"Move away from what we do to why we do it" - notes from #ArtsSummit

I was pleased to attend yesterday’s #ArtsSummit, billed as the first ever global virtual summit dedicated to arts, culture and heritage professionals.

Not to be missed! The #ArtsSummit with a huge range of top speakers. My notes are below, though with 45+ speakers I didn’t get everything, so visit Fundraising Everywhere for the full lowdown…

“This is an opportunity to meet your colleagues from around the world, learn what we’ve accomplished during this difficult period, and plan for the future as well.” A lovely, warm welcome to #ArtsSummit from conference curator Dana Segal.

Now watching Kate Larsen on funding inclusion. The arts word has had to adapt, pivot or completely reimagine our ways of working, and we’ve had to do so incredibly quickly.

It not surprising that this led to a lot of reverse engineering and working it out on the job, and not surprising that a lot of organisations got things wrong. Bit it also made arts engagement more accessible and indeed more possible for many.

We’ve had to adapt our fundraising approach and activities to be sensitive to the challenges of fundraising during such a significant international crisis but also take advantage of digital opportunities.

It’s rare to find an arts organisation that doesn’t offer some or all of its programme online but because it’s happened in a rush, it may not be accessible enough (eg sign language, multi lingual interpretation).

As we move to a new new normal, what role can fundraisers play to ensure our arts remain accessible? We don’t want to go back to how it was, when lot of our arts were less accessible inclusive & diverse in many cases, less compatible with other areas of our lives.

We need a new hybrid future on and offline. Let’s take time to be strategic about what happens next. Fundraisers need to be allies for inclusion. Commit to listening, learning, and acting.

Access & inclusion are two often included as afterthoughts in our submissions and budgets or left out. But this year has taught us that access, representation, inclusion, equity are more important than ever. Budget it in from the beginning.

Don’t default to the status quo. Just because we’re starting to go back to venues does not mean going back to the way things were before. Fundraisers can question & push back against repeating old models because that’s the way it’s always been done.

Make our appeals and applications bolder, more innovative and more interesting to funders. How can we reshape?

We can be allies in the arguments we make, not just in our funding submissions, but also speaking to our own organisations about how accessibility makes sound strategic and business sense.

Fundraising requests are about to become incredibly similar. Allow our organisations and clients to lead with hope for a better sector rather than leading with panic about not being able to go back to what we had before.

“Overnight, our income plummeted. We knew it was critical to keep our supporters with us.” Here’s Margaret Clift of National Museums Scotland on Individual Giving in Lockdown. They suspended membership payments, & ensured their communication was sombre & not “tone-deaf”.

Had to communicate digitally, a dramatic shift from paper-based engagement: website, email, blogs, object sharing, tours. People wanted to know how we were relevant to them – helping to make connections across space & time. We shared emotion.

“We wanted them [our supporters] to feel it. We moved away from what we do to why we do it.”

“Our ask was simply for people to support our museums. It wasn’t restricted. We wanted to build on that sense of community and belonging. We now know what every penny can achieve and we illustrated that for our supporters.”

“Without our museums the objects and the stories they hold can be lost. Museums represent a space for people to connect and participate, even when they are closed.”

Now it’s Usha Menon on co-existing with Covid. 1. It took a virus to get us to deep dive into digital fundraising 2. There are relevant lockdown behaviours 3. The capabilities we need in order to thrive in the new-normal

Responses previously included “Not enough digital-savvy people” or “don’t have right budgets” but we’ve been pushed into it by Covid. Don’t need a huge budget to make our art & the cause we support viable and sustainable & reach supporters digitally.

It took a virus to look more closely at our fundraising strategy.

How are we as arts entities engaging with our audiences? How are we going beyond what we used to do? Behaviours: * keep your appeal current/relevant * think about fandom – get fans to be part of bigger mission/vision * who are our influencers?

Influencers don’t have to be film stars. It could “just” be someone in Row 5.

You need: 1) good data analytics – identify motivations & possibilities of supporters 2) good digital skills – low entry cost, we can all create good content 3) understanding of donor/user experience – how can you make it special and memorable?

I couldn’t also watch this on grantmaking in a post-Covid world, with the late, greatly missed Emma Goad chairing a panel with Menaka Rodriguez Fozia Irfan & Alison Holdom – but it looks great so will definitely be watching it back.

