Thoughts from Resource Alliance CEO Willeke van Rijn following a conversation with Mohammad Hamdan, Fundraising Director at SOS Children’s Villages Palestine.
When Mohammad Hamdan describes his working reality, I can’t help but be in awe of the leadership, resilience, and determination he shows every day; it should be an inspiration and motivation to all of us.
Mohammad is the Fundraising Director at SOS Children’s Villages Palestine. He lives in Ramallah and works in Bethlehem. A journey that should be straightforward has become increasingly unpredictable. Restrictions on movement, economic pressure, fuel shortages, and growing humanitarian needs have transformed everyday life.
Planning has become a constant exercise in uncertainty. Mohammad explained that his team no longer works with one scenario. They work with scenarios A, B, C and D because reality can change from one day to the next. But fundraising continues.
Mohammad’s experience reminded me of something fundamental about our profession: Fundraising isn’t just about resources; it’s about resilience, creativity, and the belief that communities deserve a better future, even when the path ahead is uncertain. One sentence from Mohammad captures this beautifully: “Every day you need to be resilient in something new.”
For many fundraisers around the world, these words will feel familiar. Resilience is no longer something we call upon only in moments of crisis. It has become part of our everyday work – finding new approaches, building new partnerships, and continuing to create impact despite circumstances that are often beyond our control.
What makes Mohammad’s reality so powerful is that, alongside the challenges, there is a deep sense of possibility. Today, despite working in circumstances that many of us can scarcely imagine, his team has expanded, its fundraised income doubling again and again.
For Mohammad, this is evidence that impact remains possible. It shows what can happen when communities, organisations, and supporters continue to believe in what is possible.
His story also reminds us that resilience is never created alone, it is collective. It grows through communities supporting one another, businesses finding new ways to contribute, entrepreneurs embedding social purpose into their work, and donors who remain focused on people and the future they want to help create.
One example he shared illustrates this perfectly: A business leader whose company had been forced to close many branches still wanted to support the community. Unable to make a large corporate donation, he invited customers to add a contribution to their invoices. A challenge became an opportunity for an entire community to participate in creating change.
It is a simple idea, but reflects something much bigger: When traditional ways of working become more difficult, generosity finds new ways to express itself.
Mohammad also challenged us to think differently. Perhaps we should not only ask what we need to learn, but also what we need to unlearn. How can we trust communities more? How can we create partnerships differently? How can we become more open to ideas that emerge from people working in extraordinary circumstances every day?
These are exactly the conversations that bring fundraisers, campaigners, changemakers, and leaders from the social impact sector together at the International Fundraising Congress (IFC) every year. They come together to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and learn from each other’s realities.
This is why we chose Unstoppable as the theme for IFC 2026. We want to create space for the stories, ideas, and experiences that show what resilience, leadership, and generosity look like in practice.
Mohammad’s story reminds us that being unstoppable is not about standing alone. It is about continuing to adapt, collaborate, and believe that change is possible – together.
If these are the kinds of conversations you want to be part of, I hope you’ll join us at IFC 2026. Come ready to share your own experiences, listen to voices from around the world, and help shape the future of fundraising and the wider social impact sector.
We are recruiting for new board members who can bring a fresh perspective, relevant experience, and thoughtful challenge to the Resource Alliance. We’re looking for trustees alongside a new chair for our Finance and Audit Committee, with applications open through 05 September.
The Resource Alliance is shaped by people who believe that better ideas, stronger connections, and shared learning can help civil society create greater impact. As the world changes, so does the role of the social impact sector, and the work of those guiding our organisation is felt globally.
We are now inviting applications for voluntary positions on the Board of the Resource Alliance: trustees and a chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.
This is your chance to help guide the next chapter of a global organisation that equips, connects, and inspires fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and changemakers to mobilise resources for a just, equitable, and sustainable world. Our trustees provide strategic direction and valuable support, challenging our organisation to remain ambitious, accountable, and responsive.
We’re not looking for one kind of leader or one conventional route into governance. We want to hear from people whose purpose is aligned with our own and who can add something distinctive to our board’s collective experience, thinking, and reach.
