fundraising strategy & plan for the sussex archaeological ... · Creating a dedicated...

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THE SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 207037

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & PLAN

FOR

THE SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

2017-2020

1

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………2

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………….3

Aims of the Strategy…………………………………………………………....4

Analysis of Current Activities………………………………………………….5

Priorities & Fundamental Themes……………………………………………...7

Development Areas……………………………………………………………9

Table of Fundraising Actions……………………………………………..…...10

Fundraising Action Plan……………………………………………………….20

2

Introduction

Founded in 1846, the Sussex Archaeological Society is one of the oldest archaeological

societies in the world, and the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.

The Society has boasted thousands of members across three centuries, including such

fascinating figures as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Nobel Prize-

winning writer Rudyard Kipling.

The Society’s aims have always emphasised an all-encompassing approach to the promotion

and study of archaeology and history, in all its guises, and the Society remains true to this

ethos today. It opens museums and historic properties to the public; offers a varied and rich

educational service; provides research facilities, specialist libraries, and a finds identification

service to the public; organises excavations, walks, talks and conferences on the archaeology

and history of Sussex for its members and the public; and cares for a unique range of

artefacts, properties, and landscape features.

Within its museums, the Society holds an unparalleled collection relating to the history and

culture of Sussex, from prehistoric eras right up to the present day.

The Society owns properties and objects with direct connections to many famous names

throughout history, including Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII; Thomas Cromwell,

chief minister to King Henry VIII, and recent subject of the Booker Prize-winning novel Wolf

Hall and its theatrical and television adaptations; Thomas Paine, the intellectual inspiration

for the American Revolution; and Gideon & Mary Ann Mantell, who together were

responsible for many of the very first discoveries of dinosaur bones and fossils.

The Society is a registered charity, which has to generate funding for all of its ongoing costs

from its own activities. It currently welcomes over 160,000 visitors to its museums and

historic properties on an annual basis, has a membership base of almost 3,000 individuals,

and is strongly supported by five affiliated volunteer Friends Groups.

It is truly a unique organisation.

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Executive Summary

The Sussex Archaeological Society is a registered charity. Its charitable aims are: “…to

promote, encourage and foster the study of archaeology and history in all their branches

(with special reference to the Counties of East and West Sussex).”

Having been through an intensive period of cross-organisational development over the last

period the Society has determined that it is currently in a strong position to develop its

fundraising activities. This Fundraising Strategy is a component of the Society’s ongoing

enhancement and development.

The key aims of the Fundraising Strategy are: to diversify the Society’s income, in order to

improve its financial sustainability; and to put procedures in place for effective long-term

fundraising management.

The Fundraising Strategy has been developed by analysing the Society’s past and current

fundraising activities, as well as the current fundraising climate, including detailed

considerations of the risks related to fundraising. The Fundraising Strategy is designed to

work in conjunction with the Society’s Strategic Plan (2016-2020).

In developing the Fundraising Strategy, the Society’s current priorities have been considered,

and three have been highlighted as being particularly relevant: developing the Society’s

financial reserves, funding the development projects outlined in the Strategic Plan, and

establishing fundraising rules and procedures of best practice for the Society.

Considering all of these factors, seven areas of fundraising have been identified as the key

areas to focus the Society’s fundraising efforts:

- Legacy Giving

- Major Donors

- Grant-Making Organisations

- Corporate Giving

- Online Giving

- Fundraising Management

- Miscellaneous (other related activities which directly support fundraising)

A series of actions has been developed for each of these areas, and the actions have been

prioritised and timetabled in an action plan, designed to align with the Strategic Plan.

By following these actions through the Fundraising Strategy period (2017-2020), the Society

hopes to increase and diversify its income, and establish procedures for effective long-term

fundraising management.

As the Fundraising Strategy period draws to an end, the strategy will be reviewed, and a

new strategy created in conjunction with a new Strategic Plan.

4

Aims of the Strategy

The role of the fundraising strategy is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Society,

so that it can continue to provide its exceptional services and learning experiences for many

years to come.

