Our annual series of professional development events provides artists and arts organisations access to expertise and best practice from Australia and internationally, offering the chance to network with and learn from their peers. These activities build a more knowledgeable, confident and sustainable arts sector through supporting the arts fundraising profession and inspiring an all of organisation approach to securing private sector support.

In 2018-19, the Fundamentals of Arts Fundraising was not included in the delivery of our sector development suite, as we focused on the development of a digital version of this program. Due to be released in late 2019, this online resource will allow greater access to this program for fundraisers across Australia. Creative Partnerships Australia will continue to deliver the Fundamentals of Arts Fundraising as a workshop next year, alongside this online resource.

The key objective of these sector development initiatives is to increase the capacity of artists and arts organsations to fundraise, develop in-kind support and build partnerships with businesses, donors and investors.

Our events

Cairns Q&A with Paul Gurney | Presentation
Where: Cairns
Attendees: 39

Building a case for support with Jane Wentworth | Masterclass
Where: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra,
Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Attendees: 242

Northern Rivers Q&A with Paul Gurney | Presentation
Where: Northern Rivers
Attendees: 30

From nothing to something: Growing donations with Este Darin-Cooper | Workshop
Where: Canberra
Attendees: 32

Donor Circles with James Boyd | Webinar
Where: Online
Attendees: 135

Creative Partnerships Australia + Nexus Australia with Este Darin-Cooper | Panel Discussion
Where: Sydney
Attendees: 33

In addition to events hosted and produced by Creative Partnerships Australia, staff were guest presenters at 33 peak industry sector events, forums and conferences; facilitating networking activities with CEOs, Boards, fundraising staff and the local philanthropic community.

Our partnerships

Our partnership strategy in 2018-19 saw us continue to work with organisations across the
not-for-profit and arts sectors to identify and explore innovative and emerging models of fundraising for the arts.

Our role as principal partner of Culture Business Canberra in November 2018 saw this important global arts fundraising conference bring arts leaders from around the world to tackle the big questions facing arts fundraisers today. The speakers presented on philanthropy, corporate sponsorship, organisational structure and new revenue streams, aiming to provide fundraisers with the tools to take their fundraising to the next level. Attended by 196 arts professionals, the conference featured international speakers including Julie Molloy, Managing Director, National Gallery Company (UK); Deborah Cullinan, CEO, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (USA); Peggy Kek, Development and Partnership Director, Singapore Symphony Orchestra; and Laura Sears, Associate Director, Execucare (UK).

In May 2019, we launched a pilot partnership to support Philanthropy Australia in engaging speakers for the Arts Funders Network sessions. Held quarterly in both Melbourne and Sydney, these meetings are a valuable opportunity for members of the philanthropic sector to meet and share insights into how to deliver high-impact philanthropy to the arts and cultural sector.

Creative Partnerships Australia continued to engage with national Development Collectives,
sector-driven professional development groups established across Australia that promote
peer-to-peer learning in the arts fundraising community. This year, we provided financial support to the WA Development Collective’s Outcome Measurements Workshop in Perth.

Our digital strategy

Online programs and resources form a key component of Creative Partnerships Australia’s
sector development strategy, complementing events and workshops held throughout the
year to further enhance the skills of arts fundraisers.

This year we published more than 60 tools and resources on the Creative Partnerships Australia and Australian Cultural Fund websites, including guides, blog posts, fact sheets, case studies, profiles and videos. On topics ranging from crowdfunding techniques, the latest in private sector support, and diversity in fundraising, these resources enable fundraisers to be aware of best practice in arts fundraising.

To increase accessibility to our popular Fundamentals of Arts Fundraising workshops we have created a digital version of this program, which will be launched on the Creative Partnerships Australia website in the second half of 2019. This will allow emerging fundraisers from communities across Australia to participate in this workshop, boosting the capacity of emerging regional fundraisers.

While we value the opportunity that face-to-face skills development programs provide arts, philanthropic and business sectors to build relationships and share knowledge, it is vital that this be supported with a bank of online resources that reach across Australia. By utilising online analytics and community surveys to determine the content of online resources, we keep abreast of important trends and ensure that our content is dynamic and remains relevant.