Reimagining Fundraising for Arts & Culture Post-Shutdown
Listen now
About this episode
Welcome to The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast where we’ll be talking with Matthew Morse. Matthew serves as Executive Director, leading Strategy & Programs at Creative Partnerships Australia.
They bring the arts community together with individual donors and businesses to create a more vibrant, ambitious and sustainable cultural sector across Australia.
- Matthew has served on the executive leadership team with Creative Partnerships Australia for nearly a decade
- Prior to that he raised funds for the prestigious Sydney Theatre Company, and The Australian Ballet
- He really has his finger on the pulse of arts and culture in Australia. In our conversation today, he’ll be sharing some key insights about fundraising for the arts and cultural organizations.
You DO NOT want to miss this episode.
Our guest
Matthew Morse, Executive Director, Strategy and Programs, Creative Partnerships Australia
"I think that anybody working in the arts and culture, that's probably one of the biggest things they've learned from the pandemic, is relationships. And I hope that it's not something that hurdles away over the five years post the pandemic."
- Matthew Morse, Executive Director, Strategy and Programs, Creative Partnerships Australia
A quick peek
Matt Morse (00:17:11):
But as we tapped on before Tammy, this didn't just affect the artists, it affected management, trades, front of house, education. Everybody was told, no, we can't have this, we can't do this. And so we had think about pivoting. But before I go to the pivoting, I want to talk about the next level. It's all good and well that we have lockdowns when we're allowed to open back up. In Melbourne, we had a really staggered approach to opening back up. Even though creatives could get back in a studio or theater companies could start rehearsing, the reality of opening a theater and affording to put on a theater production, it wasn't cost effective. We had one person for every four square meters or up to 25% capacity and then 50% capacity. And then sometimes it would get to 50%, and then we go back down again.
Matt Morse (00:21:42):
Probably one of the most amazing things for me was, overnight, this thing called the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall started. And this was based off two artists that thought, okay, how do we get music out to the regions? How do we get music out there? And they created this digital musical, a subscription base where people could buy tickets online and see their favorite performers perform their favorite works. It was a means in that time for people to stay engaged with their love, and it was also a great distraction.
Tammy Zonker (00:23:33):
Yeah, I think it's so good. I mean, it's amazing that venues have opened back up, people are so hungry to get out and to be social. But I think that this end strategy, where we can take the best of what we created during the pandemic. Whether it's digital access, subscription access, in addition to the in-person. I think there's real opportunity there, not just for revenue and for fundraising, to really make a case about when we talk about taking the arts to the masses. But I think that people need that.
Tammy Zonker (00:34:43):
All goes back to relationships, right?
Matt Morse (00:34:48):
And staff. And I think that anybody working in the arts and culture, that's probably one of the biggest things they've learned from the pandemic, is relationships. And I hope that it's not something that hurdles away over the five years post the pandemic. I hope that we continue to strengthen these relationships and build on them, and understanding that it's not just the fundraiser that holds the relationships. It's the artistic director, it is Box Office people knowing who Tammy is when she steps inside the gallery. It's the artist, artists, I'm not going to say they didn't shock me, but I was pleasantly surprised how willing they were to roll up their sleeves to contact supporters, that they liked what they did and spend 30 minutes talking to them on the telephone.
You can also download the full transcript
Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
“I love Tammy and The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast” 👈 If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more fundraisers — just like you — become better fundraisers, faster. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this episode or about our podcast in general.
Subscribe to this podcast
Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!
Links mentioned in this episode
Masterclass 2022: The Art of (Donor) Influence with Tammy Zonker presented by Creative Partnerships Australia. Learn more and register
Masterclass 2022 Dates:
Sydney | Tuesday 10 May | BOOK NOW
Melbourne | Friday 13 May | BOOK NOW
Adelaide | Monday 16 May | BOOK NOW
Perth | Wednesday 18 May | BOOK NOW
Brisbane | Friday 20 May | BOOK NOW
Giving Attitude | Private Sector Support Survey 2020
A Blueprint to Grow Structured Giving
Big 4 Fundraising Conference 2022
Books mentioned in this episode
Your Amazing Brand Story by Tim Wood
Connect with our guest online
Connect with Tammy Zonker on social
You can also connect with Tammy on Twitter and Instagram at @tammyzonker, and on LinkedIn.
We can help you take your fundraising results to the next level
To get started, learn more about joining our exclusive Fundraising Transformers Community.
