Case study:Achates Generates Income: National Dance Company Wales

National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) creates and presents bold, ambitious and engaging contemporary dance work across Wales, UK and beyond. NDCWales recently celebrated 40 years of creating dance in Wales and is incredibly proud to be amongst the very few national arts companies in Wales. 

Over the past few years, the organisation has experienced a number of changes in leadership, shifts in the operating environment as well as strategic focus. This has resulted in reduced income, constrained resources and a period of uncertainty around its future strategic direction.

During this period of change and growth, Achates worked with the Interim Executive Director (& Joint CEO) and to create a Fundraising Snapshot (a lighter touch version of our usual Fundraising Strategy) for the next three years. The Snapshot included prospect research in all income streams, identification of priority audiences and donor motivation segments, and articulation of the types of impact being created by their work on- and off-stage. By using the Achates 9 Types of Impact we were able to give the NDCWales team new ways to speak about the work they create with and for audiences of all kinds, and have the confidence to demonstrate that clear impact. 

The Fundraising Snapshot also included recommendations for all contributed income streams and financial projections for the next three years. This piece of work will sit alongside the three-year Business Plan and help drive the organisation through the next period of its life. To ensure the team have everything they need to attract new income the project also included memberships to digital learning platform, Achates Community, where they can become part of a valuable wider network.

– David Watson, Interim Executive Director & (Joint CEO), National Dance Company Wales

Image Credit: National Dance Company Wales in Waltz by Marco Morau. (C) Jorge Lizalde