FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & PLAN

FOR
THE SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
2017-2020

THE SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 207037

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………2

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………….3

Aims of the Strategy…………………………………………………………....4

Analysis of Current Activities………………………………………………….5

Priorities & Fundamental Themes……………………………………………...7

Development Areas……………………………………………………………9

Table of Fundraising Actions……………………………………………..…...10

Fundraising Action Plan……………………………………………………….20

1
Introduction
Founded in 1846, the Sussex Archaeological Society is one of the oldest archaeological
societies in the world, and the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The Society has boasted thousands of members across three centuries, including such
fascinating figures as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Nobel Prize-
winning writer Rudyard Kipling.
The Society’s aims have always emphasised an all-encompassing approach to the promotion
and study of archaeology and history, in all its guises, and the Society remains true to this
ethos today. It opens museums and historic properties to the public; offers a varied and rich
educational service; provides research facilities, specialist libraries, and a finds identification
service to the public; organises excavations, walks, talks and conferences on the archaeology
and history of Sussex for its members and the public; and cares for a unique range of
artefacts, properties, and landscape features.
Within its museums, the Society holds an unparalleled collection relating to the history and
culture of Sussex, from prehistoric eras right up to the present day.
The Society owns properties and objects with direct connections to many famous names
throughout history, including Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII; Thomas Cromwell,
chief minister to King Henry VIII, and recent subject of the Booker Prize-winning novel Wolf
Hall and its theatrical and television adaptations; Thomas Paine, the intellectual inspiration
for the American Revolution; and Gideon & Mary Ann Mantell, who together were
responsible for many of the very first discoveries of dinosaur bones and fossils.
The Society is a registered charity, which has to generate funding for all of its ongoing costs
from its own activities. It currently welcomes over 160,000 visitors to its museums and
historic properties on an annual basis, has a membership base of almost 3,000 individuals,
and is strongly supported by five affiliated volunteer Friends Groups.
It is truly a unique organisation.

2
Executive Summary
The Sussex Archaeological Society is a registered charity. Its charitable aims are: “…to
promote, encourage and foster the study of archaeology and history in all their branches
(with special reference to the Counties of East and West Sussex).”
Having been through an intensive period of cross-organisational development over the last
period the Society has determined that it is currently in a strong position to develop its
fundraising activities. This Fundraising Strategy is a component of the Society’s ongoing
enhancement and development.
The key aims of the Fundraising Strategy are: to diversify the Society’s income, in order to
improve its financial sustainability; and to put procedures in place for effective long-term
fundraising management.
The Fundraising Strategy has been developed by analysing the Society’s past and current
fundraising activities, as well as the current fundraising climate, including detailed
considerations of the risks related to fundraising. The Fundraising Strategy is designed to
work in conjunction with the Society’s Strategic Plan (2016-2020).
In developing the Fundraising Strategy, the Society’s current priorities have been considered,
and three have been highlighted as being particularly relevant: developing the Society’s
financial reserves, funding the development projects outlined in the Strategic Plan, and
establishing fundraising rules and procedures of best practice for the Society.
Considering all of these factors, seven areas of fundraising have been identified as the key
areas to focus the Society’s fundraising efforts:
- Legacy Giving
- Major Donors
- Grant-Making Organisations
- Corporate Giving
- Online Giving
- Fundraising Management
- Miscellaneous (other related activities which directly support fundraising)
A series of actions has been developed for each of these areas, and the actions have been
prioritised and timetabled in an action plan, designed to align with the Strategic Plan.
By following these actions through the Fundraising Strategy period (2017-2020), the Society
hopes to increase and diversify its income, and establish procedures for effective long-term
fundraising management.
As the Fundraising Strategy period draws to an end, the strategy will be reviewed, and a
new strategy created in conjunction with a new Strategic Plan.