Creating a dedicated cross-organisational Fundraising Strategy for the Sussex Archaeological

Society represents a significant opportunity to strengthen and develop the Society’s

fundraising activities.

The overall aims of the Fundraising Strategy are:

- to increase and diversify the Society’s income, in order to improve its financial

sustainability;

and

- to introduce systems and procedures to unite fundraising efforts and record-keeping

across the organisation, in order to support fundraising activity for the long-term.

It is essential that the Fundraising Strategy aligns with the Society’s overall organisational

Strategic Plan (2016-2020).

Establishing the Fundraising Strategy is one of the aims of the Strategic Plan, featured as part

of the fourth of the Six Core Aims: “Establish a coherent fundraising strategy and

programme.”

However, fundraising is also relevant to each of the other of the Six Core Aims, as it

touches on all areas of the Society’s activities. Fostering an understanding of the cross-

organisational relevance of fundraising should therefore be one of the key aspirations of the

Fundraising Strategy.

It is also essential that the Fundraising Strategy runs parallel to the Strategic Plan,

considering the timeline of actions and when and how specific funding will be required. In

order to achieve this, the Fundraising Strategy has been developed to run until the end of

2020 so that it follows the timeframe of the Strategic Plan.

Furthermore, this will allow the next Strategic Plan to be developed in unison with the next

Fundraising Strategy, building on the knowledge gained to develop a robust series of

objectives to celebrate the Society’s 175th anniversary in 2021.

5

Analysis of Current Activities

During the process of creating this Fundraising Strategy document, a cross-organisational

fundraising review was undertaken, in order to ascertain the Society’s past and current

approaches to fundraising.

Key staff across the various sites were interviewed on all aspects of fundraising, and the

findings are outlined below.

Fundraising Strengths

- The Society has generated over £7m of fundraising income in the last 20 years.

- The Society has had strong success in gaining funding for numerous major projects

from grant-making organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council

England, and The Monument Trust. However, the Society’s limited resources have

defined the quantity of applications it can support. The Fundraising Strategy will seek

to build on this previous success, and set further targets for identifying, approaching

and building relationships with potential funders for specific projects. It will also seek

to enable the development of initiatives which in turn increase the Society’s capacity

to develop and deliver further projects.

- The Society has received a great deal of corporate support, from organisations

including American Express, Topps Tiles, and F3Group. This support has come both

in the form of funding, and also through volunteering and the donation of materials.

This is especially noteworthy, as it demonstrates an understanding within the Society

of the range of ways in which supporters can help charitable organisations.

- During the review, a number of staff suggested novel fundraising ideas, and the

Society has also had recent success with efforts to diversify its income from visitors

and the general public. Continuing to encourage this atmosphere of creativity will

allow the Society to identify a greater number of fundraising opportunities, and trial

new ideas to further diversify its income.

- The Society’s efforts to maximise Gift Aid contributions have been highly successful,

especially from admissions and memberships fees. This could be enhanced for

general donations, and a cross-organisational understanding of Gift Aid could be

further improved.

- As stated in the Organisational Strategy, “One of the things which makes the Society

unique is the diversity and the richness of its constituent parts.” This uniqueness is

one of the Society’s most significant fundraising strengths, and should be emphasised

further to maximise the compelling and engaging nature of its case for support.

- One of the Society’s greatest fundraising strengths is the sense of community which

it has helped develop around each of its historic properties and the organisation as a

whole. Having a strong support base within the local community will be of great

benefit to future fundraising activities.

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Areas to Develop

- Due to the disparate nature of the Society, with staff working across seven different

sites, it has proven a challenge to unify the Society’s fundraising records. Developing

a system of centralised record-keeping will support the formation of long-term

relationships with funders and donors, and help coordinate the formation of strategic

fundraising plans.

- The Society should work harder to emphasise long-term and repeat giving in its

fundraising efforts. This will help the Society to improve its financial sustainability by

providing a more consistent stream of fundraising income.

