Fundraising Fellowship Ireland

Business to Arts sought to develop the long-term sustainability of arts/cultural organisations and nurture the next generation of arts fundraisers in Ireland, based on business-minded planning and fundraising strategy development.

Since 2016, Business to Arts has delivered Fundraising Fellowship Ireland as part of our long-term strategy to strengthen fundraising capacity across the arts sector.

Delivered in partnership with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the programme provides two regional or national cultural organisations with match funding to establish a dedicated fundraising role, alongside a comprehensive two-year programme of professional development, mentoring and peer support.

Throughout the Fellowship, participants build the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to develop sustainable fundraising programmes. They strengthen proposal writing and pitching skills, develop fundraising and communications strategies, build relationships with corporate and philanthropic supporters, and learn how to maximise the expertise and networks of their boards.

In 2026, Fellows from Sample-Studios and Galway Community Circus successfully completed the programme. Explore their case studies to discover how the Fellowship strengthened their organisations' fundraising capacity and supported their long-term growth and sustainability.

• 12 Fellows graduated to date
  
• 12 arts organisations with regional/national reach have participated
  
• ~ €2.7 million was raised by Fundraising Fellows between 2016 - 2026
  
• ~ €17.9 million was raised by the organisations on the Fellowship between 2016 - 2026

• Embedded a fundraising/marketing role in all organisations
  
• Increased fundraising capacity for all organisations
  
• Established robust fundraising/marketing strategies for all organisations
  
• Diversified income streams for all organisations