Our New Trustees
We are excited to connect with potential new trustees with experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Foundations & philanthropy
- Investor & funder engagement
- Alternative financing & sustainable income development
- Campaigning, advocacy, & movement building
- Artificial intelligence & emerging technologies
- Digital transformation
- Next-generation leadership & Gen Z perspectives
We are particularly keen to strengthen representation and lived understanding from Africa; East Asia, South East Asia, and the Pacific; Latin America and the Caribbean; and the United Kingdom. Applications from all regions will be warmly welcomed and considered.
You can read a full description of the role here.
Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee
We are seeking a strategic and collaborative financial leader to chair our Finance & Audit Committee and serve as a full member of our board.
The successful candidate will help the Board of the Resource Alliance to oversee financial sustainability, risk, auditing, and long-term planning, while contributing to wider discussions about income diversification and the future resilience of the organisation. Because the Resource Alliance is legally based in the UK, preference will be given to candidates based in the United Kingdom or with significant experience of UK charity finance, governance, audits, and regulation. A professional accountancy qualification is welcomed but is not essential where equivalent senior financial leadership experience can be demonstrated.
You can read a full description of the role here.
What to Know Before You Apply
- Both positions are voluntary and non-remunerated; reasonable, previously-agreed expenses will be reimbursed.
- Trustees are appointed for an initial three-year term and may be eligible for one further consecutive term.
- The Resource Alliance is a global organisation and applications are welcomed from candidates based anywhere in the world, subject to the specific UK experience preference for the finance role.
- Applications close 05 September 2026.
- Interviews are expected to take place between 22 and 30 September 2026.
Apply Now – or Help us Reach Someone Who Should!
This might not be the opportunity for you – but it could be perfect for someone you know. Please send this page to one person whose perspective you believe belongs in the room or share it with your networks. A personal recommendation travels further and carries more weight than a social media repost or share, and your support to help us find the right people is hugely appreciated.
Thoughts from Nyasha Njela, COO at Revolutionise and Chair of the IFC Advisory Panel, on the challenges and opportunities presented by this moment for fundraisers and social impact organisations.
Across the world, conversations about shrinking aid budgets are growing louder. For many organisations, communities, and movements, the impact is immediate and significant. The reality is that vital work is being disrupted at a time when the challenges facing our societies continue to deepen.
Yet I believe this moment is about more than funding.
It is exposing questions that many of us have been wrestling with for years. What happens when the systems we have relied on are no longer guaranteed? What happens when resources become more constrained? And, perhaps most importantly, what does it take to build organisations, communities, and movements that can thrive in the face of uncertainty?
Through my work across Africa and globally, I continue to be inspired by the creativity, courage, and determination of fundraisers and nonprofit leaders who are finding new ways forward. We are seeing renewed interest in local philanthropy, community ownership, partnerships, social enterprise, and collective action. We are also seeing important conversations emerge about power, leadership, and who gets to shape the future.
For many Global Majority organisations, this is not a new reality. Building with limited resources, navigating uncertainty, and finding strength within communities have long been part of the journey. What feels different now is that these conversations are becoming global.
The challenge before us is not simply to replace lost income. It is to build stronger, more resilient systems of support that are rooted in trust, shared responsibility, and our collective humanity.
As we look ahead to IFC 2026, I hope we can move beyond asking how we preserve existing models and instead explore what becomes possible when we have the courage to reimagine them.
The future may look very different from the past. That brings uncertainty. But it also brings opportunity.
And perhaps that is where hope lives.
Want to continue the conversation? Join us at the International Fundraising Congress this October.
A few weeks on from Fundraising Online, we’re looking back on key lessons from some of our top sessions. Missed it? You can watch recorded content free of charge via the Resource Alliance Global Community platform.
Organic Social Media Lessons From the Mamdani Campaign
“People can’t vote on Instagram.”
One of the biggest takeaways Gabriella Zutrau, Independent Digital Strategy Advisor to the Mamdani campaign, left us with was that organic social media should do more than build attention – it should move people to action.
