Raising and Earning Money
Raising and Earning Money Learning Cohort 2025–26 Overview
This fully funded training and development programme supports museums and heritage organisations across the North of England to strengthen their fundraising and income generation capability. Whether you are just starting out with fundraising or looking to build a more strategic and sustainable approach, this programme is designed to help.
The course is delivered by Museum Development Adviser Alan Bentley and Museum Development Manager Michael Turnpenny, with contributions from a range of expert guest speakers. There will be five online structured sessions covering key themes, a digital resource hub, and optional follow-on action learning sets in early 2026.
Aims
- Build knowledge and confidence in a range of fundraising and income generation methods
- Encourage strategic and ethical fundraising practices
- Help organisations develop realistic and actionable fundraising plans
- Provide tools and peer support to take ideas forward
What the programme offers
Five online training sessions (Sept 2025 – Feb 2026) with an expectation of full commitment to attending all the sessions
Access to an online resource hub which make available all resources, templates and tools
Action Learning Sets (Feb–March 2026) structured peer group support to help you address specific organisational challenges
Topics covered:
- Introduction to fundraising principles
- Grant funding and writing successful applications
- Individual giving and legacy fundraising
- Corporate sponsorship and partnership building
- Commercial income and trading opportunities
- Fundraising ethics, monitoring and evaluation
Who can apply?
- Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation museums in the North of England
- Staff or volunteers with responsibility or interest in developing fundraising
- Organisations that can commit to the full programme and have support to implement learning
Benefits of participation
- Increased fundraising skills and confidence
- New tools and templates to support income planning
- Insights from expert speakers and peer museums
- Opportunities to test ideas in a supportive environment
What last year’s participants said
“We will be able to more effectively and confidently communicate with donors about our needs and impact.” – Small multi-site service
“We’ll look into licensing designs and working with the local authority to explore product development. This session helped clarify the process.” – Small independent museum
How to apply
Please complete the online Expression of Interest form by Sunday 9 June 2025. Places are limited and priority is given to applicants who can show a commitment to applying the learning for the benefit of their museum.
If you have any questions about the programme or your eligibility, please contact: Alan Bentley Museum Development Adviser alan.bentley@museumdevelopmentnorth.org.uk