Now David Burgess on making fundraising proposals stand out. I set up small grantmaker last year. Had to reject 85% of applications. How did I make those decisions? Some decisions were easy to make, some were harder. A chance to put myself in grantmakers shoes.

How long would it take to read through your proposal & get a good sense of what you’re asking for? 20-30 minutes? For most funders that’s just not feasible. They don’t have that time. Trustees almost certainly don’t even if officers do.

1. Time not on our side. Prepare for it to be skim-read. Only say what you need to say. 2. Most proposals are gobbledygook! Think about the Curse of Knowledge – how do we share knowledge with others who don’t know as much about the subject?

3. Most applications are boring to read! Why should they be cold academic & exhausting to read? Stand out by being passionate and creative. Grant managers are human! They are capable of emotional responses. Use stories to bring your work to life.

Now at #ArtsSummit it’s Derek Humphries with 19 creative principles of fundraising that he learned from art! From the cover slide, this looks like it’ll be excellent. I’ll try & get many of them but sign up for the best experience!

* stay single minded in your propositions * we talk disruption but it scares us – what stops people fully engaging with us? What do you have they could touch? * “Why?” Search for meaning is common to art & fundraising – it’s an emotional transaction

People already love you! You have a ready made audience of fans. Stop trying to talk to everybody all the time. Pollock & Emin don’t try & please everyone. Escape the tyranny of focus groups. Creativity is born of constraint (unlimited resources).

Act on values. Understand them & how we express them. What differentiates us? Remember your tradecraft. Work on it. Learn the rules before you break them. Fundraisers & artists – be agile. Need to move sharply. Be quick or dead. Use all 5 senses!

Now Fred Fournier with Notre Dame fundraising lessons. “I’d like to show you with our beautiful weather our beautiful Notre Dame.” He’s recorded this standing in front of the cathedral – a great illustration of how virtual conferences can offer something different.

68% of the funds raised for Notre Dame were raised in 48 hours. The paintings in front of Notre Dame were sent by kids all over the world. People want to give, to react, to do something.

Oh! Now Fred is back indoors and he’s pointing at me! I liked it better when we were outside in the sunshine in front of Notre Dame! What are the key learnings from the biggest heritage fundraising campaign in history? Fred will tell us.

Notre Dame is burning. The spire went down. People come round to see what’s going on. They start praying. In under an hour, crowdfunding initiatives all over the world were launched. The French Govt accredited 4 organisations to prevent fraud and abuse.

Almost a billion Euros raised to date. 72% of donations came digitally. 57,000 donors 108 nationalities of donors. With such media coverage you have to act quickly and efficiently. The public wanted to react.

1. Go into emergency mode ASAP 2. Direct online visitors & manage audiences – how and where can they give? 3. Promote the expression of generosity by offering the right deals – how can you use natural reaction (eg praying response)?

4. Measure, evaluate, adapt, moderate – analysed data from 1st flurry of giving to inform next campaigns. 5. Thank, inform, and value your donors. 6. Anticipate, prepare, and do even better next time! HOw will you respond in an emergency?

Now Anna Vaughan on Capital Fundraising in Challenging Times. Get to the heart of the capital campaign. Fundraisers can be detached. Speak to senior players & understand vision. Share it with small groups of donors to see how it lands & challenge if needed.

Fundraisers need to be able to see the future. Don’t get tied up by day to day running of campaign. Consider what donors will require – detailed figures & facts about outcomes. Understand what donors want to hear & what audiences you might reach.

Once case for support is ready with impacts & outcomes, build a list of people to ask. Inspire people closest to you, your board & current donors. You will get to point when you will have to reach out to new people. Wealth screen & build press.

“Having cancelled our signature fundraising events, we had to connect with our donors in new, creative and equally meaningful ways.” Next up it’s Amy Ramnarine of BYSO on the “New Era of Virtual Fundraising”. What to do about Gala scheduled for 10 March? Cancel?

Took the leap. decided to go online! What we learned along the way: 1. Communicate with urgency & transparency – also vulnerability (defined clear target). 2. Create compelling content – no shortage of online events. Arts have advantage here!

3. Find your champions – it’s an opportunity to deepen your relationships & build new ones 4. Use the tools you have 5. Thank & thank again! Your fundraising does not end when the event does. How are you bringing new supporters into the fold?