Resources

Wealth Engine Report – Best practice in arts and culture fundraising (US) A survey of 142 US-based arts and cultural organisations has distilled seven best practice areas to stimulate discussion and improved fundraising strategies. The 51-page report is free after registration here. Foundations likely to increase giving in 2011 (US) The US Foundation Center ran a forecast survey in September which captured 719 responses from a diverse range of foundations. They report that giving is poised for modest growth in 2011 after remaining flat in 2010. An advisory report by Steven Lawrence, Director of Research, is available here. Include a Charity – a bequest marketing campaign - sign up by January 2011 Include a Charity (IAC) was launched in 2006 to grow bequest income by/for a group of not-for-profits. It has grown into a larger campaign to increase the number of bequests and IAC invites other not-for-profits to participate. For a scaled fee, starting at $2,000 per year, and a three-year commitment, the campaign involves the development of a marketing plan for a new website and TV commercial to be launched by February 2011. To be part of this campaign you’ll need to sign before mid January 2011. More details here or contact Marcus Blease on 02 9479 7265 or mblease@tscnsw.org.au. The online giving study – a call to reinvent donor relationships A seven year US study into donors’ online giving experiences explores how they link to loyalty, retention and gift levels. The study also found that more than 20 percent of all online giving occurs in the last 48 hours of the calendar year. The report is free from Network for Good after registration here. Building real world relationships online Alan Cooke from the US-based software/technology company Convio, explores ways to streamline the relationship between marketing strategies and online donation programs. More information here.   Growing donor contributions online – fundraising software According to the charity research and software company Blackbaud, donors are likely to increase their donation if reminded how much they gave previously. This makes tracking donations a vital tool in the process. A list of fundraising software is discussed by Our Community here. Other online giving tools are available through the GiveNow portal or through Everyday Hero. Donated or reduced software is available from Donortec. Fundbreak Another tool not previously featured is Fundbreak, a crowd-funding platform for individuals, groups and organisations to raise money for their projects. Fundbreak works on an ‘all or nothing’ model. If the funding goal is reached you receive the funding. If not, the money is returned to supporters. In return for support you can offer rewards. This differs from the normal funding process, and if rewards are involved, may not give your donors a tax deduction. More information is available here.   Direct mail drives online donations A national US study by Dunham + Company finds that direct mail is a more important driver to online giving than online communications. The study is here.  The Big Arts Give The Big Arts Give is an interesting model of collective online giving by UK arts organisations that combines an online set-up with genuine philanthropic backing to double donations. Each arts organisation’s pitch is concise and includes a budget. View the model here. Micro-philanthropy website for US artists    USA Projects is a new micro-philanthropy website for US artists, enabling them to fundraise for their own projects. Projects fall into eight categories, and have pre-approval by experts. The site is here and more coverage is here.  NSW Digital Media Initiative With online fundraising so topical, it should motivate NSW organisations to consider the NSW Government’s recently launched digital media initiative for projects using innovative digital media. Ventures must use the internet, wireless or mobile platforms. The initiative will fund development grants of $50,000 and increases to $250,000 for advanced projects. More information can be found here, Precision and Patience:corporate and foundation relations professionals grapple with the new normal An article by Caroline E Mayer covers the adjustments being made in grant-making that fundraisers should note. The article is kindly made available here by CASE www.case.org. The causes women support Recent US research on gender and giving has revealed useful insights for fundraisers. Women Give 2010 Part 1 identified the trend that women give more than men. Refer here.  Women GIve 2010 Part 2 explores the differences in giving between women and men. Refer here. Both studies were undertaken by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. A Worthwhile Exchange: a Guide to Indigenous Philanthropy  A new guide to assist philanthropists in identifying and meeting the needs and aspirations of Indigenous Australians has just been released. Artsupport Australia’s NT Manager, Gillian Harrison, was invited to contribute to the research led by Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies. The guide is a collaboration of the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund, the Christensen Fund and the Greenstone Group. More information, including a link to the guide, can be found here. Philanthropy Australia handbook/directory Philanthropy Australia’s The Australian Directory of Philanthropy is a useful resource for not-for-profits. Listing over 350 trusts and foundations, it also includes tips on how to apply for grants, write submissions and important tax information to help grantseekers understand what they need. For $85, the online version is available here.   Our Community Easygrants newsletter - a monthly consolidated grants directory We highly recommend Easy Grants, a comprehensive grant list compiled by Our Community - a leading social enterprise that provides resources for the community sector. Monthly e-newsletters provide consolidated grant listings from government (federal, state and local) and corporate and philanthropic sources on a state and/or national basis. An annual subscription of $55 can provide not-for-profit organisations with new funding sources they would not otherwise be aware of. More information and access to a sample newsletter is available here. Pro Bono Australia  Pro Bono publishes news and information, both online and in print, about the community sector. Its news media service provides extensive coverage of community issues. It also publishes the Australian Directory of Not for Profit Organisations - a Guide to Giving which has assisted charities with fundraising and gathering support for over 20 years. More information is here. Givewell   Givewell is an Australian-based charity research consultancy that provides valuable resources for the not-for-profit sector, including newsletter subscriptions and annual national forums. More information can be found here. Workplace giving Three agencies that promote and can engage your organisation in workplace giving (or payroll donation) programs include: • Australian Charities Fund • CAF Australia • United Way

For your amusement
Explaining an Arts Non Profit US choral group The Octarium has produced a quirky four-minute animation on the typical challenges of the arts fundraiser. ‘This is sometimes how the conversation goes …’ View it on youtube here.