These Ten D’s aren’t just a catchy mnemonic; they are essential components, drawn from the lived experience of artists and arts organisations who have fundraised successfully in the past. This initiative sits alongside other training, funding incentives and workshops, and can act as both a roadmap and a quick audit mechanism to ensure you’re ready to embark on your Giving Day to the Arts journey.
If you haven’t already, please review the recent funding opportunity and the companion two-part webinar to explore the Giving Day to the Arts opportunity further.
The 10 “D’s” of Giving Days: Part 1
The 10 “D’s” of Giving Days: Part 2
1. Design
Every successful giving day campaign begins with intentional design. Planning is not optional. Without it, the day will likely fall flat. Giving Day to the Arts is not simply about a burst of donations on a single date—it is the culmination of weeks of preparation. We recommend a 12-week lead-in, which includes crafting your fundraising goals, defining your case for support, and determining how this campaign fits into your broader fundraising calendar.
Ask yourself: What are we raising money for? Why now? How will we communicate this compellingly? Fundraising without a strong design is like staging a play without a script.
2. Department of Giving
Arts fundraising can no longer sit in a silo. One of the secrets to Giving Day to the Arts success will be in adopting a whole-of-organisation or for individual artists…a whole of team approach. Whether you’re an arts organisation with a large staff or an independent artist with a small circle of collaborators, you must build your Department of Giving.
This means identifying your team early—staff, board members, volunteers, collaborators—anyone who can help boost your campaign. Assign roles: content creation, social media, donor outreach, phone calls, event hosting. Artists and artistic leaders are often who donors like to hear from. Your network is your net worth.
3. Data
Data is just another word for people you can talk to. And in fundraising, communication is everything. Do you have names, emails, and—most importantly for the actual day—phone numbers? Giving day campaigns rely on high-engagement channels, and telephones remains a powerful tool. The human voice connects with people on an emotional level and we can have a discursive discussion over the phone that we simply can’t over email.
Text messages have a 98% open rate among all demographics. This is significantly higher than email open rates, which typically range from 20-30%. SMS messages are also read quickly, with 90% of recipients opening them within three minutes of delivery.
Emails are valuable too, but phone calls offer that human connection. If your database is lacking, now is the time to grow it. Collaborators and partners can help—can they share contacts or make introductions?
Strangers rarely give. Your database is the bedrock of your donor base.
4. Donors
Let’s get real—donors are the beating heart of giving days. But not all donors are created equal. The best donors often come from your existing community: ticket buyers, volunteers, board members, and past supporters. Social media followers are potential donors, too.
I often think the best place to start to look for your potential donors is those that have given their time to you, your project or your organisation. This is a great place to start when thinking about who might give us money. Think about it… we can always earn more money… but time is a commodity that is irreplaceable.
To inspire giving, remember that people need to:
- Feel a personal connection,
- See the value of their gift,
- Believe their support will make a difference.
The two main reasons people don’t give? They weren’t asked—or they didn’t feel needed. You must learn to communicate urgency without sounding desperate. And yes, you do have to ask.
5. Doublers
Doublers are game-changers. These are donors who pledge in advance, with the understanding that their gift will be used to match donations made on Giving Day to the Arts . It’s a psychological motivator—seeing a gift doubled sparks action and generosity in others.
Doublers also help define realistic fundraising targets. They bring early momentum, help you sleep at night, and add “social proof” to your campaign. A simple ask: “Would you consider a pledge we can use to incentivise others?” goes a very long way.
6. Digital Marketing
A robust digital marketing strategy is central to any giving day campaign. While we’ll cover this more deeply in upcoming workshops with our partners at Marlin Communications (bookmark August 12, 2025 for this webinar), it’s worth noting that your digital presence is often the first point of contact for potential donors on the actual day.
Use storytelling to create emotional resonance. Videos, behind-the-scenes snippets, and artist testimonials are powerful tools. Plan your social media content well in advance—schedule posts, prepare visuals, and ensure every call to action is clear and compelling.
