Making the Ask: Fundraising Since 1959 – Craigmyle Exhibition at the University of Kent
Craigmyle is delighted to announce that the exhibition Making the Ask: Fundraising Since 1959 is running from Monday 14th April until Sunday 8th June 2025 at the University of Kent. The exhibition showcases records from the Craigmyle archive collection, which is housed in the University’s Special Collections & Archives.
Located in the Templeman Library, the exhibition explores the history of fundraising, highlighting key milestones and Craigmyle’s contributions over more than 60 years. Themes from our history—spanning sectors such as education, health, and faith—will be featured, illustrating the evolution of modern fundraising and Craigmyle’s role in shaping the sector.
Sian Newton, Director of Craigmyle commented:
We are thrilled to see Craigmyle’s rich history of fundraising brought to life through this exhibition. Fundraising has long played a vital role in supporting communities and causes, and we hope this exhibition will inspire a deeper appreciation of its impact. Through our partnership with the University of Kent, Craigmyle’s archive serves as a vital resource for exploring both the history and evolving role of philanthropy and fundraising.
The archive of Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants is part of the University of Kent’s UK Philanthropy Archive. Beth Astridge, curator of the exhibition and University Archivist at the University of Kent, explains:
The Craigmyle Archive contains a fantastic amount of information about fundraising practice across the years. It is a hugely useful resource for studying the history of fundraising. Across the many appeals orchestrated by Craigmyle staff we have found examples of sponsor-a-seat campaigns in theatres, gifts such as pens, stickers and badges being distributed with mass mailings, and a huge range of different appeal brochures and leaflets. The exhibition reveals some of these appeal stories and provides an insight into how the fundraising profession has developed since the 1960s.
Professor Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, agrees saying:
The examples of fundraising techniques used by Craigmyle alongside information about the success of different campaigns is incredibly valuable for researching fundraising. The Making the Ask exhibition highlights the crucial role of fundraising in prompting philanthropy and gives a fantastic overview of the depth of the Craigmyle Archive. From capital appeals for repairs to our nation’s great Cathedrals, to appeals for hospital scanners and medical equipment, the exhibition provides a taste of the treasures that are waiting to be discovered.
The exhibition is open to University students, staff, and visitors. To further engage audiences, a series of tours and events will be held, including sessions aligned with the University’s hosting of the Philanthropy Centre’s annual conference.
For those unable to attend in person, a virtual version of the exhibition is available allowing a wider audience to explore its content. Explore the online exhibition: https://www.kent.ac.uk/library-it/special-collections/our-exhibitions/making-the-ask-fundraising-since-1959
In 2022, Craigmyle’s comprehensive archive collection was added to the University’s UK Philanthropy Archive, which brings together papers and records on philanthropy and fundraising.
About Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants
Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants collaborates with UK charities and not-for-profit organisations to help them meet their goals by offering customised fundraising expertise. Since 1959, our fundraising consultants have helped more than 2000 charities raise over a billion pounds for capital and revenue projects. Our approach draws on our consultants’ extensive experience, collective knowledge and a legacy of over 60 years of successful strategy and implementation.