3
Aims of the Strategy
The role of the fundraising strategy is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Society,
so that it can continue to provide its exceptional services and learning experiences for many
years to come.
Creating a dedicated cross-organisational Fundraising Strategy for the Sussex Archaeological
Society represents a significant opportunity to strengthen and develop the Society’s
fundraising activities.
The overall aims of the Fundraising Strategy are:
- to increase and diversify the Society’s income, in order to improve its financial
sustainability;
and
- to introduce systems and procedures to unite fundraising efforts and record-keeping
across the organisation, in order to support fundraising activity for the long-term.

It is essential that the Fundraising Strategy aligns with the Society’s overall organisational
Strategic Plan (2016-2020).
Establishing the Fundraising Strategy is one of the aims of the Strategic Plan, featured as part
of the fourth of the Six Core Aims: “Establish a coherent fundraising strategy and
programme.”
However, fundraising is also relevant to each of the other of the Six Core Aims, as it
touches on all areas of the Society’s activities. Fostering an understanding of the cross-
organisational relevance of fundraising should therefore be one of the key aspirations of the
Fundraising Strategy.
It is also essential that the Fundraising Strategy runs parallel to the Strategic Plan,
considering the timeline of actions and when and how specific funding will be required. In
order to achieve this, the Fundraising Strategy has been developed to run until the end of
2020 so that it follows the timeframe of the Strategic Plan.
Furthermore, this will allow the next Strategic Plan to be developed in unison with the next
Fundraising Strategy, building on the knowledge gained to develop a robust series of
objectives to celebrate the Society’s 175th anniversary in 2021.

4
Analysis of Current Activities
During the process of creating this Fundraising Strategy document, a cross-organisational
fundraising review was undertaken, in order to ascertain the Society’s past and current
approaches to fundraising.
Key staff across the various sites were interviewed on all aspects of fundraising, and the
findings are outlined below.
Fundraising Strengths
- The Society has generated over £7m of fundraising income in the last 20 years.

- The Society has had strong success in gaining funding for numerous major projects
from grant-making organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council
England, and The Monument Trust. However, the Society’s limited resources have
defined the quantity of applications it can support. The Fundraising Strategy will seek
to build on this previous success, and set further targets for identifying, approaching
and building relationships with potential funders for specific projects. It will also seek
to enable the development of initiatives which in turn increase the Society’s capacity
to develop and deliver further projects.

- The Society has received a great deal of corporate support, from organisations
including American Express, Topps Tiles, and F3Group. This support has come both
in the form of funding, and also through volunteering and the donation of materials.
This is especially noteworthy, as it demonstrates an understanding within the Society
of the range of ways in which supporters can help charitable organisations.

- During the review, a number of staff suggested novel fundraising ideas, and the
Society has also had recent success with efforts to diversify its income from visitors
and the general public. Continuing to encourage this atmosphere of creativity will
allow the Society to identify a greater number of fundraising opportunities, and trial
new ideas to further diversify its income.

- The Society’s efforts to maximise Gift Aid contributions have been highly successful,
especially from admissions and memberships fees. This could be enhanced for
general donations, and a cross-organisational understanding of Gift Aid could be
further improved.

- As stated in the Organisational Strategy, “One of the things which makes the Society
unique is the diversity and the richness of its constituent parts.” This uniqueness is
one of the Society’s most significant fundraising strengths, and should be emphasised
further to maximise the compelling and engaging nature of its case for support.

- One of the Society’s greatest fundraising strengths is the sense of community which
it has helped develop around each of its historic properties and the organisation as a
whole. Having a strong support base within the local community will be of great
benefit to future fundraising activities.

5
Areas to Develop
- Due to the disparate nature of the Society, with staff working across seven different
sites, it has proven a challenge to unify the Society’s fundraising records. Developing
a system of centralised record-keeping will support the formation of long-term
relationships with funders and donors, and help coordinate the formation of strategic
fundraising plans.

- The Society should work harder to emphasise long-term and repeat giving in its
fundraising efforts. This will help the Society to improve its financial sustainability by
providing a more consistent stream of fundraising income.

- There has been little trustee-led fundraising in the Society’s history. This is a key
area for development, as board fundraising in heritage charities is typically a
significant element in major donor and philanthropic giving. The establishment of a
fundraising group and the recruitment of trustees with skills and experience, as well
as contacts and influence, to support this area is a key priority.