Support for developing your digital assets is available via our micro grants program: Giving Day to the Arts Micro Grants – Creative Australia
7. Domain
Your domain—your website—is your digital home base. It must communicate the impact of your work, the importance of the Giving Day to the Arts , and make donating frictionless. A strong web presence reassures donors, provides legitimacy, and—most importantly—shows results.
When donors see their gift being doubled in real time, it triggers a positive feedback loop. People get a “brain buzz” from generosity, especially when their support is visibly making an impact. Invest time in your donation page. Make it joyful, fast, and mobile device-friendly.
If you haven’t already, check out the Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) as a platform that could host your Giving Day to the Arts campaign. The ACF team offers guidance and expertise to use the platform.
8. Doing the Work
Fundraising is work. And in the arts—where time and energy are already stretched thin—it’s easy for fundraising to drop to the bottom of the priority list. But to succeed on the inaugural Giving Day to the Arts , you have to do the work.
That means carving out time in your calendar, assembling your team, and following through on your plan. We’re offering this guidance now so that you can realistically assess: Can I commit to this over the coming weeks? If the answer is yes, we’ll support you every step of the way. The Creative Australia Business Development and Partnerships team has local representation in every state and territory and you can book a one-on-one coaching session with them.
Contact Us: State Manager Development and Partnerships – Creative Australia
9. The Day
The big day itself is a whirlwind of energy and opportunity. This is “game” day, opening night and we need to embrace the “showbiz” of it all. Make it fun! However, the groundwork you lay in the preceding weeks is what will make it successful.
Have a clear plan:
- If using the phone, who is making calls/ sending text messages?
- Who’s managing social media?
- How will donors be recognised?
- Can you livestream or host a pop-up event?
- Use the power of matching donations across your campaign or in “power” hours, and to bring the campaign home to meet its final target – or better still a stretch goal.
Prepare talking points and phone scripts. Rally your team early. Celebrate every donation publicly. Keep your audience engaged and excited throughout the day. Momentum breeds momentum.
10. The Days After
Fundraising doesn’t have to end on the Giving Day to the Arts. The days after are also important. Stewardship—the process of thanking, updating, and nurturing your donors—turns one-time givers into long-term supporters.
Share results. Say thank you—individually, publicly, and sincerely. Follow up with stories and impact reports. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Debrief with your peers, network and/or team. And most importantly, stay connected with your new supporters.
Your Giving Day to the Arts is a stepping stone, not an endpoint.
11. Dream big.
While the Ten D’s form the backbone of a successful Giving Day to the Arts, there’s an unspoken, essential eleventh: Dreaming Big. In a sector consistently asked to do more with less, it’s tempting to shrink our ambitions—but we can’t shrink our way to success.
Donors are disinclined to rally around cautious, modest goals—they’re inspired by bold visions and the transformative power of the arts. The experiences we offer—whether on stage, on canvas, or in community—are rich, emotional, and deeply human. They’re exactly the kind of big, meaningful ideas that people want to be part of. Your campaign might be raising money for anything from toilet upgrades to a new piece of public art to supporting the purchase of a van to transport or community participants around. These campaigns however are part of the big bold vision you have for your practice, your project your organisations. So as you plan your Giving Day to the Arts, give yourself permission to think ambitiously and frame your work accordingly—because dreaming big is not just visionary, it’s highly strategic.
In Summary
The Ten D’s of Giving Day to the Arts is more than a checklist. It’s a framework to help artists and organisations build meaningful, sustainable relationships with donors—rooted in clarity, purpose, and community.
Whether you’re a major arts institution or a solo creative practitioner, this model can guide your approach and elevate your impact. As we move into this new era of fundraising together, we invite you to embrace these ten D’s as not just a tactic for one day—but as a roadmap to enhance your fundraising.
And lastly, the inaugural Giving Day to the Arts is an pilot investment proposed to support our future ecosystem. Let’s make it count.
Steven Richardson is State Manager Development and Partnerships for Victoria and Tasmania for Creative Australia. He has worked on several giving day campaigns supporting the arts over the last several years.
