Lucy Blythe

Alumni interview: Lucy Blythe’s story – over 25 years of fundraising

12th April 2018 by Anna Esslemont
1786 Views

Lucy Blythe is one of the outstanding fundraisers of her generation – having held the most senior roles at a number of leading arts and cultural agencies including the RSA, The Victoria And Albert Museum and Kew Gardens. Across these agencies she has led a number of successful high-profile campaigns and projects.

Dana Segal Headshot

Using behavioural economics in arts & culture fundraising

28th February 2018 by Dana Segal
1369 Views

Dana Segal, NAFS tutor and =mc Partner Consultant blogs on her experience at the Change for Good using Behavioural Economics seminar, and discusses how and why arts organisations should be looking to use these techniques in their fundraising.

5 questions for your training provider

Thinking about investing in arts fundraising training? 5 tough questions to ask your supplier before deciding

30th January 2018 by Anna Esslemont
1328 Views

It’s never been more important to invest in skills and knowledge about private fundraising in the arts. These are tough times.

Rachel Cockett

Perfect timing – Rachel Cockett, Director of Development, Birmingham Museums Trust

28th September 2017 by Rachel Cockett
1472 Views

hortly after she took up her first fundraising role at Birmingham Museums Trust, a promotional leaflet falling out of a magazine led Rachel Cockett to the National Arts Fundraising School at the exactly the right time. Find out how it gave her the skills and confidence to take the Trust to a whole new level of fundraising success.

Marina Jones, Royal Opera House

Getting to the top – Marina Jones, Royal Opera House

17th August 2017 by Marina Jones
1773 Views

This blog celebrates the journey of one of the UK’s most successful arts fundraisers – Marina Jones, Head of Trusts & Foundations at Royal Opera House. Read on to discover what she gained from the National Arts Fundraising School, and how it helped her achieve her fundraising goals.

Colin McKenzie, Director, House of Illustration

It began at the Barbican… my 29 year NAFS adventure

8th August 2017 by Colin McKenzie
1433 Views

When the National Arts Fundraising School (NAFS) opened it’s doors in 1988, Colin McKenzie was one of the first participants. Read about his fundraising journey since then and find out why he’s still benefitting from the programme, nearly 30 years after attending.

Brain Art - pharoah sphinx head with tree coming out of head

Myth No 5: The rational case for the arts drives donations

28th July 2017 by Bernard Ross
1446 Views

In the final part of the #5Myths of Arts & Culture Fundraising blog series by National Arts Fundraising School Director Bernard Ross, he touches on the use of behavioural economics in fundraising.

Generation Y

Myth No 4: Millennials are mean (or millennials are magnanimous…)

27th July 2017 by Bernard Ross
1280 Views

Part 4 of #5 : ‘Millennials’ – or Generation Y – is a general term for a demographic that includes anyone born from early 1980s to mid 1990s – a number of whom are now turning 30 or even closing on 40.

Crowdfunding - lots of hands giving money

Myth No 3: Crowdfunding will solve the cash crisis

26th July 2017 by Bernard Ross
1388 Views

Third blog in the series of arts & culture fundraising Myths (#5Myths) by Bernard Ross. This time, crowdfunding…

The Wolf Of Wall Street | Film Still

Myth 2: The rich will save us all

25th July 2017 by Bernard Ross
1309 Views

Introducing the second blog from the 5 myths of arts & culture fundraising series (#5Myths) by Bernard Ross.

Unicorns don't exist

Give up on the Unicorn! 5 Fundraising Myths for Arts and Culture…

24th July 2017 by Bernard Ross
1454 Views

Bernard Ross, =mc & National Arts Fundraising School Director and fundraising expert speaks out on 5 fundraising myths in arts & culture that you need to address… Here’s a challenging graph. With some challenging information. And challenging implications. The question is, what do we do about the loss of public support since it’s unlikely that […]

Fiona Mason

19 years post-NAFS and the learning is still having an impact

27th June 2017 by Fiona Mason
1232 Views

In this guest blog, National Arts Fundraising School alumna Fiona Mason, now a freelance writer, arts consultant and Development Manager for Pacitti Company, shares her story since attending the School.

Stuck in the seventies

Stop ‘asking donors for money’ right now

27th June 2017 by Bernard Ross
1191 Views

=mc Director Bernard Ross bucks against the latest fundraising trend… and with good reason.

Kay Packwood at NAFS 2017

Creating the fundraising ninjas at Northern Broadsides

27th June 2017 by Kay Packwood
1269 Views

In this blog, Kay Packwood, Creative Projects Development Manager at Northern Broadsides shares her experience on the National Arts Fundraising School in 2017.

A journey through film and fundraising

27th May 2017 by Deborah Parker
1228 Views

This guest blog is written by National Arts Fundraising School Alumna Deborah Parker, Chief Executive Officer at Cinema For All. We caught up with Deborah at a recent Alumni event and asked her to share her story since attending the School seven years ago: In 2009 I was working for one of the old Regional Screen Agencies in Manchester […]

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