BLOGS

How to make your ideas ‘sticky’

19th April 2019 by Bernard Ross

Some ideas are ‘sticky’ – that is they seem to very quickly and easily acquire status and circulation. Some of these ideas are natural – that is they have grown up seemingly spontaneously – and some have been created – consciously designed by advertising executives, marketers or charity fundraisers.

Three carved pumpkins for Halloween

Halloween? Spooks? Witches? Creepy Crawlies? Hah! The real Halloween terror is within…

29th October 2018 by Anna Esslemont

Before you try to persuade someone to support your attendance at the School ask yourself five key questions. If you can answer ‘yes’ to most of these then you won’t benefit. If you answer ‘no’, then you definitely should come.

Alumni event photo

The Power of the Network

26th September 2018 by Dana Segal

With over 1,800 people trained through the National Arts Fundraising School over the past 30 years, the alumni network is an amazing source of advice, guidance and support when you leave the school.

Ayr Gaeity

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (day 5 & 6)

23rd April 2018 by Dana Segal

Today’s blog will be my final blog – because I feel like it sums up the whole week in one simple act. You may ask yourself – how quickly can the learning on NAFS be implemented? The answer? As quickly as you read that last sentence.

Two wooden marrionettes in different gestures and poses.

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (day 4)

19th April 2018 by Dana Segal

Day four at NAFS prepares our attendees for the all important pitch (if you know someone who has been on the course… ask them about the pitch task!) and our communications expert Jules Bellingham takes attendees through the part of the ‘ask’ that, ironically, we think about the least… the physical experience of it.

NAFS Apr 2018 day 1

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (Day 3)

19th April 2018 by Dana Segal

Company giving has had a lot of press lately: most recently an artist led campaign that meant BAE recalled their sponsorship of the Great Exhibition of the North – which means that cultural organisations have to consider whether they want to pursue corporate support at all, let alone how they want to go about it.

Lightbulb

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (Day 2)

17th April 2018 by Dana Segal

“One of the most powerful words in fundraising is ‘imagine’. Imagine if you could change this today. Imagine if you could stop this forever. Imagine if you could make this happen.” Day two at the National Arts Fundraising School kicks off with Director of the school, Bernard Ross, encouraging our attendees to re-imagine their own […]

Dana Segal Headshot

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (day 1)

16th April 2018 by Dana Segal

Fresh from day one of the first of our 30th anniversary Schools in 2018, tutor Dana Segal shares her thoughts…

Dana Segal Headshot

Using behavioural economics in arts & culture fundraising

28th February 2018 by Dana Segal

Dana Segal, NAFS tutor and =mc Partner Consultant blogs on her experience at the Change for Good using Behavioural Economics seminar, and discusses how and why arts organisations should be looking to use these techniques in their fundraising.

5 questions for your training provider

Thinking about investing in arts fundraising training? 5 tough questions to ask your supplier before deciding

30th January 2018 by Anna Esslemont

It’s never been more important to invest in skills and knowledge about private fundraising in the arts. These are tough times.

Brain Art - pharoah sphinx head with tree coming out of head

Myth No 5: The rational case for the arts drives donations

28th July 2017 by Bernard Ross

In the final part of the #5Myths of Arts & Culture Fundraising blog series by National Arts Fundraising School Director Bernard Ross, he touches on the use of behavioural economics in fundraising.

Generation Y

Myth No 4: Millennials are mean (or millennials are magnanimous…)

27th July 2017 by Bernard Ross

Part 4 of #5 : ‘Millennials’ – or Generation Y – is a general term for a demographic that includes anyone born from early 1980s to mid 1990s – a number of whom are now turning 30 or even closing on 40.

Crowdfunding - lots of hands giving money

Myth No 3: Crowdfunding will solve the cash crisis

26th July 2017 by Bernard Ross

Third blog in the series of arts & culture fundraising Myths (#5Myths) by Bernard Ross. This time, crowdfunding…

The Wolf Of Wall Street | Film Still

Myth 2: The rich will save us all

25th July 2017 by Bernard Ross

Introducing the second blog from the 5 myths of arts & culture fundraising series (#5Myths) by Bernard Ross.

Unicorns don't exist

Give up on the Unicorn! 5 Fundraising Myths for Arts and Culture…

24th July 2017 by Bernard Ross

Bernard Ross, =mc & National Arts Fundraising School Director and fundraising expert speaks out on 5 fundraising myths in arts & culture that you need to address… Here’s a challenging graph. With some challenging information. And challenging implications. The question is, what do we do about the loss of public support since it’s unlikely that […]

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