The campaign focused on:
- Simple, repeatable messaging
- Consistent posting
- Frictionless pathways from social media to volunteering, donating, & organising
Digital wasn’t separate from organising, but was a bridge into it.
One key lesson was to build familiarity before trust. The campaign repeated the same core affordability messages consistently, invested heavily in organic social media, and used creators, chatbots, & trial reels to massively expand reach.
The campaign resulted Mamdani going from polling at under 1% to a landslide election win.
Consistency online builds recognition.
Recognition builds trust.
Trust drives action.
Some standout digital mobilisation stats shared at #FRO2026 included:
- 144,000+ automated Instagram DMs sent
- 45,000+ clicks generated
- Approx. USD $0.03 per click
- Thousands of email signups collected directly through Instagram messages
- 42 million additional views generated through reposted trial reels
The biggest insight? Reduce friction wherever possible.
The easier it is for people to act, the more likely they are to move from being a passive supporter to an active participant.
AI Triggers, Human Action
“AI isn’t going to write your way to a better donor journey. It’s going to read its way there.”
Salvatore Salpietro, Chief Growth Officer at Dataro, revealed how our greatest opportunity doesn’t lie in using AI to generate more content, but in having it answer one simple question: Who needs us to do something right now?
Better donor journeys don’t come from sending more emails, but from better timing, better listening, and the right human action at the right moment.
Sal challenged us to think differently, showing how predictive AI can help fundraising teams identify:
- Who might be about to leave
- Who may be ready to give more
- Who needs a human touchpoint now
AI doesn’t replace fundraiser, but can help us know where to place our focus. A powerful reminder was that, by helping to identify donors at risk of leaving, we can created moments of human connection where they are needed most. “AI didn’t save the donor,” Sal told us. “A human did.”
AI can trigger the insight, but it’s humans who build the relationship.
Community Voices, Collective Power
“What builds long-term support?”
Co-founder of Rang De, Smita Ram, shared three powerful ingredients for creating lasting relationships:
- Authentic communication
- Radical transparency
- And knowing when communication becomes too much
Smita showed us how trust isn’t built through only sharing success stories, but about being honest about what didn’t work and what was difficult, as well as sharing what your supporters need to know first.
We learned that supporters don’t just want to be asked; they want to be informed, trusted, connected, and part of something bigger.
Rang De’s weekly updates have no direct ask or CTA, but still bring people back to engage, invest, and participate. That’s the power of relationship-first fundraising.
Community-powered funding isn’t just about raising money. It’s about building a movement where supporters become participants.
Rang De’s social investors have gone on to:
- Join local chapters
- Attend meetups
- Visit communities
- Connect with like-minded people
- Help drive the work forward
When people feel trusted, informed, and part of the story, they don’t just give once. They become part of your movement.
When People Fund Faster Than Institutions
“Crowdfunding is not just fundraising. When it works at scale, it becomes a form of civic coordination.”
At #FRO2026, Zuzana Suchová showed us how crowdfunding is changing more than how money is raised; it is changing the speed of public response.
When people, organisations, media, communities, and public figures move together, small individual decisions can become rapid collective action.
When people stop waiting for institutions to act, change happens. One example shared was how €500,000 was raised for Ukraine through Donio in just three days.
No grant call.
No long approval process.
And no single coordinating institution.
Instead, networks of people, organisations and communities moving quickly in the same direction.
Crowdfunding isn’t a perfect model, but it can move fast. And it shows how visibility is power.
Urgent, emotional, and media-visible causes can often mobilise support quickly, while chronic, structural, or politically uncomfortable issues can remain underfunded. The challenge for social impact organisations lies in how in how we build systems that are fast, trusted, and fair, rather than just helping people to give faster.
Sign up for the Resource Alliance Global Community platform to catch up on #FRO2026 and rewatch recorded content free of charge.
Fundraising Online: #FRO2026 brought together more than 3,000 fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and changemakers from 122 countries. A few weeks on, Resource Alliance Director of Programmes Ruby Chadwick reflects on the event.
This is a moment that feels hard to define.
Is it a crisis? A transition? An opportunity?
Maybe it’s all three.
