The National Arts Fundraising School is coming to Salford this November — and thanks to Salford Culture and Place Partnership, places are completely free.
If you work in an arts, heritage, cultural or community organisation in Salford — as a director, producer, curator, artist, manager, freelancer or fundraiser — this is your chance to join the world’s most intensive and innovative arts fundraising programme, delivered on your doorstep and at no cost to you or your organisation.
Whether you’re trying to secure your first grant, build a base of individual donors, win local sponsorship, or plan something more ambitious, this programme will give you the practical skills, confidence and connections to make it happen.
Why apply?
Fundraising is harder than ever, but organisations across the UK are still succeeding, and the difference is nearly always skills, strategy and confidence. The National Arts Fundraising School (NAFS), run by =mc consulting, has spent nearly 40 years helping arts, culture and heritage organisations transform their income. Alumni organisations range from national institutions like the Imperial War Museums, Tate and Opera North to small local theatres, galleries, museums and community arts groups.
Now Salford Culture and Place Partnership has commissioned a bespoke, Salford-based edition of the School — designed specifically for local agencies, with content focused on the practical realities smaller organisations face: limited time, small (or no) fundraising teams, and the need for results within months, not years.
How the course is structured
The programme combines online and in-person learning, so you get intensive training without a full week away from your organisation:
- One online day — introducing the core principles of successful fundraising and preparing you to get the most from the in-person sessions (date to be confirmed)
- In-person session one: 9–10 November 2026, Salford — two focused days of hands-on training with the NAFS team
- In-person session two: 16–17 November 2026, Salford — building on week one, with practical work on your own live fundraising challenges
And the support doesn’t stop when the training ends. Every participant also receives:
- A pre-programme consultation and 1-2-1 personal coaching before the course begins
- A 350-page comprehensive fundraising manual
- On-demand video catch-up sessions and office-hours support from the consultancy team
- A half-day of online implementation support
- 1-2-1 personal coaching after the course
- 90 days of free follow-up support
- 12 months’ access to the NAFS Learning Platform
- Lifetime membership of the NAFS alumni network — connecting you with fundraisers across the UK
What you’ll learn
The programme is built from the School’s tried-and-tested modules, selected and tailored for Salford organisations. Expect super-practical, “how to” training on topics including:
- Building your strategy — creating a value proposition that makes your organisation stand out, and writing a plan that wins support from your board and funders
- Trusts and foundations — how funders really make decisions, and the seven steps to securing your share of the £4 billion they give to UK charities each year
- Writing powerful proposals — research-backed techniques that can increase your success rate by up to 25%
- Making the ask — practical skills for pitching in person, with detailed personal feedback on your impact
- Individual giving and supporter journeys — turning audiences, visitors and users into loyal donors
- Sponsorship and corporate partnerships — how to win local business support and turn one-off gifts into lasting relationships
- Fundraising storytelling — using narrative to make your case more memorable and compelling than data alone
- Stewardship and donor love — keeping the supporters you win
- Personal action planning — leaving with concrete next steps and a buddy to keep you accountable
We also hope to welcome guest speakers from local sponsors, regional foundations and national funders — giving you direct insight into what they’re looking for.
What’s in it for you and your organisation?
- Practical skills you can use immediately — how to approach funders and donors, draft proposals and pitch to sponsors, all targeted at your real situation
- More income, more independence — the School evaluates its impact at 6 and 12 months, tracking the actual cash raised by participants
- A local network — you’ll learn alongside other Salford organisations, sharing ideas and experience and becoming part of a lasting local learning cohort
- Outstanding tutors — the programme’s led by the team, who developed the strategy for Southbank Centre, helped Paisley Museum secure £65M, and recruited 44 corporate donors for Wakefield Theatre Royal
- Zero cost — the programme covers everything– training, personal coaching, materials including a 350 page workbook, and follow-up support are all fully funded
Who should apply?
We’re looking for ten ambitious individuals from Salford-based arts, heritage, cultural and community organisations. You don’t need to be a professional fundraiser — the programme welcomes anyone responsible for bringing income into their organisation, whether that’s your whole job or just one hat among many you wear.
What matters is commitment: places are free, but they’re limited — so we’re asking applicants to commit to attending the online day and all four in-person days, and to putting what they learn into practice.
How to apply
Places are limited to 10 and we expect strong demand — apply early. The deadline for applications shall is 17:00 on 4th September 2026.
I’m keen to apply
One online day plus four in-person days in Salford this November (9–10 and 16–17 November 2026), fully funded by Salford Culture and Place Partnership. Around 10 places are available — apply early.