- There has been little trustee-led fundraising in the Society’s history. This is a key

area for development, as board fundraising in heritage charities is typically a

significant element in major donor and philanthropic giving. The establishment of a

fundraising group and the recruitment of trustees with skills and experience, as well

as contacts and influence, to support this area is a key priority.

- Developing the Society’s brand should also be considered a key component for

improving fundraising. This is important, as donors are much more likely to support

a charity if they feel familiar with it. Furthermore, by creating a more unified brand,

the Society’s case for support will be strengthened, as donors will be able to

understand more clearly the true breadth of work the Society undertakes.

- A number of other charities within the heritage and arts sectors currently operate

within the same region as the Society, so there should be a greater awareness of

how their fundraising approaches have been managed and what the ‘competition’ is.

Specific charities to consider

include: The Charleston Trust,

Glyndebourne, Arundel Castle, The

Sussex Heritage Trust, Amberley

Museum & Heritage Centre, and

The Novium Museum.

- The Society should work to

establish, maintain, and develop

stronger relationships with its

supporters. This would not only

benefit the Society’s supporters, by

giving them a greater sense of the

importance of their contributions,

but would also help the Society to

continue to identify future funding

sources, by encouraging a culture of

repeat giving and by identifying new

sources through maintaining a wider

network of contacts.

7

Priorities & Fundamental Themes

In addition to considering the Society’s past and current approaches to fundraising, it is also

essential that the Society’s priorities are considered, so that the areas of fundraising which

are best suited to addressing these priorities can be given the greatest precedence within

the Fundraising Strategy.

Following on from this, some fundamental themes of the Fundraising Strategy are outlined.

These are included in order to illustrate the thought process behind the Fundraising

Strategy, and some of the key ideas which should be understood by all of the Society’s staff,

volunteers, and trustees.

Priorities

- Developing the Society’s financial reserves

o Increasing the funds in the Society’s reserves is a key priority, as it is linked to

the larger aim of improving the Society’s financial sustainability. Therefore,

the Fundraising Strategy should look to focus on areas which could support

the develop of the Society’s financial reserves.

- Development projects

o The Society’s Strategic Plan lists the projects which the Society aims to

deliver over the period 2016-2020. These projects have been ordered by

date and priority, so the Fundraising Strategy should look to identify

fundraising sources corresponding to these factors.

- Best practice

o Establishing a dedicated cross-organisational Fundraising Strategy for the

Society offers a significant opportunity to put standards of best practice in

place, to ensure that the Society’s fundraising is in keeping with legal and

professional standards.

Fundamental Themes

- Diversifying income

o Currently, over 85% of the Society’s income comes from earned sources.

This puts the Society in a vulnerable position, making its income highly

dependent on visitor numbers. To address this, the Fundraising Strategy

should seek to increase and diversify the Society’s income streams. However,

it is also important that diversification takes place within fundraising, so that

donations are coming from a range of sources. By looking to always diversify

its income streams, the Society will be able to move closer to the key goal,

highlighted in the Strategic Plan, of improving sustainability.

- Long-term giving

o In order to build a sustainable Fundraising Strategy, it is vital that the Society

seeks to encourage long-term giving. This means encouraging donors to give

not just once, but on a recurring basis. This will lead to greater sustainability

because it will provide more consistent income streams.

- A long-term plan

o Fundraising plans can often take a long time to yield results – especially for

areas such as legacy giving and major donors. Therefore, the Fundraising

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Strategy must take a long-term view, and all of the Society’s staff, volunteers,

and trustees must be committed to the Fundraising Strategy for the long-

term, ensuring its continuation for the full designated period (2017-2020) and

the formation of a new strategy beyond that. One of the most significant

challenges of this is the fact that the current Fundraising Officer post is a

fixed-term position, so funding will be sought to create a more permanent

fundraising position within the Society’s staff.

