Craigmyle donates archive of fundraising history to the University of Kent

The collection is made up of papers relating to their role in providing advice and guidance to the fundraising sector, their relationships and communication with a wide variety of clients, from ecclesiastical institutions to educational organisations, that the Company has worked with since its creation in 1959, and the governance of the organisation.

To catalogue this collection, and make Craigmyle’s archive more widely accessibly, Special Collections & Archives at the University of Kent appointed a Project Archivist, Dr Daniella Gonzalez.

The collection contains 212 boxes of material that Daniella is currently sorting and initially listing to gain a better understanding of the scope and content of the collection, and to aid planning for how to structure the collection and approach the various stages of this cataloguing project. Interesting files so far have included press cuttings, a huge series of fundraising brochures, leaflets and appeals forms, as well as correspondence files with a wide variety of clients fundraising for new buildings, refurbishments, equipment purchase, staff costs and project work.

Collaboration has already started with colleagues in the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent about potential future research projects that can be developed by studying Craigmyle’s archive. Over the next year, Daniella will fully catalogue the collection and make Craigmyle’s archive available on the Special Collections and Archives’ website. This will provide academic researchers, both at the University and externally, and the general public the opportunity to consult the collection and further understand Craigmyle’s vital contribution to the fundraising and philanthropy sector.

Dr Daniella Gonzalez cataloguing files

The project will complete with an exhibition, showcasing records from across Craigmyle’s archive. This exhibition will celebrate Craigmyle’s success in supporting clients through fundraising, as well as how and why this is a key collection when researching both the history of and current role of philanthropy and fundraising. Daniella will work closely with Siân Newton, Director at Craigmyle, to publicise the exhibition, and an online version of the exhibition will be made available to reach wider audiences.

Dr Daniella Gonzalez, Project Archivist, Special Collections & Archives, University of Kent:

I’m absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to be working on such a varied collection from an organisation that has played, and continues to play, a key part in the fundraising and philanthropy sector. It’s been really interesting to view the very different clients that Craigmyle has worked with and to see that these same organisations have looked towards Craigmyle over the years for backing in fundraising. It’s a testimony to just how important Craigmyle’s support has been and it’s going to be great to make Craigmyle’s archive available to researchers – academic and non-academic – through this cataloguing project.

Siân Newton, Director, Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants:

We are delighted to be working with the University of Kent to help make the Craigmyle archives more accessible to researchers, fundraisers and the wider public.

The breadth and depth of the archives reflect Craigmyle’s long, successful and diverse history providing fundraising consultancy to all areas of the not-for-profit sector. They can shed fascinating insight into changing trends within fundraising, the voluntary sector and society more generally. They also underline the important role fundraising has in achieving transformative UK charitable projects that meet the challenges faced by society – and that’s as vital now as ever before. Today’s team of accredited consultants are proud to be part of the Craigmyle story.

 

Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants enables UK charities and not-for-profit organisations to realise their objectives through fundraising by providing expertise tailored to each client that draws upon our consultants’ hands-on experience of strategy and implementation, collective team knowledge and our 60-year+ track record.

Since its foundation by Lord Craigmyle in 1959, Craigmyle’s fundraising consultants have helped more than 2000 charities – encompassing the full breadth of the non-profit sector and including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, hospices, museums, heritage projects, schools, welfare, arts and conservation organisations – raise over a billion pounds for capital and revenue projects.