National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage Endowment Programme Evaluation
In 2017 the National Lottery Heritage Fund commissioned Hopkins Van Mil to evaluate the Heritage Endowment Programme. The report has now been published and can now be found on our website here. This was the culmination of a five-year programme of evaluation working with heritage organisations across the country.
The programme involved grants of £250,000 - £1 million being awarded to 15 heritage organisations to develop an endowment fund. This investment was then matched through organisational fundraising and aimed to help those involved diversify and develop long-term income.
Report Findings
The report sets out six recommendations for other heritage organisations considering an endowment fund:
Don’t be deterred: Smaller organisations benefit from their ability to be flexible and pivot their campaigns quickly. Larger organisations benefit from having exist donor bases and established fundraising teams.
Remember you are not alone: Grantees drew strength, support and momentum from a range of networks to develop their campaigns - existing trustees and donors, community organisations and other museum and heritage organisations.
Create excellent communication tolls and channels: Raising awareness and maintaining communication includes celebrating key successes along the way. It keeps funders engaged and can attract unexpected donors.
Diversify your fundraising methods, but not too much: Use a variety of methods tied to benefits and gifts which recognise the value of the donation to the organisation, but don’t overstretch your resources.
Match funding improves the offer: Taking up opportunities for match funding from a range of sources means the value of one donation can be substantially enhanced.
Plan for and balance risk and reward: An endowment fund plan needs to integrate both risk and reward, demonstrating to potential donors how it can give a return on investment even in times of economic and social uncertainty.
Our overarching evaluation message is that the Heritage Endowment programme has been highly successful in meeting its aims and objectives for financial sustainability and preserving the heritage.