“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II I often hear the expression, “theatre changed my life.” This September, it took on additional meaning for me when I heard it from a woman waiting to make her debut on Seattle Rep’s main stage… Read More »
By Allason Leitz (ARAD ‘19) ARAD was pleased to host Carl Sylvestre as part of its Spring Distinguished Speaker Series. Mr. Sylvester spoke about Fundraising for Social Change in the Performing Arts on February 25th, 2019. He has held senior positions at many cultural institutions including The Metropolitan Opera, Whitney Museum of American Art, New… Read More »
A recent visit to the 15th biennial National Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem, NC is a reminder of theatre’s role as a community builder. In a time when the news is often about divisions and the fear of the other, theatre remains a place where people can gather to share common values within the… Read More »
By Carl Sylvestre and Kimberly Reeve In this age of social media, many organizations are considering whether or not they need to continue or launch direct mail campaigns. While direct mail may seem like an old-school form of fundraising, it can often be an integral part of a comprehensive fundraising program. In this article, we… Read More »
Development is an ongoing process. Securing a gift is not the end of the process but the beginning of the next phase. Philanthropy is not a lifeless transaction that transfers money from one set of hands to another. The focus of philanthropy is to help people recognize that they are in the business of spreading… Read More »
After setting the groundwork with a prospect comes that critical part that is often the measure of your hard work – securing financial support. Solicitation of gifts is often seen as the single most difficult part of the fundraising process. You often arrive at this stage having identified some individuals interested in your organization and… Read More »
Once you have a manageable list of prospects, the next phase is the cultivation process. At this stage, you are not concerned about asking for money. The goal is to engage your prospects with your organization. Defining Cultivation Cultivate “is to foster the growth of” and so says the Webster dictionary. For fundraising development professionals,… Read More »