Care, mobilisation, & trust
Throughout the day, we heard one message again and again: People still care. They care about justice, community, each other, and our world. The challenge for those of us working in social impact isn’t getting people to care, but whether we are ready to meet that care with the right invitations and whether we have the tools – and the courage – to do what is needed.
One major theme was a shift from fundraising to mobilisation. More and more, our supporters are being seen as more than donors; they are volunteers, campaigners, creators, connectors, social investors, advocates and co-owners of change. The future isn’t about asking people to give more, but supporting them to move from concern to action, and from action to belonging.
Trust was another topic we came back to again and again – in the workshops, yes, but also in the chat (which was hopping!), Q & As with our speakers, and in our live discussion sessions, we heard how lasting support is built through honesty, consistency, and visibility. Our supporters stay engaged when they feel informed, respected, and part of our stories, rather than when we only approach them with another ask.
Speed & AI
Speed matters, and artificial intelligence was a big part of the conversation, too. Crowdfunding is changing how quickly people can respond to urgent needs, with these individual campaigns moving faster than larger institutions can. Digital mobilisation is similar; attention can quickly become action, but only when we make the next steps for our supporters clear and easy.
When it comes to AI, what we heard was not what we’re used to hearing. What echoed from our speakers was a message of courage and care, and a call for our sector to lead the way in ensuring that AI doesn’t replace human connection, but helps us to act with more clarity, care, and confidence. Whether that help lies in identifying who needs a call, surfacing donor signals, improving data, or supporting internal teams, the opportunity is not to automate generosity, but to listen better, respond faster, and protect trust.
Looking to the future
The future of resource mobilisation won’t be shaped by the organisations that ask more often, automate more content, or chase every new tool. It will be led by those who continue to build real relationships in a noisy world. The ones who use technology with care and can turn attention into action, who can move quickly without compromising their values.
Fundraising Online reminded us that the social impact sector isn’t just a set of organisations, but a tide of people who care, act, give, organise, and refuse to look away.
Fundraising Online is the annual event for fundraisers and campaigners to build core digital fundraising skills, explore emerging mobilisation models, and make sense of what’s changing – from digital engagement and AI to new financing approaches and local solutions. Want to know more? Access recorded content from #FRO2026 free of charge via the Resource Alliance Global Community platform.
The first ever Creative Organising Lab brought together teams from eight organisations around the world and four creative agencies for a series of one-hour creative sprints tackling real-world campaign challenges.
We’ll be closely following those teams and will keep you posted on their campaign outcomes, but, for now, here are 10 practical takeaways from the event you can start applying to your own campaigns right now:
1. Start with low-hanging fruit
You’re not going to win everyone over at once, so don’t try to!
Start with the people already closest to your cause; those are the ones most likely to care, act, and share with others.
Ask yourself:
- Who already gets this?
- Who is already half-in?
- Who would be proud to stand with us publicly?
Momentum will start building with the audience already warmest to you, not with people you have to work hard to persuade.
2. Ask directly and clearly
If you want people to act, ask them to act!
If you want someone to donate, sign, share, attend, or speak out, make the ask simple and visible.
Don’t bury it in copy, or imply it and assume they’ll figure it out for themselves. The strongest campaigns work so well because they don’t stop at raising awareness – they give their supporters clear next steps.
3. Talk less about your organisation and more about your audience
Too many campaigns waste time explaining their own organisation and not enough time speaking to the people they want to move.
Shift the focus:
- from your internal priorities to your audience’s motivations
- from your processes to their values
- from your identity to their role in the story
If people can’t see themselves in your message, they won’t be moved to take action.
4. Create messages people can wear
Test your message with this question: Would someone put this on a T-shirt, a badge, or a placard?
If the answer is no, your message might be too abstract, too technical, or too organisation-centred.
Strong campaign messages feel like identity markers. They’re simple, repeatable, and help people show others what they stand for.
5. Post regularly for rhythm, not just for the algorithm
Consistency matters – and not just because platforms demand it. Effective campaigns need rhythm.
If you’re not shouting about your campaign consistently and regularly online, you’re not campaigning. It’s hard to build momentum, recognition, or public energy when you only speak occasionally about your cause. Regular posting helps create a sense of movement and keeps your issue visible.
