Evolve: The young fundraisers forging a future for the arts

Classical musicians are a wonderfully resourceful bunch. Against a worrying backdrop of funding cuts, declining music education and a government unwilling to step in, they continue to come up with exciting projects which push the boundaries of the art form, bring it to new audiences and improve the lives of those who come into contact with each initiative. But these projects need money and, with funding avenues growing ever narrower, the sector must get creative to find new ways to secure the funds needed to get them off the ground.

Fundraising has therefore become an essential skill in the portfolios of both professional musicians and arts administrators, and no one is more aware of this than Young Arts Fundraisers (YAF), a peer-and volunteer-led professional network for early-career fundraisers in the arts sector. Recognising that fundraising rarely forms a large segment of the student experience at art school or music college, the organisation has paired up with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising to offer Evolve. The initiative, which forms part of the Institute’s RAISE: Arts, Culture and Heritage programme, matches budding fundraisers with ‘senior or director level development professionals’ for one-to-one mentoring designed to help participants develop their skills and build a network in the sector.

The scheme's mentee-to-mentee networking opportunities give participants a chance to expand their understanding of roles in the fundraising sector (Image courtesy of YAF)

The scheme attracts mentees from across the culture sector, but we caught up with the more classically-focused candidates – and their mentors – to find out about their experience so far. Amy Young, who holds the role of development officer with London Youth Choirs (LYC) is being mentored by London School of Economics (LSE) associate director of Leadership Philanthropy Fiona Rose, while Homer Wong, development and events coordinator with the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is being taken under the wing of London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) campaigns and projects director Nick Jackman.

Taking on a role in a field you’ve not yet explored always involves a certain degree of learning as you go, but for Amy Young, who spent a year as a conference assistant with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) before joining LYC s, the Evolve mentorship offers invaluable lessons beyond this: ‘Learning on the job has been invaluable for my personal development, but having a safe space to discuss my work has made me a confident, and creative fundraiser. Meeting with Meg [the scheme also runs a mentee-to-mentee ‘buddy’ system] has allowed me to grasp a deeper understanding of the current fundraising climate, and what career development opportunities I might want to pursue.’ She is also keen to learn about the more theoretical aspects of the role, particularly ‘to develop a deeper understanding of the psychology of giving.’ For Homer Wong, whose position with AAM is his first role after completing a master’s degree in music management, the scheme is a chance to challenge himself and learn how fundraising works in organisations beyond AAM: ‘Working with Nick allows me to compare the operations of LPO and AAM, which provides unique perspectives on the similarities and differences in our fundraising strategies and approaches. Nick has traversed a similar career stage and understands the challenges early-career fundraisers face – I am very lucky to share his secret recipes for a smoother fundraising journey.’

Mentees like Young and Wong are matched with mentors from across the creative industries who are best placed to help them achieve their goals and grow in the profession. Fiona Rose, who mentors Young, was drawn to the role of mentor having herself benefitted from a scheme run by the Institute of Fundraising. With undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in voice at the Royal College of Music and experience within the Royal Opera House chorus and the National Opera Studio, Rose changed career paths during the global financial crisis of 2008 and worked her way up through the field of fundraising with roles at organisations including WSPA (now World Animal Protection) and International Fund for Animal Welfare. Rose is uniquely well-placed to support Young and her work with LYC and, with both inside and outside perspectives, to comment on how fundraising in the arts compares to other sectors: ‘The sad fact is that the Arts are notoriously badly paid. This generally means that fundraisers are stretched, expected to jump in and turn their hand to anything and everything, such as regular giving, events, major donors, legacies, and marketing and comms, and working many extra hours for the ‘love’ of it.’

Amy Young: ‘Learning on the job has been invaluable for my personal development, but having a safe space to discuss my work has made me a confident, and creative fundraiser.' (Image courtesy of YAF)

Nick Jackman took a similarly windy path to his current role, starting as a boy chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral before pursuing a degree in medieval history and considering a career in academia before answering an ad for a volunteer intern with the London Sinfonietta: ‘That led to my first ‘real’ job in the Development Department of the LSO where I ran their membership and their Trusts and Foundations portfolio.’ Then followed experience at English National Opera before joining LPO in 2010, first as head of the Development Team, then as campaigns and projects director. Jackman took the leap into mentoring at the request of Cultural Sector Network mentoring lead Samir Savant: ‘The only answer was yes,’ he recalls. ‘Not least because Samir has been a generous and wise part of my own network for many years. There are other reasons too. I’ve enjoyed exploring coaching processes through initiatives like the ABO’s Find Your Way programme; and as the LPO receives almost £2m a year in public funding it’s important that we as a management team offer support to the sector at large and to help nurture the future of arts management.’

