FUNDRAISING LESSONS FOR THE NON-FUNDRAISER

(Fun)draising | Samantha Summers

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In my three years of writing this column, I have mentioned once or twice my belief that as museum professionals we must all understand fundraising in order to understand our institutions. This is true for a number of reasons. Knowing how fundraising works, and how your institution does it, can tell you a great deal about your institution. Knowing who is giving to your institution can tell you much about your audience. In addition to this, and most relevant to us today, is that there are a lot of lessons to take from fundraising which have applications in other areas of museum work. Today I would like to share with you four of the most important pieces of fundraising advice which will help you in other areas of the field.

Bear with me, because I know a lot of people find talking about money gauche. All the same, there's a lot you can learn from your colleagues who talk about it all the time. (Image source.)

Talk so people want to listen.

At the end of the day, we all have to remember that our field requires an audience. Whatever we do and say has to be helpful to them and has to make them want to listen. Now, this isn’t to say that you have to coddle an audience or dilute your message. In fact, I would make the case that fundraisers are some of the most frank, blunt people in the museum world—pandering isn’t actually part of the job. What this does mean, however, is that you have to tell hard truths carefully. Fundraisers are great at this (after all, "I need a substantial amount of your money to keep my institution going" is a big pill to swallow). Chat with them about how to talk about difficult things—I promise they'll have insights into how to make people listen even when you're navigating a complicated exhibition. As the saying goes, if a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? If an exhibition is put on and nobody came, did it even have a message?


People are complicated.

This one is of particular relevance to me, as my thesis investigates how museums break off relationships with major donors whose ethics are called into question. Simply put, the hyper-wealthy don’t just crack eggs to make omelettes, they then patent the process and sell it. Then they often given some of the profits to museums, to help them continue their important work. Fundraisers have to understand how to let people be flawed and still participate in the museum. They also have to know where the hard lines are drawn that make someone anathema to the institution. As other museum careers deal with problematic artists or dubious artefact sources, they might want to pick a fundraiser’s brain on how to navigate that line.


The museum wants to exist in fifty years.

This is a tricky one. Many people go into the museum field because they love art, history, education, activism, or one of the many other things that museums can embody. It can be hard to acknowledge that museums in Canada are largely underfunded and need to raise capital in order to exist at all. Fundraisers are intimately familiar with this—they’re on the frontline of bringing in a huge part of a museum’s budget. Other museum professionals will see the need to prioritize profit impact their work when they’re asked to change the tone of a label, scrap an exhibition because of the potential bad publicity, or work with an artist who is famous but problematic. The museum is in it for the long haul, and sometimes that means compromise in order to maintain long-term stability. Chat with your fundraiser if you’re worried about a change you’re being forced to make for this reason. They also care about the museum’s mission, have probably had to compromise a number of times, and can relate.


There are a lot of ways to love a museum.

One of the most exciting parts of fundraising is helping people do things that matter. People want to help museums, but with so many different lived experiences out there, it can be tough to find ways for people to participate in the museum in a way that feels authentic for them. Be it a $20 annual donation on a special anniversary, funding a new education program, or a legacy gift (a donation made to an institution in a will), fundraisers are masters at coming up with unique ways for people to be involved in an institution. They are also masters at making people care in the long-term, so they return and contribute over and over again. If you’re looking at increasing engagement or diversifying your education portfolio, talk to a fundraiser. They’re full of ideas on how to help people find joy in being part of your community.


There are of course many more lessons to be taken from fundraising, and fundraisers must also be constantly learning from the other members of the museum. Talk to your fundraisers, find common ground and common learning, and you will see your institution flourish. Plus, I promise we’re friendly, welcoming, open people. It’s literally our job to be.