- Developing the Society’s brand should also be considered a key component for
improving fundraising. This is important, as donors are much more likely to support
a charity if they feel familiar with it. Furthermore, by creating a more unified brand,
the Society’s case for support will be strengthened, as donors will be able to
understand more clearly the true breadth of work the Society undertakes.

- A number of other charities within the heritage and arts sectors currently operate
within the same region as the Society, so there should be a greater awareness of
how their fundraising approaches have been managed and what the ‘competition’ is.
Specific charities to consider
include: The Charleston Trust,
Glyndebourne, Arundel Castle, The
Sussex Heritage Trust, Amberley
Museum & Heritage Centre, and
The Novium Museum.

- The Society should work to

establish, maintain, and develop
stronger relationships with its
supporters. This would not only
benefit the Society’s supporters, by
giving them a greater sense of the
importance of their contributions,
but would also help the Society to
continue to identify future funding
sources, by encouraging a culture of
repeat giving and by identifying new
sources through maintaining a wider
network of contacts.

6
Priorities & Fundamental Themes
In addition to considering the Society’s past and current approaches to fundraising, it is also
essential that the Society’s priorities are considered, so that the areas of fundraising which
are best suited to addressing these priorities can be given the greatest precedence within
the Fundraising Strategy.
Following on from this, some fundamental themes of the Fundraising Strategy are outlined.
These are included in order to illustrate the thought process behind the Fundraising
Strategy, and some of the key ideas which should be understood by all of the Society’s staff,
volunteers, and trustees.
Priorities
- Developing the Society’s financial reserves
o Increasing the funds in the Society’s reserves is a key priority, as it is linked to
the larger aim of improving the Society’s financial sustainability. Therefore,
the Fundraising Strategy should look to focus on areas which could support
the develop of the Society’s financial reserves.
- Development projects
o The Society’s Strategic Plan lists the projects which the Society aims to
deliver over the period 2016-2020. These projects have been ordered by
date and priority, so the Fundraising Strategy should look to identify
fundraising sources corresponding to these factors.
- Best practice
o Establishing a dedicated cross-organisational Fundraising Strategy for the
Society offers a significant opportunity to put standards of best practice in
place, to ensure that the Society’s fundraising is in keeping with legal and
professional standards.
Fundamental Themes
- Diversifying income
o Currently, over 85% of the Society’s income comes from earned sources.
This puts the Society in a vulnerable position, making its income highly
dependent on visitor numbers. To address this, the Fundraising Strategy
should seek to increase and diversify the Society’s income streams. However,
it is also important that diversification takes place within fundraising, so that
donations are coming from a range of sources. By looking to always diversify
its income streams, the Society will be able to move closer to the key goal,
highlighted in the Strategic Plan, of improving sustainability.
- Long-term giving
o In order to build a sustainable Fundraising Strategy, it is vital that the Society
seeks to encourage long-term giving. This means encouraging donors to give
not just once, but on a recurring basis. This will lead to greater sustainability
because it will provide more consistent income streams.
- A long-term plan
o Fundraising plans can often take a long time to yield results – especially for
areas such as legacy giving and major donors. Therefore, the Fundraising

