Creative Australia’s National Day of Giving to the Arts
Partnering with Creative Australia to launch Australia’s first ever AusArt Day.
Overview
Creative Australia partnered with Marlin to develop and deliver Australia’s first National Day of Giving to the Arts, AusArt Day 2025. The initiative was designed to encourage greater philanthropic support for Australian artists and arts organisations, while giving the sector practical tools to participate confidently in digital fundraising.
AusArt Day brought together individual artists, small to medium arts organisations and supporters across the country around a shared national moment of giving. Marlin supported Creative Australia by developing the digital fundraising strategy, creative assets and participant resources that helped more than 120 artists and organisations run their own campaigns within a clear, consistent national framework.
The outcome was a welcoming and accessible giving day that strengthened connection across the arts sector and invited the public to actively support Australian creativity.
Problem
Support Australia’s first arts giving day with clear digital fundraising tools that build confidence and participation across the sector.
Solution
A practical digital fundraising strategy combining templates, workshops and guidance to support confident participation in Australia’s first AusArt Day.
Results
Australia’s first AusArt Day raised $2.2 million while building digital fundraising confidence across artists and arts organisations nationwide.
The Challenge
As a first-of-its-kind initiative, AusArt Day needed to introduce the idea of a national giving day for the arts while supporting a diverse group of participants with very different levels of fundraising experience.
Many artists and organisations were keen to take part but lacked confidence in digital fundraising, content planning and audience engagement. Creative Australia needed a way to equip participants with practical guidance and ready-to-use materials, while ensuring the day felt inclusive, creative and achievable rather than complex or intimidating.
At the same time, the campaign needed to inspire the broader public to see giving to the arts as something approachable and meaningful, not limited to traditional philanthropy.
The Solution
Marlin worked with Creative Australia to develop a practical digital fundraising approach that artists and arts organisations could apply in their own campaigns.
This included the development of a suite of adaptable social and eDM templates designed to support different artforms, audiences and communication styles, while maintaining consistency across AusArt Day. These assets helped participants focus on storytelling and connection, rather than starting from scratch.
To further support capability building, Marlin developed a dedicated digital fundraising workbook for participants. The workbook, alongside facilitated fundraising workshops, provided clear guidance on planning, content creation and digital engagement, helping participants feel more confident and prepared.
The Results
AusArt Day 2025 raised over $2.2 million for Australian artists and arts organisations, marking a strong first year for the initiative.
Beyond funds raised, AusArt Day helped strengthen digital fundraising skills across the sector. Participants gained experience engaging new audiences, using social and email channels more effectively and participating in a shared national moment of generosity.
For Creative Australia, the campaign established a clear model for future giving days, supported by reusable assets, strategic guidance and sector-ready resources that can continue to grow philanthropic support for the arts.
