Culture rescue: Radio Classic Stephans Cathedral secures 730,000 euros by donating!

Culture rescue: Radio Classic Stephans Cathedral secures 730,000 euros by donating!

On May 20, 2025, the Austrian cultural fundraising awards were awarded in the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, which appreciate the most important initiatives in the field of private fundraising for art and culture. This year the fundraising campaign "Save Radio Classic Stephansdom" from the "Rejoice for you-agency for potential development" was awarded the price for the best fundraising campaign. This campaign generated over 730,000 euros and saved the popular radio station after the elimination of his previous main financier. Managing Director Roman Gerner emphasized the central role of donations for the continued existence of the classical broadcaster.

In addition to the price for the best fundraising campaign, the Stadttheater Klagenfurt received the award for the best company partnership in cooperation with Volksbank Carinthia. This cooperation offers free access to theater performances among 27-year-olds and has already experienced several budget extensions in order to further promote cultural participation. The "Small But Smart-Award" went to Kulturspenden.at, which offers small and medium-sized cultural businesses an easy-to-use and compliant opportunity for donation processing.

increasing importance of private means

According to the Fundraising Association Austria, the annual private funds for art and culture in Austria amount to around 45 million euros. Astonishing 83 percent of all cultural companies rely on these private donations, in addition to the public subsidies. Experts underline that the financing requirement has increased in accordance with the current wave of inflation.

A look back at the willingness to donate shows that in Austria only 8 percent of the population are willing to donate for art and culture, which results in over 60 million euros annually. It is particularly striking that only 2 percent of all donations in Austria achieve 1,000 euros or more, which indicates a lack of awareness of private engagement in cultural funding. Institutions often expect the financing of cultural projects to be a state affair, despite the tax deductibility of donations that has existed since 2009, but has been restricted for non-profit organizations in the cultural sector since 2016.

future impulses for private cultural financing

The cultural foundation awards awarded in 2025 are not only recognition for successful projects, but also a drive for further initiatives. The Carinthian Cultural Foundation was founded to support private cultural funding and has already distributed 200,000 euros for cultural projects, with the support of the State of Carinthia, which contributed 50,000 euros to the foundation's asset.

On October 5, a specialist conference on the subject of “Kulturfundraising & Sponsoring” will take place in Vienna, which aims to set new impulses for private cultural financing in Austria. Experts from cultural management and fundraising will take part in the meeting to discuss innovative approaches.