Diversity and Inclusion programmes for fundraisers take centre stage

Diversity and Inclusion programmes for fundraisers take centre stage

Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy and Cause4 have launched two new partnerships and welcomes a new team member, to take forward an exciting programme of work around diversity and inclusion. Arts sector diversity and inclusion specialists Inc Arts, led by Director Amanda Parker, will be developing a new programme for early stage fundraising Fellows, as well as managing communications initiatives to broaden fundraising as a career choice across the arts and cultural sector. Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy and Cause4 will also be working in partnership with fundraising think tank Rogare on an intensive action research programme. In addition, the team is creating a new Diversity Champion role. Led by a current fundraising practitioner, this post will lead initiatives to engage fundraisers from the widest range of backgrounds into opportunities, development and training within arts fundraising.

Inc Arts is a national body campaigning for increased inclusion in the arts sector workforce, researching retention and recruitment solutions for the sector and building skills development programmes to improve retention. 

Inc Arts Founder Amanda Parker is a communications and business development specialist, experienced across the cultural and creative sectors with a focus on audience diversity and inclusion. After a career in television and radio production, Amanda moved into campaigns management for the BBC, producing the launch and recruitment campaign for BBC Radio 1Xtra, and working with the BBC’s radio networks and orchestras on national music campaigns, winning an RTS award, two Webby awards and a CRE Race in the Media Award. 

Amanda will work closely with the Chair of the Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy Scrutiny Committee and non-Executive Director for lead partner Cause4, the eminent fundraiser Paul Amadi. Paul is currently Chief Supporter Officer at the British Red Cross and works with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy to expand diversity and reach. Paul has been Chair of the Institute of Fundraising and the International Fundraising Congress. He was also a Founder of the Black Fundraisers’ Network.

Alongside, a new strategic partnership with fundraising think tank Rogare and its director Ian MacQuillin will see Cause4 work closely on a major research project exploring workforce development and career pathways into fundraising and development across the charitable sector. The academic and action research programme will consider current entry routes into fundraising for school leavers and graduates, effective training and qualification routes and employer attitudes to fundraising. It will draw on best practice from other professions including apprenticeships through to chartered status and professional qualifications.  The aim is to synthesize new ideas from existing theory to professionalise fundraising, its entry routes and to broaden its appeal and wider diversity.

Diversity in the arts and charity sector

Arts Council England (ACE) reports that just 11% of permanent staff in its regularly funded organisations and just 4% in major museums are from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds (as opposed to 16% in the overall population). Currently 4% of staff in Arts Council England funded organisations identify as disabled compared to 20% of the working age population.  Under-representation is even more acute in key leadership roles that ACE would expect to be influential in promoting diversity. However, it seems that in fundraising, attracting a diverse workforce might be even more challenging. 

In 2013 the Institute of Fundraising launched a report with the Barrow Cadbury Trust that outlined fundraising as a profession is considered far less diverse than the general charitable sector workforce. In 2019, the Institute of Fundraising has now developed an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which highlights four key priorities to be addressed: BAME fundraisers, disabled fundraisers, LGBT+ fundraisers and women being proportionately represented at a senior level within fundraising.  

These new roles will help to provide urgent impetus to the development of diversity and skills in the arts and charity fundraising profession – supporting talent into the sector, raising the visibility of the opportunities available and broadening the workforce so that it is truly reflective of the communities that charities serve. 

Michelle Wright, Programme Director of Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy and CEO of Cause4, commented, 

“We have made some good interventions into widening and upskilling the fundraising workforce through initiatives like the Fundraising Fellowships programme and Culture Change but there is much more to do. It now feels essential to make urgent change in the essential area of diversity and inclusion. Amanda’s role and the partnership with Inc Arts will bring new impetus and ideas to this vital area of work.

The partnership with Rogare will support us to build evidence about the barriers facing individuals in getting into fundraising and will help us build future training and development programmes based on need. It will inform our accredited programmes with partners the University of Leeds and the Arts Marketing Association starting from apprenticeships right through to PhD through face to face training and eLearning.”

Abid Hussain, Director of Diversity at Arts Council England said:

“Through the appointment of Amanda Parker and their new research partnership with Rogare, Cause4 is demonstrating a real commitment to advancing Diversity and Inclusion. Our investment in Cause4 and the Institute of Fundraising is targeted at helping cultural organisations to build their fundraising skills and capacity. It’s exciting to see their partnership commit to supporting and developing diverse talent nationally within the arts and cultural fundraising sector.”

Amanda Parker, Director of Inc Arts commented “The importance of our sector’s fundraisers goes far beyond their role in supporting and sustaining arts creativity. Fundraisers are the sector’s most vocal and eloquent champions, there’s so much more for the sector to gain from having those with lived experience making the case for art that’s exciting and inclusive. Fundraisers are a vital part of ensuring that what gets made has inclusion at the heart. I’m excited about what we can do together to help create diverse champions, using their unique skills to support sector-wide change.”

Rogare’s director Ian MacQuillin says: “Fundraising is one of few professions that you can become a member of without knowing anything about the subject matter. And that you can then stay in without ever having to gain some kind of accreditation or qualification that demonstrates you’ve acquired the necessary skills and knowledge. This collaboration with Cause4 will look at entry pathways to other professions – and the evidence in favour of them – to recommend similar routes into fundraising that will give everyone the best chance to choose fundraising as a career, rather than just ‘falling into it by accident’.”