Success Stories
Ahmet Ahmet
Head
Get Into Theatre
“I wanted to attend the School to improve my knowledge of the big strategic issues underpinning arts and cultural fundraising, especially since The Stage is an unusual semi-commercial agency I wanted to gain a deep understanding of how fundraising can work.”
Ruth Brock
CEO
Shakespeare Schools Festival
“As a CEO I need to know how fundraising works. The NAFS programme gave me that strategic overview — and helped me see what my role could be in delivering a sustainable programme. It also helped me focus our energies to where the money was. A terrific insight for a CEO.”
Hannah Kester
Head of Cultural Development
Awen Cultural Trust
“I have been able to bring fresh thinking to my work. The skills and approach learnt has been practical and invaluable, particularly through the last year and as we increase our fundraising over the coming years.”
Dominic Haddock
Director of Development & Communications
English Touring Opera
“Having just taken on a new organisation, a fundraising team, and a major festival to raise funds for, NAFS came at the perfect time in my career to give me the strategic overview, skills and confidence to deliver significant financial results.”
Deborah Parker
Chief Executive
Cinema For All
“Fundraising is a large art of my job and having the skills that I developed through NAFS helped me to raise over £1.2 Million for community led cinema.”
Ruth Harvey
Freelance Development Professional
BE Festival, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, & Sampad
“Whilst I had specialist knowledge and experience in Trusts, NAFS enabled me to expand my skill sets and get up to date practice and knowledge, which has transformed my fundraising career. It built up my confidence and helped me build new networks.”
Florence Browne
Freelance Fundraiser & Film maker
“I fell into fundraising through project management roles, and quickly wanted to know more. I knew there was lots I needed to learn, and could see the potential for better supporting local organisations, so signed up to NAFS.”
James Brindle
Deputy CEO
Magna Vitae
“The School team have helped us on our journey from local authority department to ambitious cultural development agency. We began by sending two team members and since then have used NAFS consultants to help us on a range of projects.”
Claire Bailey
Development Officer
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter
“NAFS training really helped me to feel confident in the fundraising direction we were taking and provided practical tools to help me and the team go on that journey.”
Rishaad Aït El Moudden
Trust Fundraiser Manager
Scottish Opera
“NAFS genuinely helped to launch and shape my career in fundraising. Within two years, I was a Fundraising Manager at the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland, raising a six-figure sum each year.
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Ana Pinto Gonçalves
Teatro Nacional D. Maria II
“As an International student at NAFS, the school worked hard to adapt the programme materials to my context to help keep my learning relevant. Having learnt from top fundraising experts, I’ve gone on to further develop my corporate fundraising endeavours successfully.”
Dasha Bushinskya
Development Officer
Dashi Art, Moscow
“Today our team received about £1.5M funding for the reconstruction of the Museum of Sculpture in Moscow. Thank you for the inspiration, insights – and everything. The School was really easy to adapt to my situation in Russia. The programme proved that key fundraising principles are pretty universal.”
Grace Green
Development Manager
3 Choirs Festival
“I took away so many valuable & memorable tips, plentiful resources and ongoing support & I especially enjoyed learning the secrets of Decision Science. Now I have the confidence to fundraise for anything.”