Staff Spotlight: The Fundraising Team
Meet our Fundraising Team in our latest Staff Spotlight.
We chatted to the members of the Corn Exchange and The Base's Fundraising Team to find out a bit more about them, what they do at the Corn Exchange and The Base and any advice they may have for someone wanting to work in the arts. Here's what they had to say:
What is your role at the Corn Exchange?
Ruth - I am the Head of Development here at the Corn Exchange.
Claire - I am the Individual Giving Officer at the Corn Exchange.
Sally - I'm the Fundraising and Research Officer at the Corn Exchange.
Sarah - I'm the Fundraising Officer for The Base.
What is your work background?
Ruth - I’ve worked at the Corn Exchange for 9 years, and before that worked in fundraising at a number of UK universities. Although I have always been a fundraiser, the Corn Exchange is the first arts organisation I have worked at.
Claire - I have worked in the Arts for nearly 40 years now with jobs ranging from playing the back end of the donkey in panto, Box Office Manager for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Dance Officer at the Scottish Arts Council and Venue Manager for various organisations!
Sally - I have a background in bid management in the commercial sector.
Sarah - I've done an awful lot of different things! After studying English Language and Spanish at university, I went to work as an English Language assistant in a school in Barcelona. Following that, I started working as a Costume Designer/Set Designer/Actor for an English-speaking theatre company in Barcelona; we went into schools to do performances in English. Then, I worked freelance as an editor and proofreader, then as a copywriter for a marketing agency, then freelance as a vintage seller... the list goes on! Finally, I ended up in this lovely role for The Base (with a few jobs in hospitality woven throughout as well!).
What does a typical day at work look like?
Ruth - Each day is quite varied - I could be writing funding applications, meeting prospective donors or devising a fundraising strategy for the next appeal.
Claire - Everyday is different, but always includes communicating with new and current members, I also send out invitations to events, give tours around the building, give talks at local community groups, liaise with local business and generally contacting people asking for support.
Sally - I spend most of my time researching Trusts and Foundations and applying for funding for the Corn Exchange. I also have to report back to funders to tell them how we spent their money and the impact their donation had.
Sarah - I'm in the fortunate and fun position of splitting my time between The Base, at Greenham Business Park, and the Corn Exchange offices in town, so I arrive at either one of these locations, say hi to my lovely colleagues, and start going through my emails. On a typical day I'll likely be doing an assortment of the following: actioning emails, researching Trusts and Foundations, writing funding applications, attending meetings, thinking up fundraising strategies, writing evaluations (in the case of having had a successful fundraising application!).
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Ruth - I love the creative element of my job, from writing applications, planning campaigns and meeting and interacting with people from so many different walks of life. Fundraising is all about building relationships and this is a very rewarding part of my job. And working in a great team with like minded people who are all focussed on delivering amazing and impactful experiences for people in our community.
Claire - The people! I get to spend my day speaking with lots of lovely people – customers, members, staff, and businesses all of whom have an interest in the arts.
Sally - I love learning about all the outreach work we do in the community to make the arts accessible to everyone.
Sarah - The Base is such a fun organisation to work for - it's creative, inspiring and dynamic. I really enjoy the company of my colleagues and also get a lot of satisfaction from putting together a strong funding application. And, of course, it's the icing on the cake when I come in some days to find that all important email telling me that one of my funding applications has been successful!
What inspires you to do your job?
Ruth - It’s really all about making a difference. It’s so fulfilling to see the difference that a project which you have secured funding for can have on people – we get funding for a wide variety of areas of our work, from projects which use creative activity to help reduce social isolation; funding for items such as solar panels; and funding which covers the cost of panto tickets for vulnerable people locally.
Claire - I love the arts and feel they are important to us all in different ways, either as audiences or as a participant so to be involved in sharing them is magical. I am also fortunate to get to see a wide range of arts, from on stage at the Corn Exchange, in the great outdoors presented by 101 Outdoor Arts and in exhibition at The Base.
Sally - I really believe engaging in the arts makes us all feel better and can provide powerful moments of joy, connection and wonder - at a time when people need them most.
Sarah - When we get a project fully funded - like we did with the GENerate art exhibition - it's an amazing feeling. Seeing the way The Base can contribute to the community and knowing that I had a part in making that happen, is really satisfying.
What advice would you give someone who wants to work in theatre/the arts?
Ruth - If you are interested in working as an arts fundraiser, get involved with your local theatre/arts centre and learn about what it does – whether that’s as a volunteer or perhaps as part of work experience or an internship. Fundraising in the arts is very varied and having an understanding of all the work these organisations do is really important.
Claire - Get involved at school, college or locally and TRY everything – you never know where it might lead.
Sally - Get as much work experience as you can whether it's volunteering, working on your transferable skills elsewhere or immersing yourself in arts and cultural activities.
Sarah - Don't give up hope - I think a lot of people who work in the arts have worked a lot of different jobs, and have taken a lot of different routes to get to where they are. You might think you'll never get a job in the arts, then work in something art related for a bit, then do something totally different, but it doesn't mean that you won't find your way to where you want to be! Also, I would recommend actively getting involved in creative stuff - even if it's not part of your job. For example, joining a local theatre group or dance class. It's a great way to network and meet people with the same interests as you, and will all add to your portfolio of experiences!
If you're interested in a career in the arts take a look at our Careers in the Arts programme which is in conjunction with the Watermill Theatre and funded by Greenham Trust. You can find out more about Careers in the Arts here.
