Arts fundraising initiative described as having positive impact
Howard Lake | 5 November 2015 | News
A review of the ‘Raise’ fundraising initiative for the arts in the Republic of Ireland should be expanded, according to a report by government.
The Raise initiative was launched in 2012 to build capacity for arts organisations to fundraise effectively. The project, which cost nearly €1 million over two years, was designed to offer organisations the tools, skills and resources to significantly increase the investment they secure from private sources.
Raise, funded by the Arts Council, set out to employ eight fundraisers at arts organisations who received the money to pay for a full-time fundraiser. The fundraisers had an annual target of €250,000 each year for the following three years.
The review, by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, describes the Raise initiative as very positive and as having ‘proved successful with organisations involved recording an increase from €1.7 million in private (philanthropic) income in 2012 to €2.2 million and €2.6 million in 2013 and 2014 respectively, an increase of 41%’.
The report states that the Arts Council expects that there will be further increases in private income to both the pilot organisations and also in future years to new participating organisations as the Raise project is extended.
The value for money and policy review – the first of its kind to be carried out on the Arts Council – has commended the Council on developing the Raise initiative.
Photo: theatre stage door by RG-vc on Shutterstock.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.