Networks Funding

Networks Funding

What is it?

Here at Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy, we work to empower cultural professionals by supporting them to develop their practice and find creative, new approaches to fundraising. We believe that collaboration is a powerful tool for stimulating innovation, sharing ideas, building knowledge and developing new skills and our Networks Funding aims to achieve exactly that.

We offer financial support to groups or networks across England to help them grow and thrive. We do this by offering funding towards the development of new training events, conferences, seminars or introductory meetings with the aim of strengthening arts fundraising skills and building robust partnerships across the sector. 

Please take a look at our website for details of previous applicants and the fantastic projects we’ve been pleased to support as part of our Networks funding.

What can we support?

Organisations and groups can apply for the following levels of support towards the participants’ travel costs, venue hire, catering, speakers/guests and any other relevant expenditure for an event or activity to take place before 14th March 2020. 

  • Up to a maximum of £1,000 for any single event, or group of events, benefitting a minimum of ten people, who are either freelancers or staff from at least three different arts, cultural or heritage organisations;
  • Up to a maximum of £2,000 for any single event, or group of events, benefitting a minimum of twenty people, who are either freelancers or staff from at least five different arts, cultural or heritage organisations.

We would prefer to support networks and groups that have not previously received support from the programme. However, we will accept proposals from networks and groups we have previously supported that would like to do something different or expand their group or reach in some way. 

Our priority will be to help fund a diverse range of Network events tackling key issues within the current fundraising environment and we have identified the following priority areas that we would like to target: 

Workforce development, for example:

  • Encouraging new approaches to encourage fundraisers into the sector
  • Encouraging new training pathways for fundraisers
  • Exploring how to develop sustainable fundraising teams of the future

Fundraising strategy, for example:

  • Supporting consortia to develop more effective fundraising strategy
  • Developing approaches to effective fundraising in partnership 

Diversity in the fundraising profession, or diversity of donors, for example:

  • Exploring organisations to reach out to new donors or new communities
  • Encouraging new approaches to hiring diverse talent into fundraising

However, we also welcome applications for projects working in other areas where you are able to demonstrate an urgent need or added value for your community and the wider sector. 

To apply, please submit a four-page proposal (this is the maximum length) to include:

  1. The name, purpose and membership of your network/group.
  2. Details of the activity you would like to receive support for (including location and proposed date), and how this activity will help strengthen fundraising skills across the group/cohort.
  3. What you would like the money to cover in terms of the costs of the event, and how this will help your existing group to achieve something new, or help you establish a new network/group;
  4. How learning will be distributed throughout your group/cohort, and more widely if applicable;
  5. A detailed budget, with expenditure and income for the event, including a breakdown of the costs you would like to be covered by Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy. We will expect all projects to show some additional income, e.g. support in kind is counted. Please see below for costs related to access requirements.

Diversity and Inclusion

We welcome applications from a wide range of individuals and organisations, to reflect the diversity of artists and audiences for art and culture across England. Our definition of diversity encompasses responding to issues around race, ethnicity, faith, disability, age, gender, sexuality, class and economic disadvantage and any social and institutional barriers that prevent people from creating, participating or enjoying art and culture.

We are particularly interested in receiving applications from networks and groups that offer support to individuals that respond to this definition of diversity, and/or support to staff within organisations that are themselves committed to helping beneficiaries from diverse backgrounds.

We will expect all applicants to include within their proposals ways in which they will ensure that their event(s) are fully inclusive and accessible to people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Applicants can request an additional 20% of the basic amount they have requested towards the costs of access requirements. Please outline in your application why you require this additional support and outline specifically how the funds will be used.

How will decisions be made?

We will consider the following when making our decisions:

  • The benefit of the activity for the network or group members;
  • The benefit of the activity for strengthening arts, cultural or heritage fundraising across the region or sector that the group represents;
  • The balance of support we can offer to individuals and groups across England, taking into account our commitment to reach a diverse range of individuals and networks.

How can I apply?

If you would like to apply for this round of Networks Funding, please email your proposal to david.johnson@cause4.co.uk, to reach us by email no later than 12.00pm (noon) on 15th November 2019. Your proposal should be no longer than four pages of A4.