- Cross-organisational commitment

o For the Fundraising Strategy to succeed, it must emphasise the fact that all

work is related to, and impacts upon, fundraising. By fostering a fundraising

mindset across all of the organisation’s activities, the Society will achieve

much greater and more consistent success. In line with this, the Society

should aim to embed fundraising messages in all its literature and marketing

materials to raise awareness for the need for support.

- Asking for donations

o Donors are unlikely to support a charitable organisation unless they are

asked. Therefore, the Society should take a more active approach to asking

for donations. This can range from making donation boxes onsite more

attractive, to sending direct appeals for specific projects to the Society’s

members.

- The donor’s perspective

o Considering the donor’s perspective is vital for all areas of fundraising. It will

allow the Society to make its fundraising appeals more engaging and effective,

and will also help to ensure that the Society is managing risks related to

public perceptions.

- Establishing and maintaining relationships

o Charitable support most often stems from some form of personal

connection. Therefore, fundraising efforts should always be aligned with the

further aim of establishing and maintaining relationships. This can range from

providing exceptional onsite customer service, to inviting specific donors to

relevant events.

- The importance of thanking

o Whenever any donations are received, the supporter must be thanked. This

not only serves a practical purpose – providing the donor with

documentation for their own financial records – but also shows the donor

that their support is valued, making them more likely to become a repeat

giver.

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Development Areas

Taking into account the Society’s past and present fundraising activities, its current

priorities, and the current fundraising climate, the following have been identified as the key

development areas to focus on in the Fundraising Strategy.

- Legacy Giving

o Legacy Giving is a low-cost area of fundraising with potentially high yields.

Given the Society’s strong network of supporters, a Legacy Giving

programme could be a highly successful area of fundraising for the Society.

Furthermore, given the fact that legacy gifts are often large, unrestricted

donations, it could be a potential source for developing the Society’s financial

reserves.

- Major Donors

o Identifying new major donors for the Society was highlighted as a key aim in

the Strategic Plan. Therefore, it must take a central place in the Fundraising

Strategy.

- Grant-Making Organisations

o Given the vast range of projects the Society hopes to undertake as part of

the Strategic Plan, it is vital that the Fundraising Strategy focusses on grant-

making organisations, so that funding can be secured for these projects. The

Society’s Friends Groups are included under this heading.

- Corporate Giving

o Developing long-term relationships with corporate partners will support the

Society’s financial sustainability and provide potential funding sources for the

projects outlined in the Strategic Plan.

- Online Giving

o The development and improvement of the Society’s website was highlighted

as a key aim of the Strategic Plan. Developing easier and more engaging ways

for donors to support the society online must form an essential part of this

aim, especially given the continuing increases in online giving which are

evident in the current fundraising climate.

- Fundraising Management

o This area will seek to put systems and procedures in place to unite

fundraising efforts and record-keeping across the organisation, supporting the

Society’s dedication to following best fundraising practice. It will also ensure

that the Society continues to identify and respond to potential fundraising

risks.

- Miscellaneous

o Additional actions necessary to improve the Society’s fundraising are listed

under this heading.

In the following sections, the actions for each of these key areas are listed, and colour-

coded by priority: high (red), medium (orange), and low (yellow).

Resource allocation for these actions will be managed through the Society’s Project

Development framework.

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Table of Fundraising Actions

Reference Action Estimated

Cost

Lead Staff and

Committees LEGACY GIVING

(LG)

LG01 Develop procedure for receiving

legacy gifts and pledges

Recording and responding to legacy

gifts and pledges can be more

complex than receiving other types

of donation, so a clear and detailed

procedure should be put in place to

help staff understand the step-by-

step process.

NA Fundraising Officer;

CEO

LG02 Set legacy targets

Some realistic targets should be set.

However, there should be room for

flexibility and reviewing, as

responses to legacy giving campaigns

can be highly unpredictable.


CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

LG03 Coordinate elements of previous

legacy giving campaigns

The previous legacy giving campaign

contained a ‘Will for Free’ element

(by which the Society offered to pay

legal fees for anyone making out

their will). A decision should be

made whether or not to retain this,

and, if it is retained, partnerships

with local solicitors will have to be

re-established.


CEO

LG04 Create designated page on website

The page on the website should be

detailed, providing an expansive case

for support and more information

on how an individual can go about

writing a will and leaving a legacy.


CEO;

Marketing Officer

LG05 Design a new leaflet

The leaflet should be concise and

should include: the case for support,

a returnable pledge form, a

statement advising potential donors

to seek professional legal advice

when composing their will, relevant

contact details, information on the

tax benefits of legacy giving, and a

recommendation to visit the website

for more details.

Estimated

£500 for 2,000

leaflets

Fundraising Officer;

CEO;

Marketing Officer

LG06 Design promotional bookmarks

Bookmarks are a nice ‘freebie’ and

can be an effective way of spreading

the message of legacy giving in a less

Estimated

£300 for 5,000

double-sided

bookmarks


CEO;

Marketing Officer;

Museums Officer

11

direct way. They could be made

available throughout all sites, and

could also be distributed to local

libraries, bookstores, local solicitors,

tourist information. They could also

be inserted into any members’

mailings and enclosed with any

website orders.

LG07 Design and distribute posters

Posters can easily be designed and

printed ‘in house’, and distributing

them across all the sites would help

to emphasise the Society’s charitable

status and inform visitors of the

legacy giving scheme.


Marketing Officer

LG08 Promotion to members

The Society’s members are a key

audience for legacy giving. It could

be promoted with a small article in

the Society newsletter or with a

specific mail-out.

Dependent on

approach.


CEO;

Membership

Secretary;

Newsletter Editor;

Trustees

LG09 Social Media Promotion

Remember a Charity in Your Will

Week occurs annually in September,

and could be promoted via social

media.


Marketing Officer

LG10 Create systems to build up a mailing

list

As mentioned earlier, the legacy

giving leaflet should feature a

returnable pledge form. This, and all

other relevant leaflets (such as

donation leaflets, and members’

leaflets, etc.) should look to include

a tickable box stating “Please tick if

you would like to receive

information about leaving a gift to

the Sussex Archaeological Society in

your will.” A mailing list can slowly

be built up using this data, giving

interested individuals an easy means

of getting information on legacy

giving.


Marketing Officer;

Membership Secretary

LG11 Legacy giving events

The legacy giving campaign could be

expanded with special events

designed to provide invitees with

more information on leaving a gift in

their will. An invitation list could be

built up from the mailing list (see

above), specific members, or from

the Friends groups.

Dependent on

number of

attendees.

Likely £100-

£200 for

refreshments.


CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

12

LG12 Publicise pledges and gifts

Provided that the Society has

received permission, it should look

to publicise any significant legacy

pledges or gifts in the local press

and in its own materials.


Marketing Officer;

CEO;

Newsletter Editor

LG13 Promotional film

A film could be useful for future

legacy events and online

promotions. However, some

pledges would need to have been

made first, as the film should include

interviews and examples of the

work legacies have made possible

for the Society.

Dependant on

approach – if

done ‘in-

house’ cost

could be £0; if

done by a

professional

studio could

be £1,000+


CEO;

Marketing Officer

LG14 Legacy circle

The Legacy Circle would be an

exclusive group for those who have

pledged to leave a legacy to the

Society. There might be two events

per year, where Legacy Circle

members can meet each other, talk

to staff, and learn about what is

going on with the society. It might

also include a biannual letter.

Approx £200

per year for

events and

mail-outs


CEO

MAJOR DONORS

(MD)

MD01 Create filing systems to record

donor information

A centralised filing system should be

put in place to record information

on existing donors as well as

prospective donors.

NA Fundraising Officer

MD02 Conduct research to identify

prospects

Major donor prospects should be

researched and identified by

considering the contacts of the

Society’s trustees and existing major

donors. The Society’s previous

supporters should be considered as

well, especially those who have been

regular donors. Additional prospects

might be identified within the

members, Friends Groups, and by

researching the supporters of other

local and heritage charities.


