Text: Thanks to everyone who helped make my 2021 AWESOME!

Thank you for an AWESOME 2021!

Text: Thanks to everyone who helped make my 2021 AWESOME!

Thank you to everyone who helped make my 2021 AWESOME!

Well that was a busy year – wasn’t it?

Thank you to everyone who helped to make my year awesome. With so many people needing help in accessing essential funds there was an army of fundraisers backing them up.

At such a challenging time for so many I am very fortunate to have something to celebrate.

When you get to the end of the year even when you are exhausted it’s great to look back and think about what you achieved.

I have a huge amount to be thankful for this year and feel very lucky to have worked with some amazing people and organisations this year.

I worked with some fantastic organisations this year!

Text: 20 Clients

I always feel honoured to be trusted with supporting an organisations fundraising or their membership. I worked with

  • Arts, Culture and Music Organisations
  • Local Sussex based organisations and national arts organisations
  • Membership organisations in the community and voluntary sector and the arts
  • Small under £50k turnover to large over £2 mill turnover organisations

I got to do a range of work including

  • Fundraising audits
  • Bid and case for support writing
  • Advice and guidance
  • Webinars
  • Funder prospecting and research

There were 4 rounds of CRF this year!

Text: £27 Million Raised through Culture Recovery Fund

2020 started with the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund and we had no idea that another Continuity Support or two rounds of Emergency Resource Support were to follow!

Having a round in the middle of the school holidays was so tough for so many people.

This year I focused on supporting organisations, membership bodies and Local Authorities with

  • Advice
  • Guidance notes
  • Webinars
  • Bid reviews

The review service saw a 70-80% success rate – above the average of each round.

I am so proud of that and the part the team playing in helping those struggling organisations.

I didn’t do it all alone!

Text: 16 Collaborators

One of the things I love about being a fundraiser is how awesome other fundraisers are and how willing they are to help each other.

I got to work with some brilliant people directly and made sure we all kept each other up to date with emails and WhatsApp!

I am so very grateful for those WhatsApp Groups!

I also did some actual bid writing this year!

Text: 13:1-46:1, Bid writing ROI Return on Investment

I am chuffed that my bid writing clients got an ROI of in between 13 and 46 to 1 – for every £1 they spent on my time they got back between £13 and £46!

It’s such a nerve wracking thing to put a bid in knowing that for every bid you write more will get turned down. Most talk about an 10 nos for every 1 yes on Trust Fundraising but I have hear many talking about it dropping to 25 nos for every yes. That is rough!

I have written successful bids for £798,895 this year!!!

Training continued to be online

Text: 31 Webinars

I delivered sessions for

  • Community and Voluntary Sector Support organisations: Community Works (Brighton, Hove, Adur & Worthing), Mid Sussex Voluntary Action and Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester – Pro Bono!
  • Local Authorities: Brighton & Hove City Council, Manchester City Council and Liverpool Sound City
  • Membership organisations: Music Venue Trust, LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) and Association of Independent Festivals

Webinars included

  • Prospecting and Research: How do you find the right funders for you?
  • Case for Support Bootcamp
  • Writing for Impact: How can you make your applications and letters to trusts and foundations stand out?
  • Untapped Fundraising Potential: How can you find new ways to raise funds?
  • Managing your relationships with your donors and funders.
  • Ask Lucy Anything About Fundraising!
  • Culture Recovery Fund: Round 2, Continuity Support and Emergency Resource Support
  • Arts Council England Project Grants

And I already have 17 webinars booked for 2022! Watch this space for more info!

And there was more!

Text: Highlights, Joined National Arts Fundraising School Team, Community Works Charity Trustee, Launched The Arts Fundraisers, Won MVT Award for Outstanding Contribution

Thrilled to be part of the National Arts Fundraising School team for the first time this year. If you are an arts fundraiser you need to get yourself on that training.

After over 9 years of not being on a board it thought it was about time that I got back on a board. I love what Community Works do and am really looking forward to being a part of that in 2022.

As if that wasn’t enough I launched a new business with two other wonderful fundraisers – Hannah Travers and Julie Eason. The Arts Fundraisers will be doing amazing things in 2022 I am sure!

And I won an award! I was given the The Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Music Venues Award 2021! I was not expecting that at all when I attended venues day! To have fundraisers work recognised in this way in a room full of brilliant music industry people was mind blowing. I very tearful day!

Lucy at Venues Day with her Outstanding Contribution award, with Beverley Whitrick, the strategic director of the Music Venue Trust,

Phew! That was 2021!

Text: Now let's rest and get ready for 2022!

I am looking forward to the rest over the holidays and getting stuck in to more fundraising in 2022.

The spring looks like it will be full of supporting people with Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation applications.

Maybe there will be more COVID funds – I hope so for the organisations who need them. Increasingly it looks that this will be vital for many!

Best wishes to everyone!

Originally posted here.