IPFC: Face-to-face regulators join forces in new international network

A new international network of face-to-face regulatory associations has launched, promising to boost standards and enable networking among nonprofit organisations globally.

The International Public Fundraising Council, (IPFC) whose headquarters are in Vienna, was formally launched in Austria on 22 September, as part of the Global F2F Fundraising Summit 2022.

Its founding members are the regulators from three European countries: AMRAC (France), QUIF (Austria) and Q!SH (Germany), plus four associate members: PFRA (Australia), PFRA (New Zealand), PFFA (United States) & ABCR (Brazil). The UK’s Fundraising Regulator will also participate as an advisory observer.

A statement from the new body says: “Public fundraising requires well-trained fundraisers and a consistent set of benchmarks to ensure quality standards and an exceptional donor experience.”

It goes on to say that the IPFC will enable face-to-face fundraisers to “share a common platform for learning and exchanging ideas” and that the network aims to “further develop the sector internationally, identify trends at an early stage, and to ensure that high quality approaches are being implemented”. This will include sharing the learnings from Austria’s longstanding Quality Initiative for Donor Marketing.

IPFC will hold its first International F2F Fundraising Congress Vienna in May 2023.

Jean-Paul Kogan-Recoing, president of the IPFC and founder of French fundraising consultancy ONG Conseil, says: “The challenging time of the pandemic has given rise to unprecedented cooperation in the international face-to-face community, which is being taken to a new level with the founding of the IPFC.” 

IPFC says that face-to-face fundraisers globally recruit around 2.5 million donors each year for nonprofits in more than 50 countries, and that around 60% of those recruits become long-term donors. It also says that the sector makes a significant contribution to labour markets, creating around 90,000 job vacancies each year.

Promoting face-to-face as a career will be another goal of the new body, with IPFC vice president Franz Wissmann, founder of Austrian fundraising consultancy DialogDirect, saying: “Raising funds in the public sphere requires a wide range of skills, such as empathy and persuasion, but above all communication skills that are extremely valuable for any career path.”

– Follow the new organisation on Twitter @ipfc_f2f

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