Sing Ireland selected to participate in Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland

Sing Ireland selected to participate in Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland

Photo credit: Robbie Reynolds

Business to Arts in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have announced the two successful organisations who will participate in the Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland programme. After an open call for applications in November 2021, Sing Ireland (Limerick) and Graffiti Theatre Company (Cork) have been selected.

The Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland offers both organisations matched-funding (maximum of €15,000) to hire a full-time fundraising or marketing & fundraising professional, for 2 years. The two recruited Fellows will take part in a structured programme of training and mentorship developed by Business to Arts. The aim is to equip the recruited fellows and their organisations with skills and funding to build fundraising capacity.

To date over €2 million has been raised by Fellows who have participated in the programme. These include Druid Theatre, Cork International Film Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, Helium Arts, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Fishamble, The Lime Tree Theatre and Music Network.

Two case studies from the most recent Fellows (working with Music Network and Lime Tree Theatre) have been published on https://www.businesstoarts.ie/newstream/ highlighting the challenges, implemented strategies and outcomes of these Fellows and their organisations participating in the course.

Each can be viewed here:

The objective of the Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland is to enhance previous investment by cultural organisations in their strategic planning and fundraising. The programme helps to address the lack of human resources dedicated to fundraising in the selected arts organisations.

Davina Saint, Chairperson of Business to Arts states:

“Working with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, we welcome Sing Ireland and Graffiti Theatre Company to the Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland programme. This Fellowship continues to build on our existing partnerships, bringing a wider awareness to the long-term human resource issues facing the cultural sector. We look forward to working with both organisations and believe our combined networks and resources will have a significant impact on their fundraising strategies. Our intense programme of training and mentorship will help to develop and enhance the selected organisations fundraising capacities and embed fundraising in their teams.”

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, states:

“Working in partnership with Business to Arts, the Fundraising Fellowship will continue to bring wider awareness to the importance for cultural organisations to develop critical fundraising capacity and expertise in order to strengthen their programmes and deliver on their missions. The Fellowship is particularly timely as these bodies return to in-person events.”

Dermot O Callaghan, CEO, Sing Ireland states:

“Sing Ireland is delighted to have been selected to work with Business to Arts as part of Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland. This fellowship will enable Sing Ireland to continue its ambitious growth and change plans in the coming years. Group singing positively impacts the lives of so many people in communities throughout Ireland. This opportunity to work in partnership with Business to Arts will result in a deepening of that impact and in more people of all ages benefitting from Sing Ireland's work.”

Niall Cleary, Artistic Director & CEO, Graffiti Theatre Company states:

“Our entire team is thrilled that Graffiti has been selected for the Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland programme with Business to Arts. This comes at a key moment in Graffiti’s development, as we seek to diversify funding to grow our programmes and to provide increased opportunities for children and young people to experience and participate in the joy and transformative power of the arts. We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team and to support and encourage them to maximize the mentorship opportunity that the Fellowship brings and to contribute to the strategic development, growth and impact of our Company.”

Published 11 March 2022
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