Arts Council England and Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy Launch Consultation into Risks and Reputation in Fundraising  

For many of us, art is the gateway through which we engage with our values, our identity, and our place in the world – so it’s inevitable that ethical questions, and in particular the fundamental issue of how and by whom work is funded, sound more loudly and resonate more strongly across the arts, culture, and heritage sectors than others.

Such questions are important, particularly in the context of an increasingly volatile and polarised external environment and the significant financial challenges currently facing the cultural sector – and recent debates around commercial funding of cultural organisations have brought them to the fore.

We believe there is an urgent need to bring parties from all sides of the debate together to consider the issues of Risks and Reputation in fundraising: to better understand the full range of views, particularly around corporate giving, and, from there, to provide practical support for arts and cultural organisations to help them make considered, intentional decisions that best support their organisations’ values and objectives.

In light of this, Arts Council England has commissioned Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy, one of its Investment Principles Support Organisations, to undertake a consultation with the sector.

This consultation will take place from December 2024 to March 2025 and will involve a broad range of stakeholders including funding bodies and regulators, lobby groups, cultural organisations, and businesses. The aim will be to identify common ground in this area, and to provide funders, organisations and artists alike with updated guidance and support.