Why Unstoppable - and why 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.