7
 Strategy must take a long-term view, and all of the Society’s staff, volunteers,
and trustees must be committed to the Fundraising Strategy for the long-
term, ensuring its continuation for the full designated period (2017-2020) and
the formation of a new strategy beyond that. One of the most significant
challenges of this is the fact that the current Fundraising Officer post is a
fixed-term position, so funding will be sought to create a more permanent
fundraising position within the Society’s staff.
- Cross-organisational commitment
o For the Fundraising Strategy to succeed, it must emphasise the fact that all
work is related to, and impacts upon, fundraising. By fostering a fundraising
mindset across all of the organisation’s activities, the Society will achieve
much greater and more consistent success. In line with this, the Society
should aim to embed fundraising messages in all its literature and marketing
materials to raise awareness for the need for support.
- Asking for donations
o Donors are unlikely to support a charitable organisation unless they are
asked. Therefore, the Society should take a more active approach to asking
for donations. This can range from making donation boxes onsite more
attractive, to sending direct appeals for specific projects to the Society’s
members.
- The donor’s perspective
o Considering the donor’s perspective is vital for all areas of fundraising. It will
allow the Society to make its fundraising appeals more engaging and effective,
and will also help to ensure that the Society is managing risks related to
public perceptions.
- Establishing and maintaining relationships
o Charitable support most often stems from some form of personal
connection. Therefore, fundraising efforts should always be aligned with the
further aim of establishing and maintaining relationships. This can range from
providing exceptional onsite customer service, to inviting specific donors to
relevant events.
- The importance of thanking
o Whenever any donations are received, the supporter must be thanked. This
not only serves a practical purpose – providing the donor with
documentation for their own financial records – but also shows the donor
that their support is valued, making them more likely to become a repeat
giver.

8
Development Areas
Taking into account the Society’s past and present fundraising activities, its current
priorities, and the current fundraising climate, the following have been identified as the key
development areas to focus on in the Fundraising Strategy.
- Legacy Giving
o Legacy Giving is a low-cost area of fundraising with potentially high yields.
Given the Society’s strong network of supporters, a Legacy Giving
programme could be a highly successful area of fundraising for the Society.
Furthermore, given the fact that legacy gifts are often large, unrestricted
donations, it could be a potential source for developing the Society’s financial
reserves.
- Major Donors
o Identifying new major donors for the Society was highlighted as a key aim in
the Strategic Plan. Therefore, it must take a central place in the Fundraising
Strategy.
- Grant-Making Organisations
o Given the vast range of projects the Society hopes to undertake as part of
the Strategic Plan, it is vital that the Fundraising Strategy focusses on grant-
making organisations, so that funding can be secured for these projects. The
Society’s Friends Groups are included under this heading.
- Corporate Giving
o Developing long-term relationships with corporate partners will support the
Society’s financial sustainability and provide potential funding sources for the
projects outlined in the Strategic Plan.
- Online Giving
o The development and improvement of the Society’s website was highlighted
as a key aim of the Strategic Plan. Developing easier and more engaging ways
for donors to support the society online must form an essential part of this
aim, especially given the continuing increases in online giving which are
evident in the current fundraising climate.
- Fundraising Management
o This area will seek to put systems and procedures in place to unite
fundraising efforts and record-keeping across the organisation, supporting the
Society’s dedication to following best fundraising practice. It will also ensure
that the Society continues to identify and respond to potential fundraising
risks.
- Miscellaneous
o Additional actions necessary to improve the Society’s fundraising are listed
under this heading.

In the following sections, the actions for each of these key areas are listed, and colour-
coded by priority: high (red), medium (orange), and low (yellow).
Resource allocation for these actions will be managed through the Society’s Project
Development framework.

9
Table of Fundraising Actions
Reference Action Estimated Lead Staff and
Cost Committees
LEGACY GIVING
(LG)
LG01 Develop procedure for receiving NA Fundraising Officer;
legacy gifts and pledges CEO
Recording and responding to legacy
gifts and pledges can be more
complex than receiving other types
of donation, so a clear and detailed
procedure should be put in place to
help staff understand the step-by-
step process.
LG02 Set legacy targets NA Fundraising Officer;
Some realistic targets should be set. CEO;
However, there should be room for Trustees;
flexibility and reviewing, as Fundraising Group
responses to legacy giving campaigns
can be highly unpredictable.
LG03 Coordinate elements of previous NA Fundraising Officer;
legacy giving campaigns CEO
The previous legacy giving campaign
contained a ‘Will for Free’ element
(by which the Society offered to pay
legal fees for anyone making out
their will). A decision should be
made whether or not to retain this,
and, if it is retained, partnerships
with local solicitors will have to be
re-established.
LG04 Create designated page on website NA Fundraising Officer;
The page on the website should be CEO;
detailed, providing an expansive case Marketing Officer
for support and more information
on how an individual can go about
writing a will and leaving a legacy.
LG05 Design a new leaflet Estimated Fundraising Officer;
The leaflet should be concise and £500 for 2,000 CEO;
should include: the case for support, leaflets Marketing Officer
a returnable pledge form, a
statement advising potential donors
to seek professional legal advice
when composing their will, relevant
contact details, information on the
tax benefits of legacy giving, and a
recommendation to visit the website
for more details.
LG06 Design promotional bookmarks Estimated Fundraising Officer;
Bookmarks are a nice ‘freebie’ and £300 for 5,000 CEO;
can be an effective way of spreading double-sided Marketing Officer;
the message of legacy giving in a less bookmarks Museums Officer

