Tag Archives: cultural heritage
Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices Workshop
From 28th to 30th March HERITΛGE welcomed 23 heritage professionals from 15 countries across four continents to the Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices online workshop. Over three days, participants explored practical strategies to strengthen fundraising for cultural heritage projects.
The workshop was led by fundraising expert, Linda C. Hartley, principal of H2Growth Strategies, and Sue Divine, a nonprofit leader with decades of experience working with organisations including the American Friends of the Louvre and the British Museum. Together, they provided participants with practical strategies and real-world insights into fundraising within the cultural sector.
Through this course, I learned about new information and online resources that we can utilize for effective fundraising. This stood out for me. My project will definitely benefit from new skills and resources for fundraising, thus will be positioned to mobilize more resources for activities implementation.
Didas Mwachila Mzirai, CEO at Mucho Mangoes Farmers CBO
The workshop began with a pitching exercise, where participants presented their projects in three minutes, having prepared in advance with a video on pitching techniques. They voted for the most compelling projects, which were later used in simulation activities. Participants then explored fundraising fundamentals and best practices through lectures and group storytelling. Linda introduced key concepts such as donor trends and long-term engagement, while Sue emphasised crafting impact-driven cases for support. Examples from Uganda and Ukraine highlighted the real-world relevance of these principles.
On the second day, selected participants presented their full cases for support, featuring projects from Italy, India, Ukraine, and Uganda. These presentations received detailed feedback from both peers and instructors. Sue then introduced donor research techniques, and participants used GrantStation to identify prospects and begin drafting a Letter of Inquiry.
This course will significantly enhance the strategic development and impact of my project. The opportunity to learn best practices, network with like-minded professionals, and receive expert feedback directly informed the design and sustainability of my current and future programs. What I appreciated most was the balance between practical tools and reflective discussions. The course not only provided frameworks that I can immediately apply to my work but also created a safe space to exchange ideas, challenges, and solutions with peers from diverse backgrounds.
Iryna Shevchuk, CEO at NGO Nachynnya
The final day focused on donor engagement and solicitation. Participants were offered guidance on preparing for donor meetings, followed by a simulation activity where participants role-played funding pitches. The workshop concluded with a Q&A session and participants were presented with their final task; composing a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which could be sent directly to a prospect of their choosing after review.
The blend of expert advice, feedback, and collaboration made for a highlight successful workshop, and by the end, the group had sharpened their fundraising skills and built a strong network of peers.
To read more about our upcoming workshops, click here.
Communication Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Cultural Organisations Online Training Programme
22 participants joined us in March for the Communication Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Cultural Organizations training programme. The course was led by Derwin Johnson, an independent senior communication consultant with more than 30 years experience as a journalist, communication executive and educator. Derwin guided participants through the three day course which covered crafting effective communication messages, developing communication toolkits, managing media relations, and conducting crisis simulations.
Day one kicked off with a comprehensive introduction to content management. The instructor outlined key objectives such as crafting impactful messages, managing media relations, and preparing for crisis communication. Participants explored their organisations’ core identities, drafted mission statements, and developed key messages. Through presentations and personalised feedback, they learned how to tailor their communication to resonate with target audiences.
The most compelling aspect of this Heritage Communication course was its emphasis on the dynamic interplay between cultural heritage and modern communication strategies. The course effectively bridged theoretical foundations with practical applications, highlighting the role of digital media, community engagement, and policy frameworks in preserving and promoting heritage.
~Mohammad Idrees Tahiri, PM Senior Conservation Architect at Turquoise Mountain
On day two, the focus shifted to storytelling and media engagement. Participants were instructed how to think like journalists, considering news angles, timing, and audience relevance. They practised pitching stories via simulated phone calls, received guidance on writing letters to the editor, and explored traditional and digital PR tactics. The session concluded with the creation of communication maps to guide audience engagement across a range of platforms.
The final day concentrated on crisis communication. Participants learned how to respond effectively under pressure, developing clear, key messages reinforced by strong evidence. A crisis simulation exercise brought the theory to life, as teams navigated a mock media storm, fielding questions from the instructor in the role of journalist. The recorded sessions provided valuable feedback, strengthening their confidence and strategic thinking.
The instructor made the content easy to digest and online learning (over the weekend) manageable.
~Martha Mosha, Research assistant at Commission for Archaeology of Non European Cultures KAAK
The level of engagement throughout the workshop was excellent and it was great to see the enthusiasm displayed by participants. We look forward to seeing how these skills are put to use in heritage organisations throughout Africa, Asia and Europe.*
Read more about our upcoming workshops here.
*Afghanistan, Albania, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Iraq, Italy, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom
SHIFT Project update: Metadata and a Text-to-Speech tool
The SHIFT project has produced two new videos for heritage professionals. They are part of the work being done by the 13 partners (including heritage) to make cultural heritage more accessible, inclusive, and appealing using the latest advances in technology.
The first video explains some of the work SHIFT has been doing to produce a Text-to-Speech tool for cultural heritage. The tool uses affective speech synthesis to link emotions with acoustics. In one example, a video provided by the Balkan Museum Network was not only translated and voiced over using AI, but the voice was processed to carry affect, that is, to convey relevant emotions.
Watch the video below and subscribe to the project’s YouTube page:
Webinar Video: Webinar: Metadata in museum collections
The second video the team released is a recording of the recent webinar on Metadata in Museum Collections, organized by the Balkan Museum Network in February. Webinar instructor Fetja, an information and communication expert researching and practicing in the fields of data science, information sciences, knowledge management, and communications, explored the importance of metadata and descriptions in managing museum collections and artifacts as well as strategies for effective digital cataloging of collections and sub-collections.
Watch a recording of this SHIFT webinar that was designed for museum professionals, curators, and anyone interested in the intersection of culture, technology, and information management.
About SHIFT: SHIFT is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program. It brings together 13 leading research and industrial organizations and SMEs with a common vision: to strengthen the impact of cultural heritage assets. SHIFT will produce an array of tools taking advantage of the latest developments in fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Haptics, and Auditory Synthesizers to increase the appeal of historical artifacts, improving their accessibility and usability for everyone through better content representation, enriched user experiences, inclusive design, training, and more engaging business models. Find out more here: https://shift-europe.eu/
