My Top 5 Insights from Working with Nearly 200 Australian Arts & Culture Fundraising Pros in Five Capital Cities in Ten Days

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Earlier this year, I had the extremely good fortune and privilege of visiting Australia at the generous invitation of Creative Partnerships Australia (CPA).

CPA is a well-respected, relatively smallish government organization, comprised of truly extraordinary people. They are dedicated to creating sustainable and vibrant art and cultural sector across all of Australia.

From highly recognizable and revered organizations like the Australian Ballet, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to small grassroots theatre companies, festivals, independent artists, and many organizations in between.?

The opportunity was to lead 5 one-day major gift masterclasses in 5 capital cities, coast-to-coast in ten days. We started in Sydney, then Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Brisbane. If your geography skills are sharp, you know that is intense! Australia is a very large country and we traveled coast to coast.

Ten flights, nearly 25,000 miles door-to-door, starting in Las Vegas (after presenting at AFP ICON) — ending at home in Detroit 25 days later including a bit of tourist time tacked on to the end of the masterclass tour.?

The Art of Donor Influence Masterclass was a hit! Again and again, lauded as inspirational, practical, and authentic. Pulling back the curtain on the psychology of influence and how it applies to ethical nonprofit fundraising. Sharing step-by-step ‘how to’ strategies, frameworks, and tactics on the donor development cycle — with an emphasis on major donors. Tackling emerging issues like engagement, recognition, and stewardship equity amongst donors of all gift values, first-time and longtime supporters. Ensuring diversity and inclusion within our donor portfolios.

One masterclass participant wrote:

“Absolutely brilliant full-day learning experience from a master, sharing highly achievable, practical, and transferrable skills and best practice strategies for generating greater philanthropic relationships and support.”

Another shared:

“It was brilliant. I am so inspired by Tammy's knowledge and approach- not just her content, but the beautiful warm manner she approached and acknowledged participants and their input. I have learned so much that I will apply to all aspects of my life.”

Our Masterclass participants were a-ma-zing!! Yes, I taught my heart out and loved every minute of it. And I learned a lot too.

Here are my top 5 insights from working with nearly 200 Australian arts and culture fundraising pros in five capital cities in ten days.

1.?Passion & Stories. The Australians I met who fundraise for the arts are deeply passionate and incredibly inspiring. A great number of them are or were artists themselves. I met dancers who suffered injuries from which they could not fully recover to perform at a professional level – who chose to make a career of raising money so others could express themselves through dance.

Opera singers who were very good but felt they were unlikely to become truly great — chose to become fundraisers so the experience of opera could be enjoyed. Passionate people are driven by their own life’s journey. Grateful for how the arts opened their hearts and minds like nothing else ever has — committed to ensuring the arts are accessible to everyone regardless of where they live, their socio-economic circumstances, race, ethnicity, gender identity, cognitive or physical abilities.

Others’ passion came over time, as they watched participants and audiences transform in technicolor through creative programs and performances.

Yet there is a modest resistance amongst fundraisers to share their personal stories. As if sharing their journey to the arts steals the spotlight from the mission they serve. Throughout the master course, we discussed how light reflects light and passion is contagious.

There’s no shortage of transformational stories emerging from the Australian arts and cultural sector. Especially semi-post-pandemic, as Australians emerge from the most restrictive lockdown in the world. Melbourne endured 262 days of full quarantine.

Truth is, we are emotional donors looking for rational reasons to justify our emotional decision to give. And nothing happens until somebody feels something.

2.?Perfectionism. Perhaps it’s the nature of arts organizations to seek perfection. Rehearsal after rehearsal before opening night. Blistered and bleeding feet under perfectly blush ballet slippers. Painting over painted canvases until the perfect work of art emerges.

Fundraising pros for the arts seek similar perfection, which can slow the donor development process. Stalled in discovery in search of every last detail before scheduling that visit, unending cultivation until the donor makes a gift of their own volition in an amount of their choosing or desperately asks, “what do you need?”

More than one fundraiser in each Capitol City confessed to “gasbagging” donors through seemingly endless cultivation. In other words, just chatting with them in a friendly manner without an individual donor development plan guiding the donor to support a project aligned with their passion and values.

I get it, we’re under intense pressure to be the experts. Often with our Executive Directors, Creative Directors, and Trustees as witnesses. The expectations for us to engage donors and to “ask” perfectly are high.

But here’s what I know: authenticity, passion, and a compelling need will win over perfection every single time. Oh, and you’ll likely receive larger gifts in a shorter length of time.

3.?Case for Support. In late 2021, Creative Partnerships Australia published a research report called Giving Attitudes 2020. If you’re interested in the report, you can download it from the link we’ll include in the show notes.

Amongst a lot of juicy insights and data points, it identified four challenges facing Australian arts and cultural organizations. One of those challenges is improving the articulation of the case for support and value proposition.

The case for support can be simply defined in a few short questions:

• What do you do, and why does it matter?
• Why now, what’s the urgency??
• Why are you the organization to do this work?
• Why are you asking me?

In other words, “Why should I give you my hard-earned money now?”

I week or so ago, I had the privilege of co-leading a Knowledge Series webinar with Tom Ahern for this same arts group. Tom, of course, is well-known globally. He was recognized by the New York Times as one of the U.S.’s?most sought-after creators of fundraising messages.

We discussed that, when arts and cultural organizations are faced with these questions, they can get a little sheepish, a bit of humble-pie modesty overcomes them. Whether they be Australian or here in the U.S. or?elsewhere.