10
 direct way. They could be made
available throughout all sites, and
could also be distributed to local
libraries, bookstores, local solicitors,
tourist information. They could also
be inserted into any members’
mailings and enclosed with any
website orders.
LG07 Design and distribute posters NA Fundraising Officer;
Posters can easily be designed and Marketing Officer
printed ‘in house’, and distributing
them across all the sites would help
to emphasise the Society’s charitable
status and inform visitors of the
legacy giving scheme.
LG08 Promotion to members Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
The Society’s members are a key approach. CEO;
audience for legacy giving. It could Membership
be promoted with a small article in Secretary;
the Society newsletter or with a Newsletter Editor;
specific mail-out. Trustees

LG09 Social Media Promotion NA Fundraising Officer;

Remember a Charity in Your Will Marketing Officer
Week occurs annually in September,
and could be promoted via social
media.
LG10 Create systems to build up a mailing NA Fundraising Officer;
list Marketing Officer;
As mentioned earlier, the legacy Membership Secretary
giving leaflet should feature a
returnable pledge form. This, and all
other relevant leaflets (such as
donation leaflets, and members’
leaflets, etc.) should look to include
a tickable box stating “Please tick if
you would like to receive
information about leaving a gift to
the Sussex Archaeological Society in
your will.” A mailing list can slowly
be built up using this data, giving
interested individuals an easy means
of getting information on legacy
giving.
LG11 Legacy giving events Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
The legacy giving campaign could be number of CEO;
expanded with special events attendees. Trustees;
designed to provide invitees with Likely £100- Fundraising Group
more information on leaving a gift in £200 for
their will. An invitation list could be refreshments.
built up from the mailing list (see
above), specific members, or from
the Friends groups.

11
 LG12 Publicise pledges and gifts NA Fundraising Officer;
Provided that the Society has Marketing Officer;
received permission, it should look CEO;
to publicise any significant legacy Newsletter Editor
pledges or gifts in the local press
and in its own materials.
LG13 Promotional film Dependant on Fundraising Officer;
A film could be useful for future approach – if CEO;
legacy events and online done ‘in- Marketing Officer
promotions. However, some house’ cost
pledges would need to have been could be £0; if
made first, as the film should include done by a
interviews and examples of the professional
work legacies have made possible studio could
for the Society. be £1,000+
LG14 Legacy circle Approx £200 Fundraising Officer;
The Legacy Circle would be an per year for CEO
exclusive group for those who have events and
pledged to leave a legacy to the mail-outs
Society. There might be two events
per year, where Legacy Circle
members can meet each other, talk
to staff, and learn about what is
going on with the society. It might
also include a biannual letter.
MAJOR DONORS
(MD)
MD01 Create filing systems to record NA Fundraising Officer
donor information
A centralised filing system should be
put in place to record information
on existing donors as well as
prospective donors.
MD02 Conduct research to identify NA Fundraising Officer;
prospects CEO;
Major donor prospects should be Trustees
researched and identified by
considering the contacts of the
Society’s trustees and existing major
donors. The Society’s previous
supporters should be considered as
well, especially those who have been
regular donors. Additional prospects
might be identified within the
members, Friends Groups, and by
researching the supporters of other
local and heritage charities.
MD03 Produce ‘donor prospectus’ Estimated Fundraising Officer;
This will be a glossy booklet, £600 to print CEO;
featuring a history of the Society, 250. May be Marketing Officer;
along with its values and a case for more if there Museums Officer
support. It will serve as professional are design
piece of promotional material, costs.
showcasing the best of the Society,