6. Hold weekly creative meetings
Set aside one hour every week purely for brainstorming and ideation. Time dedicated to creativity, not admin, reporting, or updates.
Use this time to ask:
- What are we trying to move?
- What’s working?
- What isn’t?
- What could we test next?
- What is the most powerful, simple, or most unexpected version of this idea?
7. Use time limits to sharpen thinking
Part of the reason the short sprints of the Creative Organising Lab were so effective is because they were just that: short sprints.
Sometimes, it can help to give yourself less time, not more. Tight deadlines enhance focus, cut out overthinking, and force decision-making.
You don’t always need weeks of development time to make progress. Sometimes, a genuinely focused hour can do more than a month of drifting discussions.
8. Fix your foundations before chasing the next big idea
Not every organisation needs a flashy campaign concept right away.
Your real need could be a lot more basic:
- Clearer messaging
- A better sense of who your audience is
- Stronger communications discipline
- Greater confidence in your core strategy
Big ideas work best when solid foundations are already in place. If your basics are weak, even the smartest campaign in the world will struggle to take off.
9. Localise everything you can
Make your campaign feel like it belongs to your audience.
Language, environment, and reference points all shape whether people feel spoken at or spoken to.
Before you go live with your campaign, publish new campaign content, or share campaign comms, check:
- Does this use language your audience actually uses?
- Does it reflect their environment?
- Will the references, symbols, and values feel familiar?
Localisation isn’t only about translation, but also about relevance.
10. Move people through emotion, not just reason
People don’t act because they’ve received the right amount information – they act because something feels necessary, urgent, or meaningful to them.
The facts matter, but it’s emotion and connection that drive action.
Connect with people through things like anger, hope, belonging, or responsibility to make them feel why your cause matters to them. In a crowded landscape, the campaigns that cut through aren’t the most informative ones, but those that people feel the most deeply.
You don’t need a full rebrand, a massive strategy overhaul, or a perfect plan to start campaigning.
All you need is one clear ask. One strong message, one creative habit, one next step. The most important thing is to start moving.
Want to keep up to date on the outcomes from the Creative Organising Lab and our other programmes? Pop your name and email into the box below to join our global community of fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and changemakers!
Resource Alliance CEO Willeke van Rijn on why coming together at this pivotal moment to learn, connect, share, and mobilise, is so important.
At the heart of every movement, every breakthrough, and every act of generosity, there are people: people who give, who organise, who challenge, who imagine a different future… and then work tirelessly to build it.
We are in a time where the world feels increasingly complex and divided – and one in which driving meaningful change (and fundraising to resource it) feels like it’s getting harder. But one thing is still very clear: Change is possible, and it happens when people come together. Not just as donors, but as active participants in something bigger than themselves. Not just as supporters, but as cocreators of impact.
Do we see people as donors, but or do we recognise them as much more than that? Those who open their hearts (and their wallets) to our causes are individuals driven by purpose, compassion, and a desire to belong. When people are given the opportunity to do more than just give – to connect, to understand, to be part of our vision – we see people power in action, where we build a constituency and create a broad base of support towards our purpose. We’re seeing this in action: Look at Gen Z movements across the globe that have resulted in policy change, elections, and new governments in places like Kenya, Nepal, and Hungary. Look at the nine-million-strong No Kings protests in the US, or half a million people taking to the streets of London in opposition to far-right politics. People have power and people make change.
This is why Fundraising Online, the free digital fundraising, AI, and mobilisation event, is so important right now. At #FRO2026, we will celebrate people power in all its forms. Last year, the event brought together over 3,500 people from 123 countries – and 94% told us they learned something new. More than that, it’s where you can connect with your colleagues from all over the world, and come away feeling inspired, connected, motivated, and renewed. Together, we will ask questions, challenge assumptions, and share what works (and what doesn’t!).