CEO;

Trustees

MD03 Produce ‘donor prospectus’

This will be a glossy booklet,

featuring a history of the Society,

along with its values and a case for

support. It will serve as professional

piece of promotional material,

showcasing the best of the Society,

Estimated

£600 to print

250. May be

more if there

are design

costs.


CEO;

Marketing Officer;

Museums Officer

13

and aimed at major donors and

funders.

MD04 Produce donation leaflet

These leaflets would be useful for a

number of reasons: they could

provide interested donors with a

concise case for support for the

Society; the removeable donation

forms could capture information for

the Society’s records, as well as Gift

Aid information; and they could be

used at events and throughout all

the sites as way of spreading the

message of the Society’s need for

support.

Estimated

£500 for 2,000

leaflets


CEO;

Marketing Officer;

Museums Officer

MD05 Develop a range of benefits and

opportunities for major donors

Although major donors are usually

not motivated to donate because of

specific benefits, it is essential that

the Society can offer some as a way

of showing gratitude and facilitating

ongoing contact. Benefits may

include: life membership, branded

gifts, tickets to events, as well as

bespoke opportunities. Note: these

benefits must comply with Gift Aid

regulations.

Dependent on

benefits


CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

MD06 Identify potential naming

opportunities

Any potential naming opportunities

across the Society’s sites should be

identified and ‘priced’, so that they

can be offered as incentives to

potential major donors.


CEO;

Property Managers

MD07 Develop Patrons scheme

Three Patrons ‘levels’ will offer

existing members the opportunity

to make a higher annual

contribution to support the Society,

in return for certain benefits.

Dependent on

benefits


CEO;


MD08 Major donor events

This action forms part of the

Strategic Plan (reference: MAR 1).

These events may take the form of a

series of fundraising dinners across

the Society’s properties, or behind-

the-scenes tours.

Dependent on

event and

guest list size.

Estimated

£500-£1,000

per event.


CEO;

Trustees;

Property Managers

GRANT-MAKING

ORGANISATIONS

(GM)

GM01 Purchase Society subscription to

Trustfunding

Trustfunding is a subscription-based

£510 annual

subscription

for five users.


CEO;

Finance Officer

14

database for UK trusts and

foundations. Purchasing a

subscription will allow staff

members to conduct stronger

research on potential trusts and

foundations.

GM02 Create master spreadsheet for

grant-making organisations

All basic information related to

grant-making organisations (date of

applications, application amounts,

outcome, etc.) should be recorded

in a single master spreadsheet,

providing an overview of the

Society’s history with all grant-

making organisations.


GM03 Create filing system for grant-

making organisations

Each individual grant-making

organisation will have its own

designated digital folder, where all

communication, research

information, prior applications, etc.

will be stored.


GM04 Set protocols for applying to grant-

making organisations

Protocols need to be set to ensure

that all relevant information on

grant-making organisations is being

recorded, and in order for the

Society to have a fully joined-up

fundraising approach. These

protocols should aim to be both

robust and easy to use.


CEO

GM05 Review project proposal form

minimum threshold

This review will consider the

thresholds and administrative

requirements for project funding

procedures and processes.

NA CEO;

Trustees

GM06 Identify potential funders and match

them to projects

The Society should work to identify

grant-making organisations and

match them to each of the projects

outlined in the Strategic Plan. The

Society should also aim to build

relationships with funders.


CEO;

Trustees;

Property Managers

GM07 Create timeline of applications

Using the list of potential funders, a

timeline of applications should be

created. This should be continually

updated, becoming an ongoing

calendar of applications to be made.


15

The timeline should be ordered

based on a number of factors,

including project priority, grant-

making organisation deadlines, and

probability of success.

GM08 Apply to grant-making organisations

This ongoing action will allow the

Society to apply for funding from

grant-making organisations on a

consistent basis.


