The Resource Alliance started as the International Fund Raising Group (IFRG) in 1981 when 36 people gathered at the first International Fundraising Workshop.

The aim of this gathering was to create a platform to share ideas and experiences on fundraising and learn from peers. The ethos behind was to act as an enabler in supporting the development of skills and capacity of the non-profit sector worldwide.

The International Fundraising Congress (IFC) as it is now called has since become synonymous with fundraising excellence and many NGOs include the conference as part of their training curriculum. In October 2012, the IFC brought together over 953 participants from 61 countries.

The next IFC will take place on the 15-18 October 2013 in the Netherlands.

Supporting the NGO sector

We are now in our fourth decade of supporting the NGO sector. The role of the organisation has expanded from being an event organiser to developing and running an international programme.

In 1989 the Resource Alliance began working in the South, responding to the need for a participatory skills transfer and a tailored capacity development programme. To date there have been 93 regional and specialised Workshops and seven International Workshops located in developing countries. Almost 12,000 delegates attended these from more than 100 countries. Hundreds of NGOs have benefited from the activities of the Resource Alliance. The networks that have developed have ensured that support and knowledge exchange mechanisms remain in place.

The unique competency of the Resource Alliance is the ability to provide global perspectives on sector issues. It attracts the best leaders and influencers in the field, has a pivotal role in an international network and an unparalleled ability to enable and build capacity in fundraising and resource mobilisation.