On June 22, 2016, ArtsFund hosted a convening and webinar for arts organizations on building their donor base titled Data Driven Donor Cultivation.
The webinar, presented by data-driven consulting firm TRG Arts, focused on steps organizations can make to upgrade their patrons from single ticket buyers to members and subscribers, and then to donors. With practical advice from research and case studies carried out by TRG, the presentation and its August rebroadcast offered 70 attendees from over 50 organizations data-centered tips and best practices to grow their donor base.
Topics discussed in the webinar included:
- Building patron loyalty
- Data stewardship best practices
- Creating targeted appeals
- Tracking progress and responses
- Donation campaign implementation
Additional Resources:
ArtsFund has partnered with TRG Arts since 2010 with the Cultural Resource Collective, the community patron database facilitated by ArtsFund and which is run through the TRG Data Center. Mentioned in the webinar, the Data Center aggregates and standardizes patron data from different ticketing systems for research and trading, and is a valuable tool to the region’s 35 member organizations. Click here for more information about the Cultural Resource Collective and membership.
Below are case studies and resources referenced during the webinar:
- Case Study: Seattle Repertory Theatre—Tripled retention among specially cultivated group of new ticket buyers
- 2014 Patron Loyalty Study: Loyalty by Numbers—Produced by Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance with support from TRG Arts
- Capture Data, Captivate Patrons
- Case Study: 5th Avenue Theatre, Part 1—Super Subscribers: Saving the Day, Seeding a Loyalty Initiative
- Case Study: Colorado Children’s Chorale—Annual Fund Success: Right Patron, Right Ask, Right Time
- Case Study: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park—Number of annual fund gifts up 51%, revenue up 28%
- Case Study: Box Office Giving Campaigns Get Revenue!—Donation successes at Ordway Center, Des Moines Performing Arts and Arena Stage
- Hung up on renewal rate? Measure this too: percent of subscriber-donors
ArtsFund convenings series provides the cultural sector a platform for sharing of resources, practices and perspective to expand its collective capacity to serve our overall community. Partnering with local, regional and national practitioners and thought leaders, ArtsFund’s convenings programs foster discussion and provide tools and training opportunities in direct response to the needs identified by regional arts organizations.
ArtsFund’s convenings series is sponsored by The Boeing Company.
