16th October 2024. And just thirty places.

Need more evidence? Here’s what Zak Mensah, Co-CEO at Birmingham Museums had to say: “Applying simple but powerful Decision Science techniques to our visitor donation process brought really impressive results. “

Matt Clay, Director of Development at the Garrick Theatre Lichfield confirmed “I sent out a direct mail last month where I applied my decision science learning. It was incredibly successful, more than doubling our usual response from a direct mail and resulting in more than ever donations not linked to a ticket purchase.”

You can find details here And if you’re ready to secure your place today, it’s just two clicks and your contact details to invest in your fundraising future.

Need some encouragement? As NAFS Facebook contact r you can enjoy a discount and some bonuses if you book by lucky Friday 13h September. Act now to:

• Save £50 on the regular cost and secure a guaranteed place- using your secret code *£
• Enjoy a free copy of Change for Better, the key text on fundraising using decision science, a £25 value

PS. Make sure you use the special NAFS discount code *£. You’ll secure your place and gain £75 of value in registration savings and freebees!

Learn how to apply proven decision science techniques and frameworks by attending one of two Donor Decision Lab Masterclasses, in London 15th-16th October.

07/07/2024

Great news for UK with the Labour result...and thank you to the people of France!

25/06/2024

In 9 days time the UK will have a new government. They may not be perfect, but they will be better than the crew of crooks and incompetents who have been in charge for 14 years. Here's a link to the 'anti-party political broadcast' delivered by the funny and damming John Oliver. This explains why the Tories- all of them- have been so damaging to many of the UK's poorest and most vulnerable populations...
I'm delighted to have worked with- and donated to- the Labour Party and many brave charities to help expose the iniquity and incompetence of this regime.