Creative NZ launches $1.05m plan to boost cultural giving

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Creative New Zealand launches $1.05m plan to boost cultural giving

Creative New Zealand will invest $1.05 million over the next three years to enhance the arts and culture sector’s ability to source private sector funding.
Creative Giving is a targeted programme which will provide advice and support to selected arts and cultural organisations so they can increase the funding they receive from individual donors, businesses, trusts and foundations.
“This initiative is an exciting and practical step by Creative New Zealand to help broaden and diversify the revenue base for arts and cultural organisations,” says the chair of programme reference group, Peter Biggs.
“To be healthy and sustainable, arts and cultural organisations always need to have a mix of income streams. This is particularly important in the current economic environment where government funding is unlikely to increase in the short to medium term.”
The pilot will include:

• workshops and master classes on different aspects of fundraising

• one-to-one mentoring for selected arts and cultural organisations on developing relationships with existing and potential donors and businesses

• an incentive scheme whereby Creative New Zealand will match funds which organisations have raised through new business partnerships or new donations (between $5000 and $20,000). Details of the scheme and eligibility criteria will be announced in September

• an advocacy programme highlighting the benefits to be gained by investing in arts organisations

A dedicated Creative New Zealand manager has been appointed to develop and implement the pilot programme, which will initially run until mid-2015.
“In Australia a similar programme established in 2003 has raised more than $AUD60 million in new philanthropic income for approximately 200 artists and 600 arts organisations nationally, a return of over 1,000% on a initial government investment of $AUD5.2million,” Mr Biggs said.

The first stage of the new initiative involved masterclasses for arts and cultural organisations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in June. These were delivered by international leader in major gift fundraising, and President of Global Philanthropic Inc (Canada), Guy Mallabone.

“In New Zealand at present, the average percentage of funding for arts and cultural organisations from government is 80%, while the average percentage of funding from individuals is just 3%. Donors are not being given enough opportunities to invest in these amazing arts and cultural organisations,’’ Mr Mallabone says.

Creative Giving is the result of recommendations from Creative New Zealand-commissioned research The Art of the Possible: Strengthening Private Sector Support for the Arts in New Zealand (October, 2010); and recommendations from the Cultural Philanthropy Taskforce’s report Growing the Pie: Increasing the Level of Cultural Philanthropy in Aotearoa New Zealand, (December, 2010).
Chaired by Peter Biggs, the Cultural Philanthropy Taskforce was established by the Minister for Culture and Heritage and included representatives from arts sector and arts patrons.
Creative New Zealand is working with the Arts Foundation and Philanthropy New Zealand as part of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Cultural Philanthropy Steering Group, which aims to increase private giving to arts and cultural organisations.

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