BFI advances filmmaking with transparency while
supported by essential grantmaking software

Founded in 1933, the British Film Institute (BFI) today administers grants
worth tens of millions of pounds for film production, distribution, education,
audience development, and marketing intelligence and research. As an “arm’s
length body,” or ALB, the charity channels funding from the government—
operating at an arm’s length from UK ministers—while complying with
regulations for grantmaking, finance, fraud prevention, and cyber security
that are especially detailed because a large portion of BFI’s funding for grants
comes from national lottery proceeds.

To fuel the country’s film community and stay transparent, BFI relies on the
comprehensive grant management functionality of Blackbaud Grantmaking
software, which staff and other collaborators can access on any device, in
any browser, anywhere around the world.

Blackbaud Grantmaking’s flexibility proved valuable through the COVID-19
crisis and beyond as most BFI staff members embraced remote work for the
long term, and as public funding for filmmaking in the UK surged as part of
the government’s economic recovery efforts.

In 2022-23, BFI distributed £93 million in grants “to support creativity and
seek out the next generation of UK storytellers”—a nearly 45% increase
over pre-pandemic grant funding. “We couldn’t deliver our grants program
without Blackbaud Grantmaking working as well as it does,” said Paul
Richardson, head of counter fraud, scrutiny and risk for BFI. “It is absolutely a
key, essential part of our grantmaking.”

Delivering Efficiency and Effectiveness

The number of BFI grant programs reached 28, compared to 18 before the
pandemic. That’s because BFI’s grant programs have become more targeted
and specific, a welcome complexity that their Blackbaud Customer Success
manager and Blackbaud partner Buzzacott helped make possible.

All the programs operate under the shared umbrella of BFI’s Blackbaud
Grantmaking architecture, which expanded recently to include a second
database to support BFI’s large-scale operation and historic data. The setup
is user friendly while meeting the large needs of the system. “Our strategic
partnership with Blackbaud and Buzzacott has enabled successful growth
and streamlining of our system,” Richardson reported.

The software and support also facilitate BFI’s compliance with evolving
government standards—not just for grantmaking but also issues related to
finance, fraud prevention, and cyber security. “We’re always working with
Blackbaud to make sure we are one step ahead of those compliance needs.”
BFI also worked with Blackbaud and Buzzacott to fine-tune the application
process, with 89% of applicants reporting that they were either “very
satisfied” or “satisfied” with “the ease of use of the electronic application
process” when surveyed.
“We have high satisfaction with our Blackbaud Grantmaking system,”
Richardson said. “The system delivers in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.”

Saving Time for the Creative Process

That satisfaction extends to internal and external grant reviewers, whether or
not they are regular users of the software. For industry experts outside of BFI
who pitch in, including those who help evaluate scripts, the online system is
flexible and easy to access from other locations, Richardson said.

Grant administrators save time thanks to Blackbaud Grantmaking’s reminders
and other automations, and the software makes aspects of the reporting
process and behind-the-scenes storytelling of BFI-backed projects easier.
“A lot of the people who work on the funds are creative types. They
are working for BFI because of their interest in film, and they might not
necessarily be as interested in grant management—that’s secondary,” he
explained. “Having a system that minimizes the administrative burden allows
them to focus more on the creative elements of the projects.”

Grateful for the continued improvements that they’ve seen through their
collaborative efforts with Blackbaud, Richardson is quick to share the
story of BFI’s grantmaking success with professional peers: “We see it as a
partnership, not just a purchase of a product,” he said. “We are very happy.”