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CHALLENGESFACINGTHEHERITAGESECTOR
GuestBloggers|2March2015

AheadoftheFundraisingforArtsandHeritageconferenceon16March,wetakealookatchallengesaffectingtheheritage
sectorwithspeakersCrispinTruman,CEOofChurchesConservationTrustandKatePugh,CEOoftheHeritageAlliance.
Whyisfundraisingbecomingevermorecrucialtotheculturalsector?
CrispinTruman:Themostobviousreasonisthatthereisacontinuingdeclineinpublicfundingforcultureandweneedtofindawaytoplugthatgap.Inmy
sectorinparticularheritagepublicfundinghasbeeninsteadydeclineforoveradecadeandthishasacceleratedsince2010.Ithinksomelevelofpublicgrant
willalwaysbevitaltoprovideattheveryleastacatalystforotherfundraisingandasafetynetforrescueofthemostimportantcultureandheritageinareasof
greatneed,butwedohavetogetusedtoitbeingalotlowerthanhasbeenthecaseinthepast.
Butitsnotjustthat.Fundraisingisalsoavitalpartofawiderneedforheritageandculturetobroadenanddeepenengagementwiththewiderpublic.Personally
IvefeltthisverystronglyatTheChurchesConservationTrust(CCT),wherewevereallybuiltupourfundraisingactivityfromaverylowbasetosomethingquite
significantinthepastfiveorsoyears.Indoingthatwevereallystrengthenedandincreasedrelationswithoursupportersandstartedtoengagethemmuch
moreactivelyinourwork.IfImhonest,Iusedtobeabitcynicalaboutthisaspectoffundraisinginthepast,butIvereallyseenhowtalkingtodonorsand

potentialdonorsabouthowtheycanhelpuscreatesanewdepthtotheirinvolvementinwhatwedo.Italsobringsinnewsupporterswhopreviouslyhadno
involvementatall,becausedonatingprovidesanotherway,alongsidevolunteeringforexample,inwhichpeoplecanshowtheirsupport.
KatePugh:Itsnotachoice!Wemaywellhaveanother50bncutsaftertheelection.Interestratesfortrustsandfoundationsareonlyjustabovezerosothe
traditionalsources,bothpublicandprivate,areunderhugepressure.Thatsnotnewbutthecompetitionisincreasingandthedriveforinnovativetechniquesis
evermorepressing.

Howcanfundraisersembedgivingandphilanthropyintheirorganisations?
CT:Itneedstobecomepartofthecoreactivityoftheorganisation,notjustanannexetobusinessasusual.AtCCTwevechangedcultureateverylevel:with
staffcrucially,butalsoinallthecommunicationswehavewithourpartners,ourtwomillionvisitorsandour1,700volunteers.Wevehadtotransformourselves
fromagroupofLondonbasedexpertswhowoulduseGovernmentmoneytosortoutproblemswithhistoricchurches,toabottomupenablerofcommunity
actionandpartnerships.Wevehadtochallengefundamentalperceptionsofthesupportandfinancethatwecanbringtothetableandsaytopeople:weneedto
worktogethertosolvethis.
IvebeeninvolvedinmanycharitiesastrusteeandmanagerovertheyearsandthetimesIveseenpeoplesitroundandsayletshireafundraiserorwecould
applytosoandsotrustwithoutconsideringwiderissuesoforganisationalculture,finance,skillsandstructure,areinnumerable.Icantellyouitdoesntwork.
KP:Idliketoseefundraisersrebalancetheaskmoreintermsofinvestmentratherthangiving,althoughthisshouldalwaysbetailoredindividually.

Howcanfundraisersinspireheritageorganisationstofindandexperimentwithnewstreamsofincome?
CT:Ithinkfundraisersneedtoshowhowtheycanaddtotheorganisationswiderappeal,notjustthattheyllbringindonationsbutthattheywillhelpchangethe
waytheorganisationrelatestoitspublic.Ialsothinkfundraisersreallyneedtounderstandandadoptthevaluesoftheorganisationtheyretryingtohelp,
introducenewideasandopportunitiesbutdoitintheirlanguage.Theywilloftenalsohavetodoalotofworkontheconfidencegapandhelpoftensmalland
overstretchedheritageorganisationsseeapathfromwheretheyarenowtotheoftendistantnirvanaofbeingabletoattractnewincome.
KP:Bykeepingupwithnewdevelopmentsandnotonlysocialmediaanddigitalgiving.HowmanyIoFmembersunderstandhowcommunitysharesworkorhow
youwouldgoaboutattractingsocialinvestorstoheritageprojects?Byunderstandinghowimpactismeasuredandcapturingthisinawaythatattracts
investment.


Canartsandheritageorganisationsfacethechallengesofausterity?
CT:Wellthereareplentyofgreatexamplesofgrassrootsledheritageorganisationswhichhavealwaysachievedagreatdealonashoestring,mobilisingthe
hugeenergyandexpertiseofvolunteers.Therailwaypreservationmovementisanobviousexample.Therearealsosomewhohavetransformedandare
alreadyoutthereoperatingsuccessfullyinatoughclimate.Butmanystillhaveamountaintoclimb.Ithinktheabsolutekeyforallofusistopursueamixed
economyapproachtothechallengeoffundraisingandnotrelytoomuchonanyoneincomestream.Itstoughbecausewerealloverstretchedalready,but
havinglotsofeggsindifferentbasketsisIthinkgoingtobethekeytosurvivalandtobeingabletothrive.SoatCCTwereworkinghardonallfronts:mass
membership,trusts,foundationsandlottery,majordonors,legacyandcommunityfundraising.Werealsodevelopingacommercialstrategyandensuringthatwe
providetopvalueformoneytoourpublicfunderssothatwemaintainthecrucialleverageeffectofalldifferentstrandsofincome.
KP:Yes,itsaboutconfidence.Ourheritageisanationalassetandmillionsofpeopleenjoyitwithoutpayingforitinequalmeasure.Partofourchallengeisto
movepeoplealongthespectrumfromfreeridertoresponsiblecitizen.

Whatisyourmostmemorablemomentasafundraiser?
CT:OneofmymainmessagesatCCTisthatwereallfundraisersnow,andthatincludesmeandtheTrustees.Mymostmemorablemomentsareatbothends
ofthescale:thehugeexcitementwhenwefoundthatwedbeensuccessfulinourbidtotheHeritageLotteryFundforthemultimillionpoundregenerationof
BoltonAllSoulsand,equally,seeinglocalpeopleputtingafiverintothecollectionboxatoneofourmostbeautifulhistoricchurchesStansteadAbbotsin
Hertfordshire.ThesmalldonationsarejustasimportantasthelargeonesandIjustrememberfeelingsohonouredthatsomeonewithoutalotofsparecash
valuedourworkenoughthattheywouldpartwithsomeofitandtrustustouseitwell.
KP:PlentyofthosegettingayesfromtheHeritageLotteryFundforourGivingtoHeritageprogramme.Andofcoursemakingoursponsorshappy!
CrispinTruman,ChiefExecutiveattheChurchesConservationTrust
KatePughOBE,ChiefExecutiveattheHeritageAlliance


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artsandculturefundraising
heritagefundraising

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