CEO;

Property Managers;

Museums Officer;

Education & Outreach

Officer

CORPORATE

GIVING (CG)

CG01 Develop corporate giving guidelines

and protocols

These guidelines should establish the

best practice and legal

considerations for corporate giving.


CEO

CG02 Create filing system for corporate

giving

Each individual corporate supporter

will have its own designated digital

folder, where all communication,

research information, prior

applications, etc. can be stored.


CG03 Research and identification

Potential corporate supporters

should be identified by analysing

previous supporters, researching

supporters of other local charities

and heritage sites, and identifying

local businesses which may be

complementary to the Society and

its unique selling points.


CEO;

Trustees;

Property Managers

CG04 Match prospects to project and type

of support

Each prospect should be matched to

a specific type of support, and,

where possible, specific projects.


CEO;

Property Managers

CG05 Develop corporate giving benefits

Having a specific list of benefits to

offer potential corporate partners

will reinforce the Society’s

professionalism and show its

dedication to recognising its

supporters.

Dependent on

benefits


CEO

CG06 Develop corporate membership

scheme

Establishing a corporate membership

scheme will help to encourage long-

term giving from corporate

partners.

Dependent on

benefits


CEO;


CG07 Create timeline of applications

Using the list of potential funders, a


CEO

16

timeline of applications to potential

corporate partners should be

created.

CG08 Apply to potential corporate

partners

This ongoing action will allow the

Society to apply for funding from

grant-making organisations on a

consistent basis.


CEO;

Property Managers

CG09 Begin listing corporate supporters

on website

This not only provides existing

supporters with some publicity, but

also shows potential supporters the

range of successful corporate

partnerships the Society has

previously managed.


Marketing Officer

ONLINE GIVING

(OG)

OG01 Outline fundraising improvements to

be made to the website

A document should be created

detailing all of the suggested changes

that should be made to the website

in order to optimise the fundraising

message. The changes will then be

made as part of the “Enhancement

of the Society's website” action

outlined in the Strategic Plan.


CEO;

Marketing Officer

OG02 Continue to monitor the website

and respond to feedback

This ongoing action will involve

regularly checking the various

fundraising pages to ensure that they

are up-to-date and all links are

working. Any feedback from users,

as well as staff and volunteers,

should be taken on board and acted

upon accordingly.


OG03 Email appeals to newsletter

subscribers

Sending direct appeals to supporters

via email may be a useful way of

transmitting the fundraising message

through an additional channel. The

Society already has an existing

newsletter mailing list, and might

consider working to build up

additional mailing lists for other

needs.



OG04 Giving Tuesday

This online campaign takes place

every year in the run-up to

Christmas, and aims to encourage


Marketing Officer

17

charitable giving online. The society

could participate via email and social

media.

FUNDRAISING

MANAGEMENT

(FM)

FM01 Collate previous donations

Fundraising records across all of the

Society’s sites should be brought

together, and all previous donations

collated into a series of organised

records. These records can be used

to identify potential donors and

build mailing lists for specific

fundraising campaigns.


CEO;

Property Managers;

Museums Officer;

Education & Outreach

Officer;

Finance Officer;


FM02 Establish fundraising group

A fundraising group should be

established, and its aims clearly

outlined. The group should include

all relevant staff, volunteers and

trustees. The group should hold

meetings, and there should be a

regular ‘newsletter’ sent to the

group updating them on fundraising

progress across the organisation.


CEO;

Property Managers;

Trustees

FM03 Create ‘Code of Fundraising’ for the

Society

This statement will be a declaration

of the Society’s commitment to best

fundraising practice. It will be signed

by all relevant staff and trustees.


CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

FM04 Create procedure for processing

and claiming Gift Aid

Only one individual currently

processes the Society’s Gift Aid

information and submits the claims

to HMRC. To minimise risk, a

procedure document should be

created, allowing others to

complete the process should they

ever need to in the future.


