These examples of how consortium might work have been developed to give potential applicants to the Catalyst Arts: building fundraising capacity scheme a better understanding of how we envisage consortia could work in practice. These should be read as a guide only.
Example consortium one
Four city-based organisations, all located within a mile of each other, apply for £100,000.
Their main art forms are:
- contemporary dance
- visual arts studios
- literature festival
- carnival
Shared issues and fundraising development needs:
- very limited experience of private giving
- some of the organisations have had small amounts of grants from trusts and foundations
- their ambition and need is to raise more donations from shared audiences and local businesses
Action plan includes:
- investigate a shared friend/membership scheme across the city
- sharing of jointly procured technology
- upgrade websites and marketing processes
- Board and staff training
Example consortium two
Three theatre companies A, B and C based in the North East and Yorkshire apply for £120,000. A and B have worked regularly together on co-productions; C they know and work with less often. All are small companies with less than three members of full time management staff.
A and B are longer established and have board members with limited experience of fundraising. C became a charity three years ago and has some less experienced board members and hardly any fundraising experience. A has had some patrons and one legacy gift in the last three years. B and C have no significant history of fundraising.
For all, main income is from local authorities, Grants for the arts and ticket sales.
Shared issues and fundraising development needs:
- board ability to make the ask and support fundraising activity
- staff time, capacity and skills
- lack of systems and poor use of audience data
Action plan includes:
- joint training and skills development for board members and all staff
- part-time backfill leadership post in C to allow director to attend fundraising course
- support in developing a case for investment and 'making the ask' for each organisation
- marketing support for all to develop communications and branding and update websites to include fundraising and legacy giving information for each organisation
- shared data mining and donor profiling
Example consortium three
Four companies A, B, C, D apply for £140,000. The four organisations are small and are based across the country. They ask Company E, who is an experienced fundraiser and large organisation to act as a mentor and adviser.
Action plan includes:
- shadowing opportunities
- training
- backfill for senior posts at A, B, C and D
- board training
- business planning review and developing a case for investment
- develop joint fundraising campaign for a music festival
