The Art & Science of Fundraising 2025

Eight-month leadership program for small-to-mid sized arts organisations offering critical principles and practical skills to give your philanthropic fundraising every chance to succeed. 

The Art and Science of Fundraising Information Session

Hosted by Matt Morse, Director Private Investment Capability, Creative Australia + program authors, Frankie Airey and Marisa Mandile from Philanthropy Squared and Alumni

 

 

About the program

This special edition of The Art & Science of Fundraising is an innovative, out-of-the-box professional development program created by renowned consultancy Philanthropy Squared. After 30 years working in and with the Australian arts sector, Philanthropy Squared has distilled five key Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that prove, time and again, to be what’s needed for sustainable growth in any philanthropic fundraising program. Each of these CSFs are shared, explored, and mapped against your own organisation to help you unravel where you are currently, where you’d like to be in the future and just what’s needed to get you there. Ultimately this work will help ensure you have a fundraising strategy in place for long-term growth as well as help you develop or deepen an organisational culture of philanthropy so that everyone champions fundraising’s success.

The Art & Science of Fundraising takes a whole-of organisation approach and centers fundraising as a leadership issue. It makes a deliberate shift from fundraising being assigned to just one person or department to actively involving your organisation’s leaders. With this in mind, the program asks you to form a working group of two or three people comprising your organisation’s Board Chair, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Executive Director (ED) together with your fundraising lead (if not your CEO/ED). And, staying true to Philanthropy Squared’s ethos of empowering their clients to do this noble and rewarding work, the program is designed to actively engage and involve participants so you can apply what you learn immediately.

Designed especially for small-to-mid-sized arts organisations, the program provides you with the critical principles and practical know-how to give your fundraising every chance to succeed. It is a must for organisations wanting to grow or strengthen their philanthropic fundraising practice.

The fee to participate in The Art & Science of Fundraising is wholly covered by Creative Australia.

Applications for 2025 are now open. Places are limited to ten organisations.

To kick-start the program, we’re hosting an online briefing. In just 1.5 hours at the start of March, we’ll run through the program, make introductions and respond to any questions.

Moving at your own pace over a four-month period, you will work through a Self-Audit workbook exploring Philanthropy Squared’s five Critical Success Factors (CSFs). You are invited to conduct a series of tasks as well as run through a curated checklist so you will be able to understand if each CSF is a strength or a challenge for your organisation and thereafter enable you to determine key priorities to be actioned. As you work your way through the Self-Audit, you will have access to coaching by program authors, Philanthropy Squared. The workbook must be submitted to Creative Australia by the assigned due date.

Philanthropy Squared’s On-Board Program has been designed specifically for Boards. Comprising a two- hour, online masterclass and a self-guided playbook, On-Board provides a framework of understanding into philanthropic giving as well as practical insights around the roles Board members can play in the fundraising quest.

The Fundraising Lab hosted by Philanthropy Squared is held online for all participants mid-way through the Self-Audit. The Lab is an opportunity to troubleshoot challenges you may be experiencing as you work through the Self-Audit as well as discuss and debate concepts and experiences with your peers in the program.

Once your Self-Audit workbook has been submitted, Creative Australia will assign your organisation a mentor to help and support you as you implement the learnings from the Self-Audit. A focus will be placed on developing a fundraising strategy – or consolidating the one you may already have – as well as help you to build or deepen an organisational culture of philanthropy.

While we think there are many great reasons to apply, here are our top three:

  1. You will learn from Philanthropy Squared’s breadth of expertise that is normally only imparted through its consulting practice.
  2. You will be able to implement your learnings immediately.
  3. You’ll access the fundamental tools and insights that will empower your leadership team – including your Board of Directors – to grow or strengthen your philanthropic fundraising.
  • Australian arts organisations with an annual turnover of $1million – $5 million
  • Must have DGR status
  • Must have a proven track record of at least three years of fundraising (you will need to provide a link to your ACNC listing).
  • Your organisation’s Board Chair, CEO/ED and lead fundraiser (if not the CEO/ED) must participate in the program to form a working group of three. Please note, if your Board Chair is unable to participate, a Board representative must be nominated, the board representative must be available to participate in all sessions which will take place during business hours.
  • Must be able to adhere to the key dates
  • The application must be completed by, or on behalf of, the organisation’s CEO/ED. The application must be signed by the CEO/ED.

All applications received by the application deadline will be reviewed and assessed.

We will seek to understand the anticipated impact of this opportunity on your organisation.