12
 and aimed at major donors and
funders.
MD04 Produce donation leaflet Estimated Fundraising Officer;
These leaflets would be useful for a £500 for 2,000 CEO;
number of reasons: they could leaflets Marketing Officer;
provide interested donors with a Museums Officer
concise case for support for the
Society; the removeable donation
forms could capture information for
the Society’s records, as well as Gift
Aid information; and they could be
used at events and throughout all
the sites as way of spreading the
message of the Society’s need for
support.
MD05 Develop a range of benefits and Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
opportunities for major donors benefits CEO;
Although major donors are usually Trustees;
not motivated to donate because of Fundraising Group
specific benefits, it is essential that
the Society can offer some as a way
of showing gratitude and facilitating
ongoing contact. Benefits may
include: life membership, branded
gifts, tickets to events, as well as
bespoke opportunities. Note: these
benefits must comply with Gift Aid
regulations.
MD06 Identify potential naming NA Fundraising Officer;
opportunities CEO;
Any potential naming opportunities Property Managers
across the Society’s sites should be
identified and ‘priced’, so that they
can be offered as incentives to
potential major donors.
MD07 Develop Patrons scheme Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
Three Patrons ‘levels’ will offer benefits CEO;
existing members the opportunity Membership Secretary
to make a higher annual
contribution to support the Society,
in return for certain benefits.
MD08 Major donor events Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
This action forms part of the event and CEO;
Strategic Plan (reference: MAR 1). guest list size. Trustees;
These events may take the form of a Estimated Property Managers
series of fundraising dinners across £500-£1,000
the Society’s properties, or behind- per event.
the-scenes tours.
GRANT-MAKING
ORGANISATIONS
(GM)
GM01 Purchase Society subscription to £510 annual Fundraising Officer;
Trustfunding subscription CEO;
Trustfunding is a subscription-based for five users. Finance Officer

13
 database for UK trusts and
foundations. Purchasing a
subscription will allow staff
members to conduct stronger
research on potential trusts and
foundations.
GM02 Create master spreadsheet for NA Fundraising Officer
grant-making organisations
All basic information related to
grant-making organisations (date of
applications, application amounts,
outcome, etc.) should be recorded
in a single master spreadsheet,
providing an overview of the
Society’s history with all grant-
making organisations.
GM03 Create filing system for grant- NA Fundraising Officer
making organisations
Each individual grant-making
organisation will have its own
designated digital folder, where all
communication, research
information, prior applications, etc.
will be stored.
GM04 Set protocols for applying to grant- NA Fundraising Officer;
making organisations CEO
Protocols need to be set to ensure
that all relevant information on
grant-making organisations is being
recorded, and in order for the
Society to have a fully joined-up
fundraising approach. These
protocols should aim to be both
robust and easy to use.
GM05 Review project proposal form NA CEO;
minimum threshold Trustees
This review will consider the
thresholds and administrative
requirements for project funding
procedures and processes.
GM06 Identify potential funders and match NA Fundraising Officer;
them to projects CEO;
The Society should work to identify Trustees;
grant-making organisations and Property Managers
match them to each of the projects
outlined in the Strategic Plan. The
Society should also aim to build
relationships with funders.
GM07 Create timeline of applications NA Fundraising Officer
Using the list of potential funders, a
timeline of applications should be
created. This should be continually
updated, becoming an ongoing
calendar of applications to be made.

