Many years ago, the Victorian College of the Arts held a party to thank one of Melbourne’s prominent donors for supporting a $10,000 prize. The party was rather flashy for the VCA. The development office spent many hours cultivating the donor, planning the party, and curating the guest list to ensure all the relevant VIPs, university big wigs and politicians were invited. All this was to ensure the donor felt recognised as a generous benefactor.

The costs certainly outweighed the value of the donation. But arts managers in the philanthropy business take the long view: cultivating donors is a slow build, the initial modest request endears donors to the organisation; gradually with flattery and invitations to premium events with other premium personages, donations become heftier.