Fundraising Online: #FRO2026 is the one-day event for fundraisers and campaigners where you will build core digital fundraising skills, explore emerging mobilisation models, and make sense of what’s changing - from digital engagement and AI to new financing approaches and local solutions. It’s happening on 13 May and registration is free. Sign up now >>
“Unstoppable: Reimagine. Reclaim. Rebuild.” is our theme for IFC 2026. Here, Resource Alliance CEO Willeke van Rijn reflects on the meaning of the theme and its relevance to the social impact sector today.
There are moments in history when standing still is not neutral, but a choice. And in 2026, standing still is no longer an option.
2025 was turbulent. Civil society operated largely in reaction mode, responding to shrinking civic space, declining trust, funding cuts, and the erosion of international law. It demanded resilience, adaptation on the spot, survival. While we’re far away from solutions, 2026 calls for something different: we must show solidarity, we must act as a collective. We must collaborate and stand up – together – for the missions and visions we believe in.
From reaction to responsibility
The world is changing. Democracies are eroding. Violence and oppression are normalised. Power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of a few – controlling platforms, information, and even access to the internet. Civic space is shrinking. Fear and polarisation are tools of governance.
In this context, reaction alone is not enough. Adaptation at the margins is not enough. Civil society has a deeper responsibility to reshape power, to reclaim morality and values, and to reassert our shared humanity.
Civil society exists for moments like this. When markets fail, when states fail, when inequality becomes justified, and injustice becomes normalised.
We are not here to protect old systems; we are here to reimagine, rebuild, and replace those systems that fail humanity, the planet, and justice. We are here to own our responsibility, to claim our collective power, and to create solutions together.
Why Unstoppable – and why now?
Unstoppable isn’t about heroic leadership or growth at all costs. It is about collective agency – the power that emerges when we choose collaboration over competition, courage over caution, and imagination over inherited limits.
At IFC last year, one thing was very clear: across regions and movements, civil society is not standing still. Leaders are challenging extractive systems, reshaping power dynamics, and building solidarity rooted in trust, dignity, and agency.
Reimagine. Reclaim. Rebuild.
Our theme centres around three pillars of change:
Reimagine
Not fixing what is broken, but daring to build what does not yet exist. Reimagining leadership, fundraising, power, technology, and public narratives so they serve justice.
Reclaim
Voice. Trust. Agency. Legitimacy. Reclaiming power for communities and movements. Reclaiming fundraising as a strategic function. Reclaiming civil society’s role as a force that shapes the future.
Rebuild
Systems, relationships, and ways of working that nurture partnerships over power and long-term action. Funding models that sustain mission rather than distort it.
Together, these forces can move us beyond resilience and into transformation.
Signs of hope are already here
Across the world, the momentum of change is building:
- Movements are defending democracy and civic space – like Gen Z protests in Latin America and Asia.
- Grassroots organisations are localising fundraising and building sustainable and diversified income, even – in some cases – moving away from fundraising and into new social enterprise models that secure funding long-term instead of for three-year cycles.
- Funders are shifting to trust-based, community-led approaches; we are witnessing the accelerated impact of long-term and unrestricted funding as well as community-led approaches.
Although these actions do not always get the media attention they deserve, let us continue to amplify these voices, create noise around solutions that deserve to be recognised, and show that an alternative narrative exists and can thrive.
A collective commitment
Unstoppable is something we become together, not something any one organisation can claim in.
Unstoppable is not something any one organisation can claim. It is something we become — together.
It asks:
- What can I bring to the table?
- What can I commit?
- What will I do – not just try to do?
- What can we achieve together that none of us can achieve alone?
Moving together
IFC 2026 celebrates the people and movements who refuse to stand still. Those who keep going, keep creating, and keep connecting, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
Together, we can find new answers. Together, we can reimagine, reclaim, and rebuild a world that works. Together, we can set the agenda that matters. When civil society moves with courage, imagination, and solidarity, we do more than respond to the world as it is, we help shape the world as it should be.
When we move together, we are – and always will be – unstoppable.
IFC 2026
The International Fundraising Congress is more than just a conference. It’s about what you will do next. Join us in October 2026 and reaffirm your commitment to being part of a force that shapes the world, not just one that responds to disaster.
