MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE

At the International Fundraising Congress in 2025, five Big Topic sessions brought together our community to take on the most urgent questions facing our work in social impact and civil society. From reimagining philanthropy and aid to reclaiming civil society’s voice, these debates shaped a collective vision for a better, braver future: the IFC Manifesto for Change.

Recent years have been marked by turbulence, shrinking civic space, rising inequality, and systems straining under the weight of global crises. But even in a world where hard-won rights are being rolled back, where civil society is constrained, where funding models falter and misinformation spreads at scale, one truth remains constant:

Fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and changemakers are keeping purpose alive.

Civil society is more than a collection of institutions; it is a force that uplifts marginalised voices, protects human rights, and builds pathways to justice that governments and markets too often neglect.

Being part of this force requires courage: the courage to work in hostile environments, to challenge the status quo, and to look inwards. It was in looking inwards together and reflecting on difficult questions that a direction emerged – one rooted in solidarity, shared power, and community-led change. That direction was captured in the Manifesto for Change.