Latest Blog Posts

30 years running & £350M raised… is it REALLY worth the hype?!

22nd February 2019 by Bernard Ross
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It’s crazy to think that the National Arts Fundraising School, or NAFS as it’s affectionately known, has been running for 30 years. Because 30 years ago, arts & cultural fundraising was a totally different space.

What will I get from the National Arts Fundraising School?

11th February 2019 by Bernard Ross
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So you’re interested in coming on the National Arts Fundraising School and joining our elite Alumni of arts fundraisers at the top of their game… fantastic, we’d love to see you there. But just in case you need further convincing, here are 10 things you’ll personally get from the School.

The five common questions about the National Arts Fundraising School

11th February 2019 by Bernard Ross
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Maybe the challenges you face are more regarding your own questions about the National Arts Fundraising School. Below we tackle some of the common ones.

Five reasons not to come to the National Arts Fundraising School

4th January 2019 by Bernard Ross
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Before you try to persuade someone to support your attendance at the School ask yourself five key questions. If you can answer ‘yes’ to most of these then you won’t benefit. If you answer ‘no’, then you definitely should come.

Halloween? Spooks? Witches? Creepy Crawlies? Hah! The real Halloween terror is within…

29th October 2018 by Bernard Ross
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The Power of the Network

26th September 2018 by Dana Segal
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With over 1,800 people trained through the National Arts Fundraising School over the past 30 years, the alumni network is an amazing source of advice, guidance and support when you leave the school.

Lucy McNally reviewing some print with a fellow participant on NAFS in 2016

Alumna interview: Lucy McNally shares her story – NAFS and beyond

29th August 2018 by Anna Esslemont
607 Views

Lucy McNally attended the National Arts Fundraising School in 2016, three years after joining LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) as Development Manager (Individual Giving). We caught up with her to find out what impact the School had.

Fundraising in the arts might feel like an uphill battle… but to challenge is to change

19th June 2018 by Anna Esslemont
577 Views

One of our newest Alumni, Suzanne McLellan, Marketing and Audience Development Manager at The Gaiety Theatre in Ayr describes her experience on the School.

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (day 5 & 6)

23rd April 2018 by Dana Segal
441 Views

Today’s blog will be my final blog – because I feel like it sums up the whole week in one simple act. You may ask yourself – how quickly can the learning on NAFS be implemented? The answer? As quickly as you read that last sentence.

Two wooden marrionettes in different gestures and poses.

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (day 4)

19th April 2018 by Dana Segal
538 Views

Day four at NAFS prepares our attendees for the all important pitch (if you know someone who has been on the course… ask them about the pitch task!) and our communications expert Jules Bellingham takes attendees through the part of the ‘ask’ that, ironically, we think about the least… the physical experience of it.

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (Day 3)

19th April 2018 by Dana Segal
565 Views

Company giving has had a lot of press lately: most recently an artist led campaign that meant BAE recalled their sponsorship of the Great Exhibition of the North – which means that cultural organisations have to consider whether they want to pursue corporate support at all, let alone how they want to go about it.

Live from NAFS: Dana’s blog (Day 2)

17th April 2018 by Dana Segal
516 Views

“One of the most powerful words in fundraising is ‘imagine’. Imagine if you could change this today. Imagine if you could stop this forever. Imagine if you could make this happen.” Day two at the National Arts Fundraising School kicks off with Director of the school, Bernard Ross, encouraging our attendees to re-imagine their own […]