For Wong, Jackman is the perfect fit, and is already providing vital introductions within the industry: ‘The first time I met Nick was at the Henry Wood Hall,’ Wong recants. ‘Seeing Edward Gardner conducting Tchaikovsky’s fourth at rehearsal. In addition to the fabulous music, hearing about Nick’s professional journey was truly inspiring. He also kindly invited me to the LPO drinks reception and a Beethoven seventh concert at Southbank Centre, where I met LPO staff, members, and even the CEO of Singapore Symphony Orchestra!’ Beyond the concert hall, the pair’s more formal mentorship sessions have proved fruitful: ‘Each session, Nick was able to swiftly identify workflow improvements and push me beyond my comfort zone.’

From a mentor perspective, the initial pairing can be quite a nail-biting experience. Despite having four years as an Evolve mentor under her belt, Rose still finds herself ‘slightly nervous before meeting the mentee for the first time – will I be able to help them?’ But once the nerves dissipate, each mentee’s experience on the scheme is a journey of discovery – and growth isn’t limited to the mentee: ‘It has been hugely rewarding to develop connections with people at organisations of different sizes and specialising in different art forms,’ Jackman enthuses. ‘Each one has surprised me in different ways with their goals, priorities and backgrounds (which are becoming slowly and wonderfully more diverse) and the issues and dilemmas they bring to the table. They keep me on my toes and connect me with the 50 per cent of the workforce that is now younger than me!’

Homer Wong: 'The biggest lesson I've learned wasn't explicitly taught but observed.' (Image courtesy of YAF)

With mentor-mentee pairings firmly established, scheme participants are encouraged to choose their own path, working with mentors on goals they define themselves. ‘We are looking to increase Amy’s understanding of creating a giving vehicle such as a Patron’s scheme and what that might entail,’ reports Rose, ‘as well as how to have a voice at the table despite being a junior member of a development team.’ Wong’s goals also reflect his work with AAM, as well as reaching beyond the organisation to look at the sector as a whole: ‘We’ve spoken about some practical work goals, like moving people up the giving ladder at AAM and writing the most compelling funding applications… Homer was also keen to understand more about the business model in the orchestral sector and where development and fundraising sits within that wider set of financial priorities.’

With goals set, and a growing understanding of what it takes to fundraise within the arts sector, it can be tempting to try to build momentum immediately but, Rose warns this should be approached with caution. ‘There is a feeling of being overwhelmed by the volume of work necessary to help the organisation, coupled with the excitement around the potential impact a young fundraiser can make. Focus on strategic outcomes, and make sure there is a TOIL policy in place – take all the time that is owed to you.’ Jackman also encourages developing fundraisers to keep their role in perspective: ‘Our job is to create the environment for giving, to build community, authenticity and trust in our organisation, to marshal the chess pieces; all that before selecting the right person (the CEO, the principal conductor, or perhaps just the person who best knows and connects with the prospect) to have that critical conversation. When my young children used to ask me what I do, my stock response was: “I make friends with people and ask them for money.” The emphasis on the former makes the job so joyful – do that well, and the latter will come.’

Wong cites Jackman’s relationship-building approach to his role as transformative in his own attitude towards fundraising: ‘The biggest lesson I've learned wasn't explicitly taught but observed. At the LPO drinks reception, I witnessed firsthand how Nick effortlessly networked with members and warmly introduced me, an outsider, to the LPO family. This inspired me to not only engage with members of AAM but also to hone my skills in facilitating introductions among them, fostering a sense of community and family, a perspective I hadn't considered before.’

Although it’s clear these young fundraisers are developing fast and implementing the lessons they’ve learned, there is still no substitute for experience, it seems. ‘No matter how many notes I jot down in my journal the reality remains: successful networking skills aren't developed overnight.’ But, Wong is not discouraged: the scheme goes a long way to help mentees gain that critical experience. ‘There's still a long journey ahead, but thanks to Evolve (and Nick) it’ll be a shorter one.’