YAF runs a year-round programme of networking events, platform conversations, Q&As and interactive workshops, as well as a flagship mentoring programme, Evolve, in partnership with RAISE and the Cultural Sector Network.
All activity is designed to support the professional development of individuals in the first five years of fundraising. Our mission is to equip fundraisers with the appropriate skills, mentoring and support networks that will enable them, and the sector, to thrive.
YAF is a non-profit organisation led by four Directors, who are supported by a group of ten Board Members. New Directors are recruited every two years, with previous leadership staying on in an advisory capacity for a third year.
Lydia has been fundraising in the cultural sector for almost 10 years, working across live music, outdoor arts festivals and museums, specialising in corporate sponsorship for the past few years. She was part of the founding YAF Board in 2016 and has recently returned to lead on our communications strategy.
Katherine is based in York and has been fundraising for the arts and cultural sector for 8 years. Working in theatres and museums, she specialises in individual giving, including patron and membership schemes, and major donor fundraising. Katherine joined YAF as the network’s Yorkshire representative in 2018, more recently taking on the role of Director for National Development in 2021.
Tabitha has worked at several arts venues in the South East of England, fundraising across all income streams, but with a focus on Individual Giving and Events. She recently moved to Wales and is now based in Cardiff. Tabitha joined YAF in January 2020 as part of the National Development team before moving over to Professional Development in 2022. She is passionate about signposting fundraising as a career and ensuring there are learning opportunities in the cultural sector to retain and upskill fundraisers.
Olivia has been fundraising in various capacities since 2013, most recently specialising in grants fundraising. With experience across visual arts, archives, museums, theatre companies and arts in health, she currently works at The Horniman and is a Community Representative Board Member for Lewisham's Creative Enterprise Zone. She has a particular interest in developing creative projects for and with young people.
Holly has worked in arts and cultural fundraising for three years, specialising in Trusts, Foundations and Statutory fundraising. She is currently Trusts and Foundations Manager at the Royal Opera House. She has been on the YAF Board for two and a half years working in the communications team, and has also recently completed the inaugural Trainee Trustee Scheme at Spitalfields Music.
After an early career in the publishing and media sectors, Ilaria has worked in arts fundraising for over seven years, with a focus on theatre and performing arts venues. She joined YAF in 2021 as Board Member in the Communications team.
Lucy joins Young Arts Fundraisers with over 4 years experience in the visual arts sector. She is currently Programmes and Development Coordinator at Cause4 – previous roles include Digital Marketing Manager at The Shirley Sherwood Collection (The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), Art Researcher at Artelier Arts Consultancy and Creative Producer at Creative Youth Network. Prior to this, Lucy gained a First Class honours degree in Liberal Arts from The University of Bristol. She has acted as a Young Ambassador for The Royal West of England Academy, Young Advisor for Visual Arts South West and Young Advisory Board Member for Creative Youth Network. She has a vested interest in access and inclusivity in the creative sector, and this informs many of her professional goals.
Previously a trained contemporary dancer performing around and the UK and internationally, Alex is now based in Manchester and has worked in a variety of arts organisations for the last 5 years. Alex now works within individual, regular and public giving and between 2021-2022 Alex was a part of the Creative UK advisory board. Alex joins the YAF National Development board from October 2022.
Lauren is based in Manchester and has worked in various administrative and marketing roles in the arts sector, before moving into fundraising in 2021. She focuses on trusts and foundations, corporate giving and delivering events. Lauren has worked with Manchester International Festival, Macclesfield Barnaby Festival and The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme, and has an MA in Arts Management Policy and Practice from the University of Manchester. She joined YAF in October 2022.
Zeeta is based in the Midlands and qualified as dentist in 2013. While she comes from a scientific background, she has always been an ardent supporter of the arts, advocating for Midlands-based galleries and museums. She is currently working with The Arts Society, Victoria in social media and marketing and she is a Trustee of Walsall Museums and Art Galleries Development Trust. Zeeta is very passionate about fundraising and increasing accessibility to the arts for all.
Natalie is an arts fundraiser and producer from Hong Kong. Currently as General Manager for Creative Youth, she has won the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy’s Giving Tuesday Competition for the charity. Recently, she received a professional development and education grant to travel all the way to Orlando, Florida to attend the International Ticketing Association's INTIX Conference, she was also a participant in 101 Outdoor Arts' Green Production Lab. Other highlights include working with BFI Network to deliver fundraising workshops and producing Dumbledore Is So Gay which won the VAULT Festival’s Origins Award 2020. She joined YAF in January 2021.
Charlotte is a fundraiser, relationship manager and events producer with over 5 years of experience in the arts and non-profit sector, working with National Careers Week, Royal Court Theatre, Polka Theatre and Wilton’s Music Hall. Charlotte is also a Trustee of Poet in the City, an organisation connecting people and places through poetry.
Lauren is based in London and has been working in the arts and culture sector for five years. She has experience working across cultural events production and operations, curating, supporter engagement and Trust Foundation fundraising. Lauren is also a Trustee at ArtBox London, a charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and autism, while raising the profile of their artwork in the wider art world.
Rebecca is based in Hampshire and has over ten years experience across the arts, culture, and fundraising, specialising in events and individual giving. Her background is in museums and galleries, and her experience also includes community fundraising, managing volunteers, and digital marketing. Rebecca is passionate about improving accessibility to arts and culture. She joined YAF in summer 2022 and is looking forward to connecting with fundraisers from across the sector.
Imogen has an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from King’s College London and has worked for a number of heritage and arts organisations including Kettle’s Yard and Dulwich Picture Gallery. She specialises in Individual Giving and first became involved in YAF as a mentor in 2020!
As a producer and fundraiser, Hannah works across theatre and live performance, film, audio, digital arts and games, with a focus on impact producing. At the heart of all of her projects is an urgent or timely contemporary social or political issue. She is a Trustee for Imagine If Theatre Company, a Churchill Fellow for the arts and social justice, an RSA Fellow, and an alumnus of The Clore Emerging Leaders Course. As a previous YAF x RAISE mentee herself, she was eager to join YAF’s Board in 2021 to support the further growth and development of our mentoring programme.
YAF works with a number of partners across the sector to promote and deliver our work and to ensure that the voices and priorities of early-career fundraisers are heard in the wider sector.
Part of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, RAISE: Arts, Culture & Heritage supports access to professional development opportunities for arts, culture and heritage fundraisers across England through networking events, mentoring, professional development and bursaries. The projects aims to:
As an Arts Council England funded five-year programme, Young Arts Fundraisers partners with the project to deliver a rolling programme of events and mentoring opportunities.
The JGA Group is a well-established independent training provider, with a vision to empower people to develop their futures. We are delighted to have partnered with JGA to highlight their new Fundraising apprenticeship, designed to advance the practice of those working full-time or part-time in fundraising.
The programme has been developed and is delivered by fundraisers who have decades of experience in practical and strategic fundraising for small and large charities. Interactive online seminars led by expert tutors are combined with research tasks and individual study, as well as real-time workplace activities and regular skills coaching.
Please get in touch with us to receive an exclusive referral code to highlight your association to YAF when applying.
