Author: Harrison, Dolly

Publication Year: 1976

Media Type: Report

Summary:

United Fundraising for the arts is an idea whose time has obviously come. In 1970 there were 20 drives; by 1976 there were 43, with several more in the process of being formed. Because there has been such an interest in how to start a United Arts Drive, Federated Arts of Manchester decided to write down its experience with the hope that what we have learned will be of help to other communities.

Abstract:

United Fundraising for the arts is an idea whose time has obviously come. In 1970 there were 20 drives; by 1976 there were 43, with several more in the process of being formed. Because there has been such an interest in how to start a United Arts Drive, Federated Arts of Manchester decided to write down its experience with the hope that what we have learned will be of help to other communities.

What is a United Arts Drive? Although this would seem to be a fairly easy question to answer, when you start analyzing the different drives now in existence: how they are governed, what arts are funded, who is solicited, and how the allocations are made, you discover there is no one way to establish a United Drive. It varies from community to community, and if any rule holds, it is: Whatever will work in your area, do it that way. This makes it difficult to give guidelines except in very general terms.

In describing the steps Federated Arts took to organize a drive several things should be pointed out:

1. There was no existing arts council before the inception of the drive.
2. Federated Arts limited its drive to corporations because the Funded Members were already running their own membership drives.
3. We are raising money for both performing and visual arts organizations whose budgets range from 30,000 to over 200,000. Some have large deficits; others have large endowments.
4. Each community is unique and you must make your rules fit the community you are dealing with.

CONTENTS
Preface.

Introduction: Steps in Creating a United Arts Drive:

  1. Feasibility study.
  2. An advisory committee.
  3. Board of Directors.
  4. Goals and objectives.
  5. Financial support for early drives.
  6. Funding criteria.

Fund Drive: 

  1. Campaign advisory committee.
  2. Fund drive chairman. 
  3. Lists. 
  4. Teams of solicitors.
  5. Project assignments.
  6. Brochures, pledge cards, kickoff invitations.
  7. Internal records.
  8. Pre-campaign.
  9. Training solicitors.
10. Kickoffs.
11. Mop up.
12. Acknowledgments.
13. Allocations.
14. Between drives.
15. Last thoughts.

Footnotes.
Bibliography.
List of United Fundraising councils with their addresses and the names of Executive Directors.
Sample fact sheets on funded members.
Used to inform solicitors about shopping list for solicitors.
Suggestions for solicitors.
25 objections you might encounter and how to reply.
Sample pledge card.
Internal report sheet.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Fundraising