Arts and cultural organizations are creative, resilient and, most importantly, necessary for happy and healthy communities. But even the most diligent and determined of organizations sometimes need a helping hand when it comes to focussing their fundraising model. A new program administered by Business & Arts NL is striving to do just that.
ArtSupport NL is an 18-month program that will bring together 12 not-for-profit arts and culture organizations around the province with expert fundraising consultants to strengthen their fundraising practices and build donor engagement. The program kicks off this month with a five-day intensive training session at Rocket Bakery in downtown St. John’s and will continue throughout 2018/2019.
In early December, Business & Arts NL put out a call for Expressions of Interest from arts organizations and were pleased to receive 26 very good proposals, in addition to many calls and emails enquiring about the program. The selection process was competitive, with a small committee reviewing applications and making recommendations to Business & Arts NL’s executive, who made the final decision. In the end, the 12 groups chosen to participate include:
Corner Brook Rotary Arts Centre
Resource Centre for the Arts
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Perchance Theatre
Opera on the Avalon
Eastern Edge
Neighbourhood Dance Works
Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador (VANL-CARFAC)
Nickel Independent Film Festival
Craft Council of Newfoundland & Labrador
Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland
St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
Two representatives from each organization will attend the initial training (with assistance provided for those travelling from outside the St. John’s Metro area). Over the course of the program, RBR Development Associates will work in partnership with each organization to develop, design and implement a custom fundraising plan and strategy that suits their needs and goals.
Based on the successful ArtSupport Manitoba program, ArtSupport NL aims to improve organizational resilience, agility and capacity while increasing private sector arts and cultural philanthropy across the province. The overall goal is to help educate and inspire cultural leaders, while giving them the necessary tools to fundraise more effectively – building stronger organizations and communities overall.
Business & Arts NL gratefully acknowledges the support of our funders, Canadian Heritage’s Strategic Initiatives – Canada Cultural Investment Fund; and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation. In-kind support is provided by community partner ArtsNL and corporate sponsorship is provided by Rocket Bakery.
