Building confidence, sharing wisdom and supporting success across the Black Country

In summer 2024, we invited community groups involved in creative activities to take part in our third Fundraising Fellowship Scheme—an initiative designed to help grassroots organisations grow their fundraising skills and confidence.

This year, 16 diverse community groups from across the Black Country joined the programme, each at different stages in their fundraising journey.

Here, our Fundraising Manager Yvonne shares reflections on how the scheme supported participants with practical tools, mindset shifts, and valuable insights along the way.

Starting with Purpose: Defining the “Why”

Working once again with the brilliant Amy Dalton-Hardy, we kicked off the scheme by encouraging each group to take a fresh look at their organisation—focusing on their purpose, uniqueness, and future goals.

We asked:

Why do you do what you do?
What makes your group unique?
What are your short-, medium-, and long-term ambitions?

Our mantra throughout the scheme was simple but powerful: “Money follows vision – never the other way around.”

With so many tempting (and often ill-fitting) funding opportunities out there, we urged groups to stay focused on their core purpose and only pursue funding aligned with their vision.

Demystifying Project Grants with Arts Council England

For our second session, we were delighted to welcome Claire and Will from Arts Council England, who shared top tips for applying to Project Grants. The session was open to an additional nine community groups, creating a welcoming space for honest discussion and direct Q&As with the funders.

Many participants took advantage of 1-to-1 support and told us the session boosted their confidence to apply for funding—some for the very first time.

Practical Application Guidance and Peer Learning

Following this, Amy and Yvonne led a practical session breaking down the Arts Council application process. Groups talked through the application form, explored the key supporting documents, and learned about Access Support available for those who need it.

This collaborative session helped to turn what can often feel like a daunting process into something more manageable and empowering.

Space to Reflect, Share & Regroup

After a few months to reflect, experiment, and potentially test out smaller funding bids, we held our final session in March 2025. Groups shared updates, discussed challenges, and revisited their visions in light of new opportunities.

As fundraising can often feel isolating, we also made space to talk about self-care, resilience, and wellbeing—vital components of a sustainable fundraising practice.

Ongoing Support Through Mentoring

In addition to group sessions, several groups received 1-to-1 mentoring with Jenny Martin from Curiosity Productions and Yvonne, offering tailored advice to support specific goals and challenges.

Celebrating Success & Looking Ahead

We know fundraising takes time—and results don’t always come quickly—but we’re proud to celebrate success stories from previous Fellowship cohorts.

These include:

The Good Shepherd, Wolverhampton
Brierley Hill Culture, Dudley
Drama & Some CIC, Sandwell

All three successfully secured Arts Council Project Grants in 2023/24.

Kate from The Good Shepherd shared:

“It gave me confidence and insight into the process so that a homeless charity could directly go for Arts Council funding. It gave me the hope that we could in fact ace the ACE application—and we did!”

Good Luck to Our 2024/25 Cohort!

As this year’s scheme comes to a close, we want to say a huge thank you to all the inspiring groups who took part. We wish you the very best in your future fundraising efforts—and look forward to seeing your visions come to life!

If you would like to find out more about our third Fundraising Fellowship scheme you can download the report here.

CBC’s Fundraising Fellowship Scheme 2024/25