The Manifesto for Change, created in collaboration with our entire community, through an online consultation process and in person at IFC 2025, captures the shift from charity to solidarity, from dependency to agency, and from fragmentation to collective purpose. You can read it here.
As we approach the end of the year, preparation for the next International Fundraising Congress is ramping up – and we want you to be a key part of it.
We are now accepting speaker proposals for IFC 2026.
We’re changing our submission process this year, so if you’d like to submit a proposal, please read this information and the submission form carefully, even if you’re a seasoned IFC speaker.
Session Formats
For IFC 2026, we are inviting proposals for workshop and masterclass submissions at the same time. When you submit your proposal, you will be asked to select your session type:
- Workshops: These 75-minute sessions are focused and interactive, designed to share practical learning, tools, or approaches that participants can apply to their work straight away. Workshops should encourage participation, discussion, and shared learning and ideally not be presented as straight lectures or presentations.
- Masterclasses: These are in-depth, immersive learning experiences that allow participants to step back, explore complexity, and work through one specific topic in depth over the course of six hours, which is split into two sessions across the first two days of the event. We are looking for proposals from experienced practitioners or specialists with the depth and perspective to guide sustained learning.
As always, we want to hear from diverse voices working in different contexts in all parts of the world and love to connect with new speakers who can expand the conversation.
Tracks & Theme
Session proposals should align with the event theme: Unstoppable: Reimagine. Reclaim. Rebuild.
Our 2026 theme reflects the momentum we’re seeing across the sector, as fundraisers, leaders, and movements respond to uncertainty, challenge inherited systems, and build new ways of working that are rooted in purpose and impact. We’re inviting session proposals that speak to one or more of these forces:
- Reimagine: Questioning assumptions and opening up new possibilities for fundraising, leadership and impact.
- Reclaim: Shifting power, trust, and agency, and examining how fundraising and civil society can reclaim legitimacy and voice.
- Rebuild: Practical, grounded work to strengthen systems, skills, and cultures so our organisations can adapt, recover, and thrive.
We are particularly keen to receive proposals aligned with the following:
- Fundraising & resourcing
- Marketing, communications, & public narrative
- Audiences, supporters, & public behaviour
- Leadership, power, & ways of working
- Innovation, change, & learning
- Technology, AI, & digital practice
- Financial sustainability
- Civil society, activism, & global perspectives
Application Process
The deadline to submit proposals is 02 February 2026, with speakers notified by 06 March.
The application form will ask for:
- Basic information about you and your organisation (including your name, jobe title, country, and LinkedIn profile)
- A recent headshot (guidelines here) for inclusion on our website if your session is selected
- A short video, for internal use only, explaining why your topic should be included on our 2026 programme
- Details about your proposed session, including:
- Session title and description
- Three key learning outcomes
- Your connection to the topic
- Details of one additional contributor (if applicable and subject to approval)
We’re curating a programme that reflects the realities of practice today, including innovation, learning, failure, and change. With your help, IFC 2026 will support delegates to think differently about how they lead, fundraise, and work.
Esther Njagi is a communications expert working with The Open Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. IFC 2025 was her first International Fundraising Congress – and her first trip to Europe. Here, Esther writes about her trip and about her experience at the event.
A few weeks ago, I visited Europe for the very first time, to attend the International Fundraising Congress in the Netherlands.
The IFC is one of the world’s biggest gatherings of fundraisers and social impact leaders. According to the IFC website:
“As the pace of change accelerates and the challenges humanity faces rise, life-saving programmes are being stripped of funding and hard-won gains in diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are under attack. Fundraising cannot afford to stand still. At IFC 2025, we brought together the brightest minds, the boldest ideas, and the most innovative new strategies to reshape and secure the future of social impact.”
And truly, it lived up to that promise.
For me, it was an incredible opportunity to learn more about fundraising — and honestly, it was hard to choose which sessions to attend because they were all so rich with insights. From legacy giving (a completely new concept to me) to digital tools for fundraising, every session offered something valuable. I was especially intrigued by how different organisations around the world are raising funds creatively, even with small teams and limited resources.
But the session that resonated with me most was by Amnesty Argentina. Led by Daniel Gamboa and Laura Durán, their story was a perfect example of innovation meeting impact.
