DELIVERING ON THE ARTS How to build a case for support
DO YOUR RESEARCH Hold initial discussions with your school leadership team and governors to make sure they are on board with your plans, whether that be a new theatre, art studio or multi-functional space. Work with the relevant individuals and departments at your school to bring the facts and figures on what you want to deliver together. Know how much the project will cost and how it will work. Agree a specific set of aims for the project in relation to facility improvements, pupil learning outcomes and wider cultural capital gains.
LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE Can the arts space be used for different activities, possibly by subjects across the curriculum? Can you develop opportunities for it to become a community resource, thereby opening up additional grants
you can apply for? Will there be opportunities for lettings to generate ongoing income once the project is completed?
BUILD YOUR CASE FOR SUPPORT Use your research to develop a narrative around why this project is so important to the cultural capital of your school. What unmet needs does it address – and what difference is it going to make to the lives of your pupils, for instance in relation to opportunities for the performing arts, inspiring creativity, supporting wellbeing and building confidence. Gather any internal data and case studies which support this narrative, as well as relevant information from further afield, such as future study and career opportunities. Align your story with the wider vision for the school and community. This will provide you with a rich bank of
resource material ready for when it comes to making grant bids.
CONSIDER HOW YOU ARE GOING TO RAISE FUNDS See the portfolio approach outlined below. Determine whether there will be any financial input from school or PTA funds that could help you apply for match funding.
MAKE SURE STAKEHOLDERS ARE ON BOARD Use your case for support to communicate the potential of your arts project to school leaders, colleagues, governors and parent bodies. Ask for advice or feedback on developing key messages, and on tapping into wider networks for fundraising.
PLAN THE TIMELINE OF YOUR CAMPAIGN What do you expect to achieve – and by when? If you have an ambitious
How to build your fundraising portfolio
GRANTS Research providers at both local and national level, and don’t limit yourself to those organisations that provide funding for the arts. Look for funders in your area who will be keen to support schools, young people and the community. Search for the name of your town and ‘grants’. Approach Lions and Rotary clubs, parish and district councils, as well as any philanthropic trusts you find that are specific to your area. Look at the Community Foundations network, which administers grants from a range of funders to benefit causes, such as mental health and wellbeing, in local areas. Organisations such as housebuilders and airports tend to
have charitable foundations or spending pots to benefit communities within their area of operation. If they don’t give directly to schools they may well support a PTA, especially if it is a registered charity.
CROWDFUNDING Consider using an online crowdfunding platform to coordinate your efforts, and link it to a dedicated page on your school website. Platforms such as InvestMyCommunity are skilled at giving advice and support in delivering a multi-faceted campaign, with linked pages for individual sponsorship pages, QR codes and instant fundraising updates. Consider a reward scheme for larger donations, with donor names being printed on programmes and publicity material or plaques.
BUSINESS AND ALUMNI Building partnerships with local businesses who can provide sponsorship, match-funding or free equipment could bring dividends for both parties. Again, your Case for Support narrative will be hugely useful here. You can thank donors in signage and promotional material, plus you can gain advertising revenue from items such as school folders. Alumni are another potential
source of support, particularly for secondary schools who may have more recent contact details. Have any individuals gone on to careers in the arts? Are others in a position to make a donation? For information on how to build an alumni community, see the ‘Partnerships’ section on
funded.org.uk.
12 SPRING 2023 FundEd
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