Business Planning and Fundraising Consultant

Fee: £12,500 (inclusive of VAT)

 Estimated Duration: November 2023 onwards, with final report due early February 2024

Purpose: Wycombe Museum/Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust (WHAT) is recruiting for a consultant to support us in developing plans for fundraising, income generation and a strategic costed business plan. This work will support the resilience and financial sustainability of a well-loved and vital local community museum.

This consultancy is funded by the Rothschild Strategic Fund in Buckinghamshire

Project brief: Wycombe Museum became an independent trust in 2016 with a grant covering a portion of our costs agreed with the local council over five years. Since then the grant has been extended several times to March 2025 by Buckinghamshire Council. Following work undertaken with the board, staff and volunteer team to redefine our mission and key aims for the organization, in July 2023 we produced an initial forward plan for the next three years. This plan identifies a need to develop income from donations and individual giving, grants and trusts, and our commercial activities -room hire, weddings and our café. However, we need further support to build a roadmap to financial sustainability and to clarify how we can bridge our deficit to ensure the museum is secure into the future.

 We would like a consultant to develop a detailed business plan in consultation with the director, staff, board of trustees and relevant stakeholders which:

 Articulates the robustness of our model with the Council and other local funders.

• Reviews the identified priorities and capacity to deliver against these (our operating model).
• Provides a Road map to financial sustainability with clear proposals for diversification of our income streams.
• Includes an income generation plan (incorporating plans for fundraising and commercial activity).