News & Insight
17th May 2023
Philanthropy Company Newsletter – May 2023
As we celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and look forward to the summer, here’s the latest news round-up from Philanthropy Company on what we and our clients have been doing.
Philanthropy Company at Heritage Day 2023
Philanthropy Company was delighted to be part of ‘Heritage Day 2023’, catching up with passionate and committed heritage professionals at the annual conference of the Heritage Alliance.
Held at The Charterhouse (an historic London gem with a fascinating history), it was time to celebrate – the conference marked the 20th anniversary of the Alliance, and there was a renewed sense of optimism. At our stand, Liz Purchase and Annalise Pask were delighted to speak to volunteers, managers, and owners of historic sites about fundraising. Post Covid, we have seen capital funding opportunities return, so we were pleased to hear of renewed plans to conserve and protect precious assets, rich in cultural value, and vital for tourism. Philanthropy Company works with charities and heritage organisations to build bids and align trusts and foundations funding with projects.
Caroline speaks to the Dutch arts community in Amsterdam
Caroline Underwood was delighted to be invited to Amsterdam by the Committee of the Netwerk Cultuurmecenaat to speak to and lead a working session with a lively and committed group of Dutch fundraisers, and to share thoughts about trends that will impact success for cultural organisations. 
‘5 questions’ with Erin Roesch
The third in our ‘5 questions’ series saw Annalise Pask interview Erin Roesch, Sage Foundation Partner and Customer Engagement Manager. In five minutes, Erin shared who she admires, her top tip for pitching to potential donors, and what makes her proud. Thank you for taking part, Erin.
Have a listen here.
A guide to major gifts prospect research
Kerry Rock, Chief Executive at Prospecting for Gold, spoke to our team to share her insight on major gifts prospect research. Prospecting for Gold has the UK’s largest prospect database; the organisation helps clients with prospect research that meets data protection requirements. Thank you for sharing your insights, Kerry. Read the full article here.
Client news
The King visits The Africa Centre
In January, His Majesty King Charles III visited our client The Africa Centre for a tour of its recently opened new HQ in Southwark, London. After being introduced to members of staff and Trustees, The King joined a roundtable discussion on the role of the African diaspora in the U.K., the effects of climate change in Africa, and how the impact can be mitigated.
Alde & Ore Estuary Trust wins Environment Agency Grant
We have been working with the Alde & Ore Estuary Trust since 2021 as it seeks to raise funding for urgently needed flood defences on this beautiful part of the East Anglian coast. A vital component for igniting the campaign was the obtaining of a commitment from the Environment Agency. After much delay, a grant of £12m was finally secured and we are delighted for all those involved. We will now build on our extensive preparatory work, liaising closely with trustees and volunteers as they embark on
a public phase campaigning over the next couple of years so that both phases of the works can be fully funded through a mixture of grants, major donations and public giving. To learn more about the project, please watch a video narrated by broadcaster Nick Robinson here: https://www.aoetrust.org/about
Helping Ecclesiastical provide top tips for fundraising
As part of our ongoing work with Ecclesiastical, part of the Benefact Group, on its fundraising support for churches, we were pleased to contribute this blog, written by our consultant Nick Moore, outlining some top tips for continuing to fundraise successfully in a cost of living crisis.
https://www.ecclesiastical.com/church/fundraising/during-cost-of-living-crisis/
Company news
Andrew Thomas to join St Hilda’s College
We are proud that our friend and colleague Andrew Thomas has been appointed Development Director of St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford. Philanthropy Company has a long history of collaborations, fundraising and engagement with the University Development Office and many of the colleges, including St Edmund Hall. We wish Andrew every success in his new role, which starts in July.
James Hernandez
We shine the spotlight on one of our consultants, James Hernandez
James has over 27 years of fundraising and business development experience. He has worked across a range of areas including Museums and Galleries, Community Development and Regeneration, Arts, Heritage and Culture.
He has developed and delivered a range of diverse fundraising campaigns and has successfully fundraised for major capital projects including the International Slavery Museum, Lady Lever Art Gallery and Museum of Liverpool. James has secured six and seven figure grants from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Government, Arts Council England, European Commission and private foundations.
He has pioneered and led many diverse community organisations including Liverpool Community Spirit (Co-Founder, former Chair/Trustee); Brouhaha International (former Chair), and The Greenhouse Multi-Cultural Play and Arts Project (former Chair).
James is a Trustee of The Royal Albert Dock Charitable Foundation and is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of Diversify Your Talent, a Cultural Change and Diverse Recruitment Community Interest Company.
At Philanthropy Company, James works with our client The Africa Centre – as featured above.
