There is no single pathway into fundraising for the arts and cultural sector, and that is part of its strength. Many fundraisers come to the work through roles in marketing, events, producing, programming or organisational leadership, bringing practical sector knowledge as well as relationship-building skills. 

You may be in a dedicated development role, or carrying fundraising alongside leadership, management or governance responsibilities. Either way, formal fundraising training is not always easy to access. That is part of why Creative Australia is partnering with Fundraising Institute Australasia, supporting arts organisations to build practical private investment capability and use limited time and resources where they can have the greatest long-term impact. 

The scholarships are designed for intermediate to advanced arts and cultural fundraisers, ready to strengthen their fundraising practice and share the learning across their organisation. 20 organisations will be supported to send one staff member into a year of FIA learning, whether they are a dedicated fundraiser or someone carrying fundraising as part of a broader leadership, management or governance role. 

Why fundraising training matters now 

To understand what this kind of learning can offer arts and cultural fundraisers, Creative Australia spoke with Sally Shepherd, FIA’s Director, Membership Engagement, and Lindsay Wallace, FIA’s Director, Conference and Events. Sally described fundraisers as people often trying to “do things smarter with less resources”, which will sound familiar to many in the arts. Passion for the work matters, but so does building the theory, systems and confidence that help fundraising become more consistent and strategic. 

What translates from the wider fundraising world 

The 2027 conference theme, Imagine What’s Possible, connects to questions many fundraisers are already asking about donor expectations, technology, long-term relationships and changing patterns of giving. Practical futurist Simon Waller will open the conference with a keynote on uncertainty, decision-making and the future of work. With around 2,000 attendees, 140 speakers and 60 exhibition booths, the conference offers arts fundraisers a broader view of fundraising practice in one place. 

While not every session will speak directly to an arts and cultural context, many core questions will resonate strongly. Arts and cultural organisations fundraise at different scales, often working with limited staff capacity and relationship-based models rather than large mass fundraising programs. That makes the opportunity to look sideways especially valuable: to see what can be adapted from adjacent practice, and to bring useful ideas back into an arts context through sessions on gifts in wills, mid value, major donors, trusts and foundations, and corporate partnerships. 

Learning that sticks 

The FIA Conference is often described as a conference for fundraisers, by fundraisers. The program is shaped by a volunteer committee and includes case studies, peer learning and current challenges across the profession. Case studies can be useful because they show fundraising decisions in context, including the strategy, relationships, timing, internal conversations and follow-up that sit behind a successful result. 

For Sally, a useful outcome is that attendees leave with “clarity about what it is that they want to achieve next”, along with something practical they can use soon after the conference. Just as importantly, the examples and conversations can help fundraisers build confidence to experiment, influence up, identify short-term opportunities and connect that work to longer-term strategy. 

Why Gifts in Wills and major giving belong in the mix 

The scholarship also connects to wider changes in giving. As wealth moves between generations, major gifts and gifts in wills should not be seen as tools only for major institutions. Smaller and mid-sized arts organisations also need the confidence and language to talk about long-term support, legacy and the future their work makes possible. That is why the dedicated gifts in wills training is an important part of the package. It gives participants time to build practical knowledge in an area that can feel difficult to start, but may become increasingly important to long-term fundraising strategy. 

Taking the learning beyond one person 

The value of the scholarship should not stop with the person who attends. A short staff presentation, a board discussion about future fundraising priorities, a notes document with key sessions and contacts, or a debrief with other arts fundraisers can help one learning experience strengthen decision-making and practice across a wider circle. 

This opportunity sits alongside Creative Australia’s broader work to build private investment capability across the arts sector. The aim is learning that can be used in donor conversations, planning with colleagues, board discussions and everyday decisions that shape fundraising practice over time. 

The FIA Conference is not designed only for arts fundraisers. Its program speaks to the broader fundraising profession, which is part of the point. Donor motivation, stewardship, major gifts, Gifts in Wills, partnerships and internal influence are not confined to one sector. For arts organisations working with limited time and resources, strengthening those fundamentals can help fundraising become more focused and sustainable. 

Thinking about applying?

If your organisation is thinking about applying, start with the fundraising questions in front of you. Are you trying to strengthen major giving, build a clearer case for support, explore partnerships, get more confident with donor data, or start or grow Gifts in Wills fundraising? Those priorities can help you work out whether this opportunity is a good fit. 

A strong application does not need to sound as though everything is already solved. It should show why this is the right moment, what the staff member hopes to strengthen, and how the learning could support the organisation’s longer-term private sector fundraising goals. 

Key dates:

• applications opened Tuesday 8 September 2026
• applications close Tuesday 13 October 2026, 3pm AEDT
• notification Friday 4 December 2026
• FIA activity period 1 January to 31 December 2027
• FIA Conference 2027 runs from 24 to 26 February 2027. 

The details at a glance 

The scholarships are for Australian arts organisations. Each organisation can submit one application and nominate one staff member with fundraising responsibility. The staff member should be working at an Intermediate or Advanced level and be ready to apply the learning to the organisation’s fundraising priorities. Each scholarship covers FIA Conference registration, FIA’s Gifts in Wills Fundraising: From A to Z  online course, and travel support to attend the conference, if required and approved. Places are limited. 

Taking your fundraising further does not always start with a big leap. Sometimes it starts with a sharper question, a better conversation, a useful example carried back to the team, or the confidence to try one thing differently. Over time, those small acts of learning can shape stronger habits, deeper relationships and a more sustainable future for the work. 

Explore the FIA conference program here.

Apply for the opportunity here. 

Hannah Kothe, State Manager Development and Partnerships (SA/NT)