Considerations will include:

  • A demonstrated willingness to commit to the program and doing the work
  • The capacity to develop and grow your fundraising capability both in and beyond the program

Please note, all due consideration will be given to ensuring that successful applicants suitably reflect a) a geographical representation across all Australian states and territories and b) a representation of all art forms.

Before you submit your application, read the guidelines thoroughly and contact the Private Investment Capability team with any questions

Your application can be saved and edited at any time until the deadline. Once submitted, you cannot make further edits or amendments.

If you are a first-time user of Creative Australia’s application management system you will need to register and be approved.

Please note that this process can take up to two working days to complete, so do not leave your application to the last minute.

Key dates

  • Applications closed
  • Applicants notified: w/c December 16, 2024
  • Briefing (online): Wednesday March 12, 2025
  • On-Board Masterclass: Scheduled between March and April 2025
  • The Lab (online): Tuesday April 8 or Wednesday April 9, 2025
  • Scheduled check-in: w/c June 9, 2025
  • Submit workbook: Tuesday July 1, 2025
  • Mentoring begins: From August 4, 2025
  • Mentoring concludes: Friday November 28, 2025

Contact

Private Investment Capability team
T: 03 9616 0321
E: cpa.programs@creative.gov.au

Frequently asked questions

The Art & Science of Fundraising has a few key features including:

  • The program strives to ensure fundraising is understood to be a leadership issue (and not just left for the fundraiser to do) and so it takes on a whole of organisation approach. With this in mind, participants are asked to form a working group of either two or three people to complete the program comprising your Board Chair, your ED/CEO and your lead fundraiser (if you have one).
  • The program is designed to ensure two key deliverables by the end of the program:  a strong organisational culture of philanthropy and a fundraising strategy framework.
  • The program has been specifically designed for small-to-mid sized organisations.

There so many reasons why we think your organisation should apply! Here are our top three:

  1. You will learn from Philanthropy Squared’s breadth of expertise that is normally only imparted through its consulting practice.
  2. You will be able to implement your learnings immediately.
  3. You’ll access the fundamental tools and insights that will empower your leadership team – including your Board of Directors – to grow or strengthen your philanthropic fundraising.

The fee to participate in The Art & Science of Fundraising Program is wholly covered by Creative Australia. There is no out of pocket expense.

No. This program has been specifically designed for those small-to-mid sized organisations with a turnover of $1 million and $5 million.

No. While The Art and Science of Fundraising has been designed for small-to-mid-sized organisations, participating organisations must have the capacity to devote the human resources to do this work as well as the internal structures to optimise the program’s learnings.

Yes, you can still apply if your Board Chair is unable to be part of your working group. However, they must nominate another Board member to participate in the Chair’s place.

No. All the dates listed under Key Dates are set are fixed; they must be followed and adhered to.

If a member of your Working Group is unable to attend an online forum or meet a scheduled deadline, alternate arrangements may be considered in consultation with Creative Australia.

Absolutely! You just need to have a track record of at least three years of fundraising.

 

Yes, each participating organisation must submit their Self-Audit workbook to Creative Australia by the deadline highlighted in Key Dates. Each workbook will be shared, in strict confidence, with Philanthropy Squared as well as the mentor assigned to your organisation.

If your organisation is committed to growing and strengthening your fundraising practice, then this is the right program!

Philanthropy Squared’s On-Board, comprising a two-hour masterclass and (printed) Playbook, has been designed specifically for Boards. The On-Board Masterclass is delivered online to make it as easy as possible for all Board members to attend, regardless of their location. The Board Chair must be in attendance as well as the majority of all other Board members otherwise it will be either re-scheduled or cancelled.

Yes! You may submit one application per year.

All applications received by the application deadline will be reviewed and assessed.

We will seek to understand the anticipated impact of this opportunity on your organisation. Considerations will include:

  • A demonstrated willingness to commit to the program and doing the work
  • The capacity to develop and grow your fundraising capability both in and beyond the programWhile the Philanthropy Squared team will assist in reviewing and assessing applications, the ten participating organisations will be selected by Creative Australia. All decisions are final.

Please note, all due consideration will be given to ensuring that successful applicants suitably reflect a) a geographical representation across all Australian states and territories and b) a representation of all art forms.

 

All successful applicants will be notified in the week commencing December 16, 2024

Contact the Private Investment Capability team with any questions on 03 9616 0321, cpa.programs@creative.gov.au.