Far and wide

Since 2007, when the Theatre Royal re-opened after a restoration, our Development Department has been charged with raising around £180k a year (about 11% of turnover). Development and philanthropic giving are necessarily at the very core of the organisation. Three years on, we have experienced both the advantages and the disadvantages of concluding a £6m capital campaign (2005–7). There is clear donor fatigue, but, conversely, we have a wealth of data and a fantastic group of supporters.

We are well used to fundraising. We know how to run events; seek and reward sponsors; how to treat patrons; how to build projects with trusts and foundations. We are lucky to have a skilled and committed team, a host of volunteers, support committees and more than 700 friends. Yet, despite the above and our track record of successes, the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) will have an impact. We don’t know whether we will be seen by Arts Council England (ACE) as a valuable creative asset or whether the local authorities will be able, or choose, to see the arts as a service to support. The cuts and financial strictures on the community that we serve may make theatre a luxury that they cannot afford – in which case the 68% we earn from the public could reduce. It is a tough balancing act at the best of times.

The CSR has encouraged us to reassess our fundraising targets and increase them by £50K for 2011/12. We are aware that raising £50K towards revenue costs is far more difficult than raising the first £50k in a new campaign. We need to look at how we are going to achieve that level of increased investment in the organisation’s work.
Our intention over the coming year is to mine deeper into our databases (this takes time and resources, but we are at least blessed with the data on which to work); to start a legacy programme; to look at different sectors for sponsorship; and to focus even more attention on trusts and foundations.

This represents a massive challenge – so many of our sponsors and trusts are longstanding supporters of our continuing work. Often they want to see something new, something different, something more. But we have a strong identity, a clear mission, and a wish to continue on a clear path – that’s good for our audience and our reputation, but not so good for sponsors and trusts who want something different. That is going to become even more of a challenge when every theatre and arts organisation begins to realise that development needs to be at the heart of their delivery to facilitate the art.

Colin Blumenau, our Artistic Director, is going to ride a horse from John O’Groats to Lands End seeking our philanthropic support on the highways and byways of Britain, through events at Georgian properties and regional theatres throughout the country, and by creating a focus for our local and online fundraising. We are proposing that we collaborate across the five producing theatres in the region that were Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs) and will, we hope, still be supported by ACE after the new process. We are working together to consider whether there are national, and international, sponsors, trusts, grants, philanthropists and supporters who might be excited with a portfolio approach to their giving.

We are looking at support for creative learning across the region, at the possibility of a shared development team, and at shared fundraising events. The pace of change engendered by the government does not allow much time to make structured long-term proposals. There is only one development team up and running in the region (our own) that could internally lead this approach – and they are knee deep in the challenge of raising more than £185K next year, and more the year after. This is a mighty challenge – but hopefully one we can find a way to achieve together, with minimal upset, and no loss to our own artistic identities.