7 Effective Fundraising Ideas For Artists And Creative Projects
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How To Use Fundraising For Your Creative Projects
Like with most things in life – they cost money. Artists are only too well aware of this, with their materials, equipment, studios and tuition fees, to name a few. But what happens when the money side of things comes between you and your amazing creative project? Using some of the following fundraising ideas for artists should help elevate that worry and in turn, allow your plans to go ahead.
Why would I need to fundraise?
There’s many reasons why an artist would need to raise some money. For example, they may want to put on a show, run an art fair, host a workshop or create some large collaborative work. All of these activities fall under the general label of a ‘creative project’, with the possibilities and variations endless.
In some cases, artists might already have savings put aside to use for ideas such as the ones above, but that isn’t attainable for everyone. Instead, other artists may use a fundraising idea beforehand to generate both money and interest that will get the original project off the ground.
These events or activities can end up becoming part of the project as a whole, with each one funding the next. Whatever your plans are; if they require a budget then you may want to use a mixture of our fundraising ideas for artists listed below.
In preparation for your artist fundraising ideas
It can be tempting to jump straight in with the excitement of your project coming to life, but make sure you’re preparing your fundraising ideas properly to get the best out of them. You also need to consider that you’ll be using other people’s money, so organisation is key to producing the final, promised outcome.
Firstly, you need to make sure your creative project plan is realistic and achievable. People will be less willing to fund something that they don’t see happening. This goes hand in hand with having a detailed outline, explaining the details of the project, what steps you need to take, and how exactly it will unfold.
Having this information laid out and accessible for the public to read will reassure them that they’re putting their money to good use. In terms of collecting funds from people, you need to be transparent.
7 Fundraising Ideas For Artists
1. Art show fundraiser
An art show may be the original creative project that you’re trying to fund, however there are ways of putting on smaller shows that generate enough money to lead onto something bigger. Firstly, the exhibiting space doesn’t need to be costly. Ask around at community centres, schools, shops, cafes or parks (if you could host it outside). You might want to use your own house or studio, depending on your space capabilities.
But how will you make money from an art show? You could try charging for entry tickets, having a donation pot and putting on a small bar. We recommend keeping prices low at first to get people through the door and interested in your project?
2. Set up an artist Patreon
You may have heard of Patreon before and for good reason. The site is quickly becoming a go to content subscription service, allowing creators to earn income through monthly payments. This works well if you already have a significant following on social media, as dedicated fans are more likely to follow and support you on another platform.
If you’re looking to fund a creative project, some Patreon ideas could include: releasing behind the scenes studio videos, step by step guides, early previews of work and members only discounts on your art. This may be business that takes a while to build up and grow, so it’s better to start it sooner rather than later.
3. Art auction
Similar to an art show, this event also revolves around the presentation of work but with a buying twist. Some of the most famous and prestigious artworks go to auction, racking up millions. This might not be the case for your own auction, but the same principles apply. Decide the scale of your art auction, including your budget. Get a group of artist friends together who want to sell work and start planning.
In terms of making money from the auction, set a percentage of the profits that will go to your fund (commission) and what is left for the artist who made the piece. Advertising your art auction will be important, making sure to spread it far and wide on social media. Hopefully, some art dealers swing by and put some big money into your project pot. Extra fundraising ideas for artists to think about here include a donation box, a bar, and ticketed attendance.
4. Set up a crowdfund 
This artist fundraising idea isn’t an event as of such. Instead, crowdfunding serves as a method of asking for donations, without something promised in return. There may be specific equipment or travel conditions that you cannot fulfil with your current budget, so asking your community for financial aid can help you overcome that hurdle. There are different online sites that you can raise money through so do your research before choosing one, taking a particular look at their processing fees.
Some big examples include Kickstarter and GoFundMe, who have had great success in funding businesses, medical needs and crisis necessities. When setting up your crowd funder, make sure you go into as much detail as possible, explaining how the raised money will be used and how you can’t achieve this without it. The good thing about these types of online campaigns is that they spread very fast, so get your artist community to share it around on their social media accounts even if they can’t donate themselves.
5. Sell your art or design products
Asking for money through crowdfunding and donations can sometimes feel a bit awkward and intense, so here’s another option that’s a bit different. Selling is a foolproof way of earning some money, and means that the individual who is parting with their cash gets something in return. Take a look at your body of work and choose work to put up for sale. This can be done through your artist website, Instagram account or Etsy shop.
If you’re unsure on selling original work, why not make art prints of your designs or even put them onto products using various print-on-demand services? When it comes to making money from selling, there are a whole host of ideas and opportunities you can take up.
6. Apply for funding
This is one of the most common ways of getting funding for creative projects. In the UK, artists can apply for grants from Arts Council England, an organisation that invests public money from the government and the National Lottery into creative projects that enrich people’s cultural experiences. In fact, our recently launched art club was part funded by a grant like this, and Lauren Little goes on to explain how she navigated the application process in our funding arts talk.
When it comes to the money, you could be offered anything between £100 – £100,000, all depending on the intricacies of your proposed project. Our advice is to start small as you’ll be more likely to be successful. To make a great application, try responding directly to their questions, making yourself sound spectacular, reaching out to previous successful applicants and not over promising the data.
This fundraising idea is extremely competitive so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t work out the first time. It’s likely you’ll have to give it a couple attempts before getting there, which is ok.
7. Online giveaway
If you don’t have a group around you to help put on a fundraising activity, this could be a good way to collect money individually. Take a look at your body of work and see if there’s a piece you wouldn’t mind using as part of a giveaway, or create a new one from scratch! This process works in different ways, but in order to raise money, make sure you’re charging people for entry to the competition. Whoever is randomly selected on the final day of your giveaway wins the art piece!
Using your artist’s Instagram or social media account, gather up attention by posting it and asking your friends to share. Make sure the instructions to enter are clear, and remember that you’ll be responsible for shipping once the winner is decided.
Things to remember when fundraising for creative projects
With all these fundraising ideas for artists, there’s a couple things to remember. Firstly, the money won’t appear overnight. The ideas themselves take time to plan and set up, especially events such as auctions and shows. If you’re looking for a quick cash grab, then maybe these ideas aren’t for you and your project.
It may also take a couple attempts to generate enough funds for whatever your creative endeavour is, so keep this in mind before you set a date for your original art project. You don’t want to propose a huge exciting idea with lots of hype only to have to cancel further down the line.
There will also be many other artists in the same situation as you, trying to raise money in order to make their creative ideas a reality. Take a look online and discover some artistic projects that you can support yourself, whether that be through donations, volunteering or sharing. Through this, you’ll network and open up doors for future collaborative projects. And you never know, someone might happen to repay the favour.
WHAT FUNDRAISING IDEAS FOR ARTISTS DO YOU SUGGEST? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW
Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot using #darkyellowdot for a chance to be one of our featured artists.
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