FM05 Review data protection laws

In order to ensure that the Society’s

record-keeping is consistent with

data protection laws, a review

should be undertaken.


CEO;

Personnel Officer;

Trustees;


FM06 Establish protocol for recording

fundraising complaints

In accordance with the Charities

(Protection and Social Investment)

Act 2016, the Society is now

obligated to report on any

complaints it receives about its

fundraising in its annual accounts.


Fundraising Group

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(This is listed as a low priority as the

Society has no history of ever having

received complaints about its

fundraising.)

FM07 Obtain further funding to support

the Society’s fundraising

In anticipation of the completion of

the fixed term Fundraising Officer

post, funding will be sought to

ensure that the Society is able to

support its fundraising activities

beyond this period.


CEO;

Trustees

FM08 Create handover documents of

Fundraising Officer responsibilities

Prior to the completion of the

Fundraising Officer post, a handover

document should be created to

delegate responsibilities and outline

specific procedures.


FM09 Fundraising Strategy review

After the Fundraising Strategy’s first

year, and again as it nears

completion in 2020, reviews should

be undertaken to analyse its success

and areas for future improvement.

NA CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

FM10 Development of new Fundraising

Strategy

Before the completion of this

Fundraising Strategy period, a new

Fundraising Strategy should be

created to continue to guide the

Society’s fundraising.

NA CEO;

Trustees;

Fundraising Group

MISCELLANEOUS

(MS)

MS01 Recruit new trustees

When new trustees are being

recruited, their ability to help with

the Society’s fundraising efforts

should be considered.

NA CEO;

Trustees

MS02 Establish a Friends Group for Lewes

Castle

This action is outlined in the

Strategic Plan (reference MAR 2).

£1,000 start-

up costs


CEO;

Marketing Officer;

Properties

Committee

MS03 Develop commemorative giving

programme for weddings

A series of commemorative giving

opportunities should be established

to target the weddings market.

Dependent on

approach


Property Managers;

Weddings &

Functions Manager

MS04 Launch ‘Sponsor a Book’ campaign

in Barbican House library

Flyers will be produced advertising

this small campaign, which will offer

donors the chance to ‘Sponsor a

Less than £50

to print flyers

and

bookplates


Librarian

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Book’ in return for a donation of

£25. The donor’s name will be

handwritten on a bookplate and

inserted into a new book or a book

of their choosing (where

appropriate) in the library.

MS05 Design and purchase new donation

boxes for each property

New donation boxes should be

purchased for all of the sites. Each

site should have at least one large

donation box and one small, but

larger sites should have more. The

smaller boxes should feature

consistent branding, with

‘personalisation’ for each specific

site; and the larger boxes should be

branded, and emphasise

‘interactivity’. This will be part of a

larger aim to improve onsite giving,

and staff and volunteers will be

trained to encourage visitors to

donate, where appropriate (e.g.

following a guided tour).

Dependent on

design choices

for large

donation

boxes.

Estimated

£2,000 -

£5,000 total

for all new

donation

boxes.


CEO;

Property Managers

MS06 Development of 50th anniversary

fundraising plans for Fishbourne

Roman Palace

The 50th anniversary of Fishbourne

opening as a museum takes place in

2018, so significant fundraising plans

should be put in place around this

milestone.

Estimated

£1,000 -

£3,000 for

publicity and

events.


CEO;

Fishbourne Roman

Palace Property

Manager;

Trustees

MS07 Annual appeals to members

Each year an appeal for a specific

project should be sent to the

members.


CEO;

Membership

Secretary;

Newsletter Editor

MS08 Fundraising posters

A range of fundraising posters

should be created and distributed

across all sites. Each poster should

highlight a different area of giving, in

order to signal to potential donors

the full range of ways in which one

can support the Society.


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Fundraising Action Plan

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Document Author: Christian Kriticos, Fundraising Officer – Sussex Archaeological Society March 2017

fundraising strategy & plan for the sussex archaeological ... · Creating a dedicated...

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