Mary Rose Trust
The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s ill-fated warship, sank in 1545 while fighting French invasion and was only raised in 1982, over 400 years later. Over the years, half of the ship had become buried in silt in the Solent, along with thousands of other artefacts. The silt provided fantastic conditions for preservation and the excavated ship and her contents are now proudly displayed in the beautiful Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth.
(Photo Credit – Mary Rose Trust)
The Brief
After a major capital campaign, raising £38m from donors and funders from around the country, the redeveloped Mary Rose Museum reopened fully in 2016. The Mary Rose Trust is now preparing to secure the future of the Mary Rose as a ‘must-experience’ British cultural icon, known across the world. A critical part of this will be moving from capital to revenue fundraising, to ensure that the Trust can conserve this monumental piece of cultural heritage for the research, study and enjoyment of people for generations to come.
Our Response
To support the move from capital campaign to revenue fundraising, a team at Philanthropy Company completed the following:
- Creation of a comprehensive overarching Revenue Fundraising Strategy.
- Development of a refreshed Case for Support, along with opportunities for giving.
- Creation of an extensive prospect list, including prospects from the UK and the US.
- Conducted a ‘Making the Ask’ training workshop to support major donor fundraising.
Impact
“Philanthropy Company helped us think through our Revenue Fundraising Strategy, created a compelling case for support and researched prospects. It gave us confidence that we were focusing in the right areas and helped us hone our skills in ‘making the ask’ to donors. They were an excellent choice, very professional and experienced.”
Helen Bonser-Wilton, Chief Executive, Mary Rose Trust