How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture

There’s no doubt about it, commissioning a sculpture by Simon can be expensive. As we explained in our blog “Why is Art so Expensive?“, there are lots of costs that go into creating a chainsaw carved sculpture. It’s not just the timber and time! This cost can be off-putting, and ultimately cause people to write off the idea. However, there are lots of ways you can raise the funds, and the cost doesn’t need to be a problem. Read on for some of our ideas about how to raise funds for a tree carving sculpture…

Photo shows an oak bench with a sculpture of shakespear sitting on the far end — A multi-day project like this can be costly, but there are creative ideas for funding your commission

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Obtain a Grant

Many people don’t realise grants are available for funding certain sculptures. Where you look for that grant depends on the purpose and subject of your sculpture.
For example, if you are creating a Woodland Sculpture Trail, these are often part of the environmental education goals of an organisation. In this case you could look for grants for learning outside of the classroom, or environmental awareness.

If your sculpture is for creating an outdoor attraction, there are currently grants for business to adapt to covid regulations. Grants from the Arts Council and ArtFund provide funding to help museums, galleries and other visual arts organisations realise adventurous projects.

There are also more general grants you could consider. What about the National Lottery? Or a sculpture-specific grant? For example, The Henry Moore Foundation will sometimes offer funds as part of its mission to support sculpture across historical, modern and contemporary registers.

Although they can be elusive, there are grants to be found, so it’s worth investing time to look.

woodland sculpture trails by simon o'rourke. Photo shows a howling wolf in redwood, surrounded by trees. Located in Fforest Fawr. — This wolf forms part of the Fforest Fawr trail. There are often grants available to fund outdoor attractions like this, especially if it is part of adapting for covid regulations.

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Sponsorship by a Local Company

If your sculpture benefits the community in some way, it may be possible to raise funds by asking a local company to sponsor some – or all! – of the cost. Some companies offer fund-matching which can relieve some pressure. Others will cover the cost completely, especially if they are looking to build their reputation in the area. An example of this is Simon’s sculpture in Capenhurst. Urenco funded the entire sculpture!
There is one key principle to apply here too… You never know if you don’t ask! Be bold! Write to local companies. Reach out! The worst that can happen is they say no!
And if local companies aren’t an option, what about a national company with a local presence. Tesco Bags of Help scheme allows the community to vote for three projects at a time, so you can get up to £2000 towards the cost of a sculpture that benefits the community in some way.

how to raise funds for your tree carving sculpture: this wildlife scene in capenhurst was funded by urenco. it features various local animals in a 'totem' style and is standing on a green space with houses in the background — This wildlife scene on a village green was funded entirely by a company with a local presence

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a bit of a buzz word, but basically describes asking lots of people for a small amount of money – usually via the internet. It’s important to choose a website that is easy to use and trusted. GoFundMe would be our top recommendation, as it’s well run, easy to use and has a solid reputation. IndieGoGo is lesser-known but also a site that allows for community projects such as a sculpture trail. It also allows you to offer incentives to donors for larger amounts. If you are wondering what those rewards could be, we have an idea! Simon offers a package that gives clients a copy of the original sketches and a DVD of the sculpture being made. Perhaps you could offer a copy of the DVD or sketch to people making large donations?

Crowdfunding in the community has the added benefit that it also gives people more of a sense of ownership or involvement in the project which always beneficial.

how to raise funds for a tree carving sculpture: projects like this which are in public places could be funded through crowd sourcing. Photo shows a giant hand carved into a dead tree trunk. it is surrounded by trees. — Public sculptures like this Giant Hand of Vyrnwy could potentially be funded through crowdfunding.

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Fundraising Events

Another idea for raising funds for a community sculpture is holding a fundraising event. We’re all familiar with bake sales, and there’s a reason for that. They’re popular!

Now being honest, you will need to sell a LOT of cakes to raise the money needed for a large scale sculpture or sculpture series! BUT community fundraisers can still be a help. Sponsored events, dances, quiz nights, raffles, competitions, book drives…they are all tried and tested methods.

In this category, we would also count using a website like Bonfire or Teespring to create merchandise that can easily be sold to generate funds. Using sites like these mean you don’t need to be concerned about inventory. You set up your shop, upload your products and they take care of manufacture and shipping. You have no customer service issues and you don’t have to invest money in products you may not sell. One of our team raised £3000 for medical costs incurred in the US using Bonfire, so we know it can work!

how to raise funds for a tree carving sculpture: consider fundraising events or selling merchandise for a sculpture for a local park. Photo shows a dead yew tree trunk carved into a dragon hatching from its base — Although this was a private commission, transforming a dead tree in a local park into a sculpture like this could be done through fundraising.

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Monetise your Tree Carving Sculpture

Our final suggestion for raising funds for a sculpture by Simon O’Rourke, is to monetise the sculpture. That is, use it in some way to generate funds.

We don’t mean to do that all year round necessarily. In the case of something like a woodland sculpture trail, that would take away from its purpose. However, there are ways you could do this occasionally.

Perhaps by hosting a special moonlight walk around the trail once or twice a year with an admission fee?
What about selling tickets for a ‘sneak peak’ event before the official unveiling?
Or if you are having a sculpture created from a standing trunk on site, IF health and safety allows for it, could you let people watch Simon carve for an hour for a donation?
If your sculpture is a character with a name such as Ruby the Owl, Verity the Vole, or Horatio the Hedgehog, could you run a competition to name it, or guess the name?
Or if the unveiling involves a celebrity, sell raffle tickets for the opportunity to be part of the ceremony and be photographed with the sculpture and celebrity?

Monetising your sculpture may not initially seem easy, but we’re sure there are ways you could do it occasionally to offset the costs.

Sculpture of a scarecrow made from oak by Simon O'Rourke. He is pointing to the sky and surrounded by bare trees. — Meet Tattybogle the scarecrow! Naming a sculpture is one of the ways to generate smalle rtirckles of money that can help offset costs of your sculpture by Simon.

How to Raise Funds for a Tree Carving Sculpture: Final Thoughts

We hope this has been helpful for you in generating some ideas for funding your tree carving sculpture by Simon. While some of them will by no means cover the cost, we hope they will be a springboard for you for other ideas as well as possibly bringing in small amounts. After all, every little helps!

Simon never wants the cost of a sculpture to be prohibitive either. So when you chat about the costs of a commission, why not ask him for some alternative ideas if the initial suggestion is too costly? Someone from the team can also talk to you about structuring payments.