Saffron Hall

Photo credit © Saffron Hall.

Governance and fundraising counsel

Challenge

Saffron Hall is a philanthropy-founded, world-class concert hall in a secondary school in East Anglia in the UK. The challenge was to ensure appropriate governance and an active fundraising programme to support the Hall and its activities.

Response

Initially engaged to deliver an in-depth governance review, Philanthropy Company now works with Saffron Hall as an extension of its fundraising team to deliver practical fundraising support. We created a compelling case for support that articulates the need and value of the artistic programme, organisational vision, and learning and participation work. This has yielded significant Trust and Foundation income.

Saffron Hall is not an Arts Council England NPO, and it relies on funding from trusts and foundations, and donors; we are continuing to work with them and are currently focusing on grant applications to major trusts and foundations. Since early this year, we have worked with both Saffron Hall’s Development team and with the Learning and Participation team to shape an application for a multi-year project reaching into the East of England region, an area underserved by the arts; the project, that we are helping them define and articulate, will see them reach wider and more diverse audiences.

Impact

Saffron Hall was delighted with our work and the team was able to use the case for support as the basis for fundraising through 2021, and going forwards.  Following our work in early 2021, Saffron Hall was successful in securing funding to survive the lock-downs of 2021 and emerged on a sure footing after Covid-19 restrictions lifted.  Funding secured included from private trusts, donors, and a grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund third round.