Rethinking Theater Fundraising in a Time of Crisis
by Amy Fiore, Guest Editorial
Amy Fiore is a nonprofit leadership, planning, and fundraising consultant who served in executive roles for arts, education, and social service agencies including leadership roles at several esteemed Manhattan-based cultural institutions. As Managing Director for Sobel Bixel: Consulting for Nonprofits, Amy works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations specializing in strategic planning, fundraising planning and implementation, program and efficiency improvement, and board and staff training, coaching, and retreat facilitation. She also serves the Director of Development for Story Pirates Changemakers, the nonprofit arm of the celebrated Story Pirates.
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I came up through the ranks of nonprofit arts administration, eventually advancing into leadership roles at well-respected resident theater companies in NYC, primarily in development positions. When I left full-time employment to become a nonprofit consultant serving the health and human services sector alongside the arts, I had a rude awakening: theater fundraising was relying on outdated strategies and missing the mark on effective practices.
Yes, we excel at diversifying funding through ticket sales and grant proposals to sympathetic foundations. But we also tend to keep our boards at arm’s length, treat our audiences solely as ticket buyers rather than potential donors, and, perhaps most damaging, remain vague about our missions.
Through my work with organizations like A.R.T./NY and the NonProfit HelpDesk, I’ve tried to bring back some of the insights I’ve gained outside the arts sector. In the wake of NEA funding cuts and cancellations, I reached out to OnStage Blog to share these lessons more broadly, hoping to help more organizations navigate yet another challenging time.
First and foremost, fundraising success starts with relationships.
Whether it is a grant, sponsorship, or individual gift, at least one person has to make the decision to fund you. Your relationship with that person is key. This has always been true, but now more than ever.
Remember, NEA funding has always been a matching grant, so you have always needed to secure additional support to cover the rest of the project budget. This funding loss is a strong reason to reach out, update your supporters on this new challenge, and personally ask for increased support. Pick up the phone and call them. Request a meeting. Tell them about your NEA cuts. And while you’re at it, work with your marketing team to craft a message that shares the disappointing NEA news more broadly. One of the few silver linings in difficult times is rage giving. Give your supporters a reason to be angry alongside you—and an easy link where they can take action.
Next, remember that your funding contact will likely need to advocate for you to someone else—whether it's their foundation board, a grants panel, or even their spouse. That’s why it is essential to make your case for support tangible and easy for them to repeat in their own words.
Why do you need funding? Why does your organization matter? Now is the time to lean into your core mission. Be crystal clear in your messaging—why should diverse voices be given a spotlight? How can the subject matter of your productions serve as a catalyst for change? What makes you a champion of free speech, and why is theater vital at its core?
Incorporate those fundamental values into how you promote your entire organization so you're cultivating a future of donors and supporters. Especially in times like these, you galvanize support by delivering a clear message: you are more than just your most popular show, and you need your community’s support to remain that way. Always—but especially right now.
This absolutely includes your board. Once you've refined your messaging, train your board members to speak about the organization holistically and serve as ambassadors. Take the time to help them feel confident in articulating the broader value of your work and lean on them to help address the budget deficit.
This requires listening. It requires vulnerability. It requires sharing the reins. Most artistic directors I know aren’t especially comfortable with any of that—but nonprofits are meant to be run collaboratively (just like the theater!), and too often we don’t create space for the board to be more deeply involved. It’s long been proven that engaged boards give more and raise more. Asking them to help solve a funding challenge is a great place to start.
Know your audience.
If your ticket-buyer data lives in Telecharge and your donor data lives in Raiser’s Edge, you likely have no clear understanding of how invested your audience is in your mission. That $50 donor who never misses a show cares about your work and is likely willing to help in a financial crisis like this—so reach out to them.
On the other hand, the $50,000 donor who has never seen a show cares about something fundamentally different. They believe in the existence and preservation of live theater, not necessarily in the specific productions you stage. Reach out to them too, but tailor the conversation accordingly. The data in your CRMs is one of the most valuable assets your organization has. Don’t ignore it—and don’t be afraid to learn how to use it.
Look for resources.
If you're unfamiliar with A.R.T./NY, the NonProfit HelpDesk, or the dozens of other support organizations out there, you're missing out on free masterclasses in how to tackle challenges like the ones we’re facing now—and will continue to face, in both good times and bad. I know you don’t feel like you have time to sit in on a fundraising webinar. But the truth is, you don’t have time not to.
Lastly, keep doing the work.
Maybe this year, it’s just a staged reading. Find ways to pare your budget down to the bare essentials. Consider shared spaces and co-productions. Whatever you do, remember that theater has the power to convey complex social and political messages in ways that truly change hearts and minds. It’s why we are granted nonprofit status—because we are an essential part of free speech, in ways that are uniquely American. And right now, America needs the show to go on—however it can.