The Power of Fundraisers

Article written by Lisa Johnston, Fundraising and Development Manager at Prism Arts and 2024 Fundraising Fellow

One of the (many) highlights of the Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy Professional Fundraising Fellowship is the opportunity to meet industry experts who generously share their knowledge, wisdom and unique perspectives with candour.

These broad ranging conversations with experienced leaders who have deep experience of working in the arts and cultural sector have provided stimulation and inspiration on topics including evaluation, grant making, relationship development and national arts and cultural policymaking.

The thing I have been most struck by, irrespective of the subject matter of these sessions, is how often power is at the heart of the conversation. Who has it? How do they use it? How was that decided?

As a fundraiser, it’s easy for me to fall into the trap of believing that I lack power, especially when considering the dynamics between charities and funders. From determining funding priorities, to setting the rules of engagement and deciding what success looks like, I often feel powerless. And that feeling is amplified in the current fundraising climate.

But that is to underestimate my agency and is likely to further influence the power dynamics at play. This calls to mind the Alice Walker quote “the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any” and led me to reflect on the distinctive power we hold as a fundraisers.

We know a lot about our organisation

Fundraisers hold relationships with pretty much everyone in their organisation – from delivery staff through finance teams and ultimately the CEO and Trustees. We are looped-in to strategic conversations and we understand where the tensions lie between different departments. With this insight, we can act as trusted advisors to our leadership teams where our input is valued, as well as shaping funding propositions which will work in the real world.

We know a lot about other people and their organisations

As fundraisers, one of our key traits is boundless curiosity. We listen carefully when people talk to us, and we always have questions to improve our understanding. People often disclose their stories and values, goals and fears to us. We can use this information to develop engaging campaigns, build meaningful partnerships and navigate complex funding environments.

We shape our organisation’s story

We decide on the stories that we want to tell to connect donors to our cause and meet different priorities. We centre the lived experience of our beneficiaries, amplifying their voice. We often shape projects and determine the evaluation approach of funded projects, building both our delivery portfolios and the evidence base of our organisation, creating the ongoing storyline.

We are changemakers

Every day through our work and storytelling we inspire investments that turn our organisation’s hopes and dreams into reality. The funding we deliver changes the lives of real people and makes the world a better place.

We can shift the status quo

Sometimes – just sometimes – we can bring our funders on a journey with us. We can share our progress openly and have more reflective conversations. We can feedback on where processes don’t work for us and offer suggestions for improvement. We can find true partners who understand that some programmes are iterative, and we don’t know the end at the beginning. We can undertake evaluation that meets the needs of funders, organisations and beneficiaries, advancing shared understanding and supporting the programmes of the future.

We fundraisers are a mighty powerful bunch when we are recognised for our diverse range of skills and enabled to use them. So, I’ll end with a call to action for more funders to work with us collaboratively to shift the status quo, reset the power dynamics and ultimately allow us to deliver on our missions.

Do you know your power as a fundraiser? Share your thoughts with us @artsfundraising

About the author...