14
 The timeline should be ordered
based on a number of factors,
including project priority, grant-
making organisation deadlines, and
probability of success.
GM08 Apply to grant-making organisations NA Fundraising Officer;
This ongoing action will allow the CEO;
Society to apply for funding from Property Managers;
grant-making organisations on a Museums Officer;
consistent basis. Education & Outreach
Officer
CORPORATE
GIVING (CG)
CG01 Develop corporate giving guidelines NA Fundraising Officer;
and protocols CEO
These guidelines should establish the
best practice and legal
considerations for corporate giving.
CG02 Create filing system for corporate NA Fundraising Officer
giving
Each individual corporate supporter
will have its own designated digital
folder, where all communication,
research information, prior
applications, etc. can be stored.
CG03 Research and identification NA Fundraising Officer;
Potential corporate supporters CEO;
should be identified by analysing Trustees;
previous supporters, researching Property Managers
supporters of other local charities
and heritage sites, and identifying
local businesses which may be
complementary to the Society and
its unique selling points.
CG04 Match prospects to project and type NA Fundraising Officer;
of support CEO;
Each prospect should be matched to Property Managers
a specific type of support, and,
where possible, specific projects.
CG05 Develop corporate giving benefits Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
Having a specific list of benefits to benefits CEO
offer potential corporate partners
will reinforce the Society’s
professionalism and show its
dedication to recognising its
supporters.
CG06 Develop corporate membership Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
scheme benefits CEO;
Establishing a corporate membership Membership Secretary
scheme will help to encourage long-
term giving from corporate
partners.
CG07 Create timeline of applications NA Fundraising Officer;
Using the list of potential funders, a CEO

15
 timeline of applications to potential
corporate partners should be
created.
CG08 Apply to potential corporate NA Fundraising Officer;
partners CEO;
This ongoing action will allow the Property Managers
Society to apply for funding from
grant-making organisations on a
consistent basis.
CG09 Begin listing corporate supporters NA Fundraising Officer;
on website Marketing Officer
This not only provides existing
supporters with some publicity, but
also shows potential supporters the
range of successful corporate
partnerships the Society has
previously managed.
ONLINE GIVING
(OG)
OG01 Outline fundraising improvements to NA Fundraising Officer;
be made to the website CEO;
A document should be created Marketing Officer
detailing all of the suggested changes
that should be made to the website
in order to optimise the fundraising
message. The changes will then be
made as part of the “Enhancement
of the Society's website” action
outlined in the Strategic Plan.
OG02 Continue to monitor the website NA Fundraising Officer
and respond to feedback
This ongoing action will involve
regularly checking the various
fundraising pages to ensure that they
are up-to-date and all links are
working. Any feedback from users,
as well as staff and volunteers,
should be taken on board and acted
upon accordingly.
OG03 Email appeals to newsletter NA Fundraising Officer;
subscribers Membership Secretary
Sending direct appeals to supporters
via email may be a useful way of
transmitting the fundraising message
through an additional channel. The
Society already has an existing
newsletter mailing list, and might
consider working to build up
additional mailing lists for other
needs.
OG04 Giving Tuesday NA Fundraising Officer;
This online campaign takes place Marketing Officer
every year in the run-up to
Christmas, and aims to encourage

16
 charitable giving online. The society
could participate via email and social
media.
FUNDRAISING
MANAGEMENT
(FM)
FM01 Collate previous donations NA Fundraising Officer;
Fundraising records across all of the CEO;
Society’s sites should be brought Property Managers;
together, and all previous donations Museums Officer;
collated into a series of organised Education & Outreach
records. These records can be used Officer;
to identify potential donors and Finance Officer;
build mailing lists for specific Membership Secretary
fundraising campaigns.
FM02 Establish fundraising group NA Fundraising Officer;
A fundraising group should be CEO;
established, and its aims clearly Property Managers;
outlined. The group should include Trustees
all relevant staff, volunteers and
trustees. The group should hold
meetings, and there should be a
regular ‘newsletter’ sent to the
group updating them on fundraising
progress across the organisation.
FM03 Create ‘Code of Fundraising’ for the NA Fundraising Officer;
Society CEO;
This statement will be a declaration Trustees;
of the Society’s commitment to best Fundraising Group
fundraising practice. It will be signed
by all relevant staff and trustees.
FM04 Create procedure for processing NA Fundraising Officer
and claiming Gift Aid
Only one individual currently
processes the Society’s Gift Aid
information and submits the claims
to HMRC. To minimise risk, a
procedure document should be
created, allowing others to
complete the process should they
ever need to in the future.
FM05 Review data protection laws NA Fundraising Officer;
In order to ensure that the Society’s CEO;
record-keeping is consistent with Personnel Officer;
data protection laws, a review Trustees;
should be undertaken. Membership Secretary
FM06 Establish protocol for recording NA Fundraising Officer;
fundraising complaints Fundraising Group
In accordance with the Charities
(Protection and Social Investment)
Act 2016, the Society is now
obligated to report on any
complaints it receives about its
fundraising in its annual accounts.