The team shared how their communications and fundraising departments worked hand in hand to grow Amnesty Argentina from a little-known organisation into one with thousands of followers. Their creativity blew me away — especially the idea of launching a Roblox game to raise money! By deeply understanding their audience — particularly young men who enjoy gaming — they created a game where players could buy power-ups, with proceeds supporting Amnesty’s causes. They even designed custom Amnesty T-shirts for in-game characters, turning digital spaces into awareness platforms.
Their approach to thinking like a commercial brand and being boldly disruptive in a crowded media world really stood out. Even more fascinating was how they built AI versions of their audience personas to test and refine their messaging, having real-time “conversations” with these digital personas to see what resonated best. It was absolutely genius!
Other sessions that inspired me focused on how small teams can achieve fundraising success by making sure everyone in the organisation becomes a fundraiser in their own way. Overall, IFC 2025 was a truly inspiring few days — full of learning, sharing, and connecting with brilliant minds from across the globe.
Of course, the trip didn’t end with the conference. I took a bit of time to explore the Netherlands, from Noordwijk, the charming seaside town that hosted the conference (and probably the coldest beach I’ve ever been to!), to Leiden, a vibrant university town nearby, and Amsterdam, with its stunning architecture and culture. I even crossed over to Bruges, Belgium, a picturesque historic town full of delicious food and chocolate.
It was, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime — filled with new ideas, new friends, and a renewed sense of purpose for the work we do.
Loretta J. Ross, an award-winning author and academic whose decades of work have shaped the direction of activism for reproductive justice and racial equity in the USA will give the opening plenary at IFC 2025.
Commenting on the opening keynote, Ruby Chadwick, Director of Programmes at the Resource Alliance, said, “Across the world, life-saving programmes are being stripped of funding and hard-won gains in diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are under attack. Our theme for IFC 2025 is Break Through and we need voices like Loretta’s, which echo through history more loudly than those who call for division and hate, to do just that: break through the noise and remind us what’s at stake—and what we must continue to fight for.”
The keynote will provide insight into Loretta’s compelling ‘calling in’ framework, which has roots in her early work assisting in the deprogramming of people who had left hate groups and in her anti-racism work with the wives and mothers of KKK members. The approach reframes cancel culture through a lens of respect and radical empathy, leading to better outcomes for our communities and our causes.
The opening keynote at IFC sets the stage for the event, inspiring delegates and getting them into the right frame of mind for the days to come. “Loretta’s approach offers a path forward that is grounded in connection, accountability, and hope over cancellation, shame, and despair,” Chadwick continued, “Together, we will explore how we can move from fragmentation to solidarity and from fear to action.”
In a first for the event, a follow-up session will be held directly after the keynote, giving delegates the opportunity to ask questions and explore Loretta’s approach more tangibly, while discovering practical tools for navigating conflict and applying the calling-in mindset to leadership, fundraising, and movement-building.
The International Fundraising Congress returns to Noordwijkerhout in the Netherlands this 14-17 October, welcoming an expected 800 delegates from over 70 countries to the in-person event. Selected sessions will also be presented in a hybrid format, accessible online from anywhere in the world. Early bird pricing ends next week! To take advantage of the early bird rate, delegates should register for the event by 08 September at bit.ly/IFC2025reg.
In a new piece for HistPhil, the Resource Alliance Board Chair Ingrid Srinath asks what the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s most populous democracy can learn from each other about the shrinking of civic space each each nation is experiencing.
“In India, nonprofits navigate a regulatory minefield […] Together with lack of data transparency from government agencies, this permits the discrediting of nonprofits as ineffective, inefficient, corrupt and occasionally anti-national, while obstructing the articulation of a positive narrative of the sector’s contribution. Some of this is already apparent in the U.S.—for instance, with stray, sometimes misleading data being deployed to discredit USAID, other government agencies, and philanthropy.”
We know from our work with our sector colleagues in India, on the India Fundraising Conference and more, that though increased regulation and control have caused hardship and impacted the pursuit of humanitarian missions, they have also given rise to new levels of innovation and collaboration.