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.

In 2016 Business to Arts introduced our Fundraising Fellowship programme, as part of our overall fundraising capacity-building strategy for the arts in Ireland.

Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland in partnership with the Dept of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media offers two regional/national cultural organisations match-funding towards a new fundraising role as well as a professional development and mentorship programme.

The Fellows (and representatives from their organisation) take part in this two year immersive structured programme to enhance their proposal-writing and pitching skills, develop fundraising and communication strategies, and leverage the expertise of their boards to broaden networks.

Fellows from Graffiti Theatre in Cork and Sing Ireland in Limerick graduated in May 2024.

Sample-studios and Galway Community Circus have been selected for the next programme 2024-26, and are currently recruiting their Fellows to be announced this summer at the commencement of their Fellowship.

• 10 Fellows graduated to date
  
• 10 arts organisations with regional/national reach have participated
  
• ~ €2 million was raised by Fundraising Fellows between 2016 - 2024
  
• ~€15.2 million was raised by the organisations on the Fellowship between 2016 - 2024

• 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