17
 (This is listed as a low priority as the
Society has no history of ever having
received complaints about its
fundraising.)
FM07 Obtain further funding to support NA Fundraising Officer;
the Society’s fundraising CEO;
In anticipation of the completion of Trustees
the fixed term Fundraising Officer
post, funding will be sought to
ensure that the Society is able to
support its fundraising activities
beyond this period.
FM08 Create handover documents of NA Fundraising Officer
Fundraising Officer responsibilities
Prior to the completion of the
Fundraising Officer post, a handover
document should be created to
delegate responsibilities and outline
specific procedures.
FM09 Fundraising Strategy review NA CEO;
After the Fundraising Strategy’s first Trustees;
year, and again as it nears Fundraising Group
completion in 2020, reviews should
be undertaken to analyse its success
and areas for future improvement.
FM10 Development of new Fundraising NA CEO;
Strategy Trustees;
Before the completion of this Fundraising Group
Fundraising Strategy period, a new
Fundraising Strategy should be
created to continue to guide the
Society’s fundraising.
MISCELLANEOUS
(MS)
MS01 Recruit new trustees NA CEO;
When new trustees are being Trustees
recruited, their ability to help with
the Society’s fundraising efforts
should be considered.
MS02 Establish a Friends Group for Lewes £1,000 start- Fundraising Officer;
Castle up costs CEO;
This action is outlined in the Marketing Officer;
Strategic Plan (reference MAR 2). Properties
Committee
MS03 Develop commemorative giving Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
programme for weddings approach Property Managers;
A series of commemorative giving Weddings &
opportunities should be established Functions Manager
to target the weddings market.
MS04 Launch ‘Sponsor a Book’ campaign Less than £50 Fundraising Officer;
in Barbican House library to print flyers Librarian
Flyers will be produced advertising and
this small campaign, which will offer bookplates
donors the chance to ‘Sponsor a

18
 Book’ in return for a donation of
£25. The donor’s name will be
handwritten on a bookplate and
inserted into a new book or a book
of their choosing (where
appropriate) in the library.
MS05 Design and purchase new donation Dependent on Fundraising Officer;
boxes for each property design choices CEO;
New donation boxes should be for large Property Managers
purchased for all of the sites. Each donation
site should have at least one large boxes.
donation box and one small, but Estimated
larger sites should have more. The £2,000 -
smaller boxes should feature £5,000 total
consistent branding, with for all new
‘personalisation’ for each specific donation
site; and the larger boxes should be boxes.
branded, and emphasise
‘interactivity’. This will be part of a
larger aim to improve onsite giving,
and staff and volunteers will be
trained to encourage visitors to
donate, where appropriate (e.g.
following a guided tour).
MS06 Development of 50th anniversary Estimated Fundraising Officer;
fundraising plans for Fishbourne £1,000 - CEO;
Roman Palace £3,000 for Fishbourne Roman
The 50th anniversary of Fishbourne publicity and Palace Property
opening as a museum takes place in events. Manager;
2018, so significant fundraising plans Trustees
should be put in place around this
milestone.
MS07 Annual appeals to members NA Fundraising Officer;
Each year an appeal for a specific CEO;
project should be sent to the Membership
members. Secretary;
Newsletter Editor
MS08 Fundraising posters NA Fundraising Officer
A range of fundraising posters
should be created and distributed
across all sites. Each poster should
highlight a different area of giving, in
order to signal to potential donors
the full range of ways in which one
can support the Society.

19
Fundraising Action Plan

20
Document Author: Christian Kriticos, Fundraising Officer – Sussex Archaeological Society March 2017

21