It’s true, arts and cultural organizations aren’t essential services defined by the World Health Organization. They aren’t addressing climate change, gun control, or providing humanitarian aid to refugees. But that does not mean they aren’t worthy of support right now during these challenging times.

Health researchers report we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. The correlation between feeling unseen and unheard and chronic health risks is well established. It can result in depression, heart disease, and immunity disorders. Chronic loneliness has the same effect as smoking 14 cigarettes a day. Suicide among youth and teens is at an all-time high, influenced in part by the pandemic, social isolation, and the associated restrictions. And possibly influenced by the lack of human connection that can easily exist in our digital world.

The arts bring people together in community. They create a safe space to imagine, explore, express, and belong… to be inspired. ?

Need more evidence? According to McKinsey & Company, when companies are considering where to open offices, two of the factors they consider are:

1. The Quality of school systems in correlation with workforce development. Can they attract workers from outside the community? And can the local community produce highly skilled, well-educated future employees?
2. The vibrancy of the arts and cultural community. The arts bring an irreplaceable richness to life and to communities.

If a community has those two things, it can attract and hire talent. The arts and cultural sector is an economic driver — as well as a quality of life driver. ?#BOOM ?Your missions deserve philanthropic investment just as much as other missions. In community, you save and change lives too!

4.?Asking. Oh asking. We ALL have a lot of fear about asking. Whether you’re from Australia, North America, or anywhere else around the globe.

Fear of rejection. Fear of embarrassing ourselves or looking badly. Fear of asking for too much or too little. Fear of upsetting, offending, and disappointing our donors. FEAR!

Then when we finally find the courage to ask for a gift. The moment it rolls off our tongue, we just can’t be with the silence. You know, the silence while the donor considers our request. Authentically thinking about how they might be able to say, “yes!” to the project or operating fund request. Could it come from stock? Would it be better gifted through our donor-advised fund? All at once, or perhaps in two payments…. ?Meanwhile, we abruptly break the silence with a counteroffer of a lesser amount before the donor has even had time to consider the original offer.

Universally, the only antidote to the fear of asking disease is practice. Role-playing every ask with a trusted colleague or your solicitation partner. The more experience you have asking, the more those feelings of fear will become feelings of excitement. Nike had it right when it said, “just do it.”

5.?Generosity of Spirit & Gratitude. In truth with only a few nuanced exceptions, Australian fundraisers share many characteristics with North American fundraisers. Sure we have some delightful vocabulary differences. If you talk with me anytime soon you may hear me refer to something as dodgy or catch me gasbagging with a board member over afternoon tea. Or perhaps scheduling a visit in my diary instead of my calendar.

The most significant differences challenging Australian philanthropy are in the areas of creating a culture of philanthropy, fundraising infrastructure, national data collection and analysis (like the AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Project), and measuring and reporting of giving trends, and donor behaviors.

And in many cases, we North American fundraisers have a lot to learn from our Australian colleagues (Like fundraiser tenure and self-care).

I’ll wrap up with one last area where I feel Australian fundraising professionals are truly exceptional: GRATITUDE! The kindnesses and warmth we received from so many Australian fundraisers were truly remarkable.

• Like independent artist Ian Provost, who patiently waited in the venue lobby following our masterclass. Who gave me a single sunflower stem, and a Kodachrome slide from Tokyo dated March 1969. A token of gratitude, that meant something special to him and to me.
• Or Alaine Beek from Melbourne, an inspiring playwright and founder of Essence Productions Australia. Alaine wrote me a moving three-page letter on handmade paper telling me her story. She included a lovely photo we had taken together during the masterclass and a host of other endearing items.
• Or Sophia Halloway and Amy Kitts, from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Who gave us a reserved table and a lovely bottle of champagne overlooking the festival of lights overlooking the Sydney Opera House. A truly breathtaking experience!
• Or Mark Quigley, a brilliant capital campaign consultant who drove all over Sydney as we searched for a mandatory COVID-19 PCR testing site, no more than 24-hours before our flight back home to the U.S. on a Sunday.?
• Or the Creative Partnerships Australia team: Matt Morse, Fiona Menzies and all of the Area Managers who went above and beyond to make us feel warmly welcomed in their beautiful country, plied us with incredible food and Australian wines, recommended ‘must-see’ museums, galleries, performances and natural wonders. And inspired us beyond measure.

As we find ourselves perched on the Eve of Thanksgiving here in the U.S., I’m reflecting on the many blessings in my life. The extraordinary kindness and phenomenal experiences of 2022… and those to come. The love I feel for and from my family, friends, and clients. And the great privilege and pure joy of working in the nonprofit sector. Yes, we work incredibly hard, long hours. But where else would we find inspiration, meaning, and purpose every single day??

Take a breath and count the extraordinary people, places, and experiences for which you’re most grateful. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season.

What are your thoughts??Let me know using #NextLevelFundraising in the comments below. If you would like to?be notified each time an edition of?the?Next Level Fundraising?newsletter is published, click the?subscribe?button.

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Want to transform your fundraising in 2023 and beyond?

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TRANSFORM23 (aka Fundraising Transformation Virtual Summit) is hyper-focused on equipping fundraisers everywhere to take your fundraising to the next, next level.?

We've put together 10 wow-packed sessions with you in mind led by 10 incredible forward-thinking experts to help you transform your fundraising in 2023 and beyond!?

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