EFA forms Public Affairs Working Group

EFA has launched a Public Affairs Working Group, expanding its work in this important area.

As the main representative of national associations and other nonprofits working to strengthen and develop fundraising across Europe, public affairs is a key aspect of EFA’s work. Members and Fundraising Europe readers already benefit from regular updates on relevant legal developments from Brussels through Patrick Gibbels, and from EFA’s What’s going on in Brussels webinar series.

EFA also regularly responds to consultations on members’ behalf, and collaborates with other Europe-wide sector bodies and organisations to ensure the sector’s position is known when changes are on the table. Most recently, EFA responded to a proposed statute for European cross-border associations and nonprofits, which it also ran a webinar on.

The new working group will support EFA’s board under the leadership of Simona Biancu, with members chosen for their skills and expertise in this area, and to ensure country representation across Europe.

The Public Affairs Working Group members are:

• Simona Biancu (chair) – EFA board member, & vice president of Italian fundraising association ASSIF
• Patrick Gibbels – Gibbels Public Affairs & EFA consultant in Brussels
• Yvette Kleekamp – Public Affairs Advisor at Dutch fundraising association Goede Doelen Nederland
• Larissa Probst – EFA board member, & managing director at German fundraising association Deutscher Fundraising Verband
• Pia Tornikovski – secretary general of Finnish fundraising association VaLa, & former EFA board member

The group’s objectives

• To develop networks related to fundraising, and nonprofits and European philanthropy in general, to generate greater interaction, sharing, and discussion that help to advance the profession and how it’s perceived more widely.
• Participation in other working groups, including inter-professional ones, focused on areas of interest to fundraisers, such as VAT, e-Privacy, and anti-money laundering. Representing the sector and ensuring its position is heard, the group will also offer proposals and working hypotheses that drive discussion and positive change.
• Building relationships with EU political and consultative bodies to raise awareness of issues relevant to the fundraising sector, propose actions aimed at consolidating and developing the culture of giving. Acting as a professional counterpart in all cases where European regulation has a negative impact on fundraising.
• Dissemination of knowledge and updates, sharing of actions and objectives with the European professional fundraising community to stimulate discussion and raise awareness for the building and consolidating of an authentically European space for the profession.

Commenting, Biancu said:

“As the European Fundraising Association, EFA has a unique role to play in representing the fundraising community on legal and regulatory matters at an EU level. Our Public Affairs Working Group will enable us to achieve this on a greater scale than before, benefitting not only our members, but fundraisers, and fundraising, throughout Europe.”

Picture by Endzeiter on Pexels