RED KITE

FUNDRAISING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

STRATEGIC & BUSINESS
PLANNING

FUNDRAISING

WORKSHOP
FACILITATION

STAGE & PRODUCTION
MANAGEMENT

WHAT WE DO

Services

Business Planning

We work with Boards, leaders and senior management teams to develop multi-year organisation-wide strategic plans, and standalone business plans for discrete projects.

We have written plans for income-generating entrepreneurial initiatives, smaller organisations’ first business plans, and major plans for Top 25 Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations.

We have worked with clients to:

– produce business plan frameworks,

– develop and deliver staff engagement exercises around the Business Planning process,

– deliver presentations to staff and Trustees to explain the importance of business planning and to secure buy-in,

– design and facilitate workshops with Trustees and staff to develop consensus around direction of travel,

– craft, edit and develop the written copy for Business Plans and supporting appendices.

Fundraising

We specialise in developing major funding and investment bids, for both commerical clients and cultural organisations. We have helped clients raise millions of pounds, most recently supporting the development of a number of major, successful Culture Recovery Fund Grant and Repayable Finance applications.

Fundraising services include:

– Supporting the development of applications to Arts Council England for National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) investment and National Lottery Project Grants, and organising Business Plan reviews, annual reports and associated surveys, project reporting and general ACE stewarding.

– Developing applications to Innovate UK, EIC Accelerator and other major public funding streams.

– Writing applications for major charitable trusts and foundations.

– Developing a case for support that can be adapted for a fundraising campaign.

– Delivering presentations and workshops on fundraising for Boards and senior staff.

Workshop Facilitation

Led by Jennifer Pattison, workshops can be delivered online or in-person for staff, leadership teams and boards of cultural / charitable organisations.

Workshops can be used to:

– engage Trustees and staff with the business planning process,

– convey key, strategic information in a collaborative format,

– develop strategic objectives and ways of working to complement a change management process.

WHO WE ARE

People

Jennifer Pattison MCIOF, Director

Jennifer has raised millions of pounds for the cultural sector over a 23-year career. An experienced Director-level fundraiser with additional practical experience of organisational Business Plan writing and oversight, Arts Council England stewardship, income diversification planning and strategy development, Jennifer has led fundraising teams in theatre and music in the UK and overseas. She has run major events with world leaders and members of the Royal family, supported flagship cultural organisations through the COVID-19 crisis, facilitated organisational development workshops with Trustees and staff, and developed trusted, long-term relationships with a range of clients across art forms.

Michael Pattison, Director

Michael is one of the UK’s most experienced orchestral stage and production managers with a 25-year career spanning flagship cultural organisations in the UK and overseas. After graduating in Music and Entertainment Management, Michael developed his practical experience working in stage and production management, initially as part of venue teams for the Sunderland Empire Theatre, Barbican Centre and LSO St Luke’s. Stage, Production and Transport Management roles followed at the LPO and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, before a freelance career in stage and production management services for orchestral concerts, music festivals and tours in the UK and overseas.

Laurel Ashton MCIOF (Cert),
Senior Associate

Laurel has been working as a fundraising consultant since 2015 and has more than 20 years experience in the industry. She works directly with organisations and individual artists, drawing on her extensive experience in the cultural sector to provide feasibility studies, strategy development, case for support and bid writing services. She is also able to advise on portfolio management of high net worth individuals, managing high value corporate partnerships and bespoke event delivery.

With a lifelong love of the arts, in her early career, Laurel had the privilege of fundraising for organisations including Welsh National Opera, London Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera and, from 2010-2015, she worked as Development Director for The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.

Red Kite Associates Team

We work with a number of trusted Associates comprising former colleagues and respected professionals with long-standing experience and excellent reputations.

Jennifer or Michael will always aim to lead on a new contract in the first instance, but if they, or Laurel, do not have the capacity to support a new contract, we will discuss with a client the suitability of one of our other trusted Associates leading on the client relationship, supported by one of the Directors.

Examples of our wider Associates’ specialisms that clients have benefitted from in the past include:

– funder prospect research,

– statutory grant applications,

– stage crew support.

Client Testimonials

The Guildhall School has engaged Red Kite on a number of occasions, both consultancy work and strategic development planning. Jennifer Pattison provided us with outstanding work in developing our Strategic Recovery Plan, post pandemic and followed up with a series of really effective operational delivery meetings, with relevant departments, in order to ensure we tracked our progress against the targets we had set. The work is always exemplary. It is extremely thorough, well researched, clearly articulated and always delivered on time. I recommend Red Kite wholeheartedly and without reservation.

Jonathan Vaughan
Principal
Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Working with Jenny was a massive boost for us. She brought bucket-loads of energy, experience and expertise. She worked really well as part of our team and used her considerable skills to help us more effectively communicate about our projects and passions.

Lee Simpson

Co-Artistic Director
Improbable

The London Sinfonietta has worked with Jenny at Red Kite for a year now, and I can't convey how fantastic it has been. Jenny not only creates word-perfect applications, pitched in exactly the right way to make the best case for us as an organisation. She is also basically 'in our corner' which means as much to us as anything else. I can't recommend highly enough.

Andrew Burke

Chief Executive and Artistic Director
London Sinfonietta

We used Red Kite for multiple projects to support with Trusts and Foundations fundraising. Working with Red Kite is always a pleasure. Jennifer is highly experienced, with a solid understanding of the sector and a flexible working style that makes working together easy. She quickly figured out what I needed, what the organization needed and always delivered quickly and with very high standards, offering advice when she felt should could make improvements. I would absolutely recommend their services.