As the industry’s leading platform in the German-speaking world, the event focuses on discussions about trends, strategies and practical solutions. Over the course of the event, around 100 speakers will present 56 workshops/panels, 6 masterclasses, and three Big Sessions, with the programme suitable for beginners, advanced participants, and experts alike — as well as an international audience thanks to DeepL Live Voice-to-Text translation. Topics include digitalization, strategy, leadership and organizational development.

Another highlight is the presentation of the German Fundraising Award on 2 June, which is receiving particular attention this year due to a record number of entries.

EFA Learning Symposium

Taking place at the same venue on Monday 1 June, and kindly hosted by DFRV, is the EFA Learning Symposium. This event brings together senior fundraisers, educators and other influencers of fundraising talent, strategy, and professional development, to discuss and shape the future of fundraising education.

Through expert presentations and structured discussions, the Symposium will examine:

• The skills and knowledge future fundraising leaders need
• The impact of professional fundraisers on organizational income
• Why education drives performance
• Barriers to professional education

The EFA Learning Symposium can be booked here.

This year’s programme brings together leading experts, researchers, consultants, and practitioners to discuss how we build a stronger, more effective fundraising profession in Europe.

The symposium opens with a keynote from Bill Stanczykiewicz of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In “Philanthropy, Passion & Resilience,” Stanczykiewicz will explore how philanthropy continues to strengthen communities, improve lives, and promote justice during challenging times, while highlighting the latest findings of the Global Philanthropy Environment Index, with a special focus on Europe

A strong focus throughout the symposium is the future of fundraising education and capacity building. Giedrė Šopaitė of Baltic Fundraising Hub will present a structured, competency-based approach to assessing and developing fundraising capacity in her session “Assessing Fundraising Competencies: From Intuition to Strategic Team Development.” Drawing on Lithuania’s national programme, participants will gain practical tools for identifying strengths, addressing gaps, and aligning teams with strategic goals.

Questions around learning and professional development continue in sessions led by Nele Theuer of BIBB and Heike Kraack-Tichy of emcra. Theuer’s workshop, “Challenges And Potentials Of Education In Fundraising” will explore findings from the study “Education and Training in the German Fundraising Sector”, encouraging participants to reflect on how educational needs are changing across the profession and the developments required to meet them. Kraack-Tichy’s interactive session, “Should I Forget What I Know? Rethinking How Fundraisers Learn,” will explore the evolving demands on fundraisers and the skills, mindsets, and formats needed to stay effective in a rapidly changing world. It will also challenge traditional approaches to professional development, asking what still works — and what doesn’t.

Leadership and recruitment are also key themes. In “Who Is Leading Fundraising In A Charity? Who Is Delivering Service To Charity Clients? Recruiting Insights” Jeanette Eesmann-Foster, Zoe Oldham, and moderator Pia Tornikoski will share recruitment insights into the skills and knowledge fundraising leaders need to succeed in today’s evolving nonprofit landscape.

Finally, Mary O’Kennedy and Martin Georgi will present findings from a Europe-wide EUConsult study in “Bridging The Gap Through Learning: Aligning Consultant Skills With Nonprofit Needs,” examining how consultancy skills and training can better support nonprofit organisations in a rapidly changing environment.

If you influence fundraising talent, strategy, or professional development, this Symposium is for you, offering valuable opportunities to learn, connect, and shape the future of the sector.

Find out more and register here.

Initiated by Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL), the conference will bring together fundraising professionals, civil society leaders and corporate representatives from Bulgaria and across Europe. Tickets are now available.

The event will take place at Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia, followed by a special Masterclass on 19 June.

A call for courage in fundraising

This year’s edition takes the central theme of courage, reflecting how in a rapidly changing social and geopolitical environment, civil society organizations are increasingly required to go beyond familiar approaches and mobilise communities in new, creative ways.

Participants will have the opportunity to exchange experience with leading experts from Central and Eastern Europe, gain international perspective, and build partnerships across sectors.

Masterclass: Building large-scale digital movements

The training will provide practical tools and frameworks for engaging the public at scale and inspiring action through digital campaigns through a mix of presentations, exercises and discussions.

Building on a successful first edition

The inaugural conference in 2025 brought together over 200 participants from the nonprofit and business sectors, alongside 30 speakers from across Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

The programme featured 11 sessions covering topics such as fundraising for complex causes, digital mobilisation, corporate giving trends, and engaging major donors.

A growing community of changemakers

The International Fundraising Conference has quickly established itself as a key meeting point for the philanthropic community in Bulgaria. It provides a platform for sharing knowledge, building partnerships, and developing sustainable strategies for socially impactful work.

The 2026 edition is expected to further expand this community, bringing together professionals who believe that strong civil society is essential for a more just, sustainable and democratic future.

The conference is initiated by Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organised by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL), with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation under the project “Stronger Together: Engaging Other Sectors in Civil Society Initiatives (2026–2028)”.

Partners supporting the event include: Accenture Bulgaria, Fantastico and Vivacom.

The event is held in collaboration with the European Fundraising Association (EFA).

Main image by Alexandr Bormotin on Unsplash

Taking place in Berlin, Germany on 31 May – 1 June and hosted by Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DFRV), this year’s symposium will combine expert presentations and structured discussions to help fundraisers turn knowledge into real-world impact. Speakers include: Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. (Indiana University), Giedrė Šopaitė (Baltic Fundraising Hub), Jeanette Eesmann-Foster (Mindwize), Heike Kraack-Tichy (DFRV), and Pia Tornikoski (VaLa).

Topics under discussion include:

• The skills and knowledge future fundraising leaders need
• The impact of professional fundraisers on organizational income
• Why education drives performance
• Barriers to professional education

Whether you’re focused on leadership, performance, or the future of learning in fundraising, this is your chance to connect, learn, and shape what comes next.

Find out more and register here.

Picture by Getty Images for Unsplash+

The 2026 theme is ‘Small shifts, Big impact’. The event will provide a space to imagine what could be possible, and a place to be inspired and discover the latest trends, to learn best practices, and to network with others who understand the challenges and opportunities that a job in fundraising brings.

In-person offer

In-person delegates will benefit from:

•  Hearing from 175+ speakers and over 70 sessions including plenaries, real case studies, informative seminars, panel debates, workshops and more
•  Receiving advice and guidance to progress your career in 1-2-1 coaching sessions
•  Meeting 25+ exhibitors and sponsors in the Expo arena
•  Discovering the latest innovations happening across the sector
•  Gaining insight and access to the latest research findings
•  Networking, interacting and connecting with like-minded fundraisers from across the UK and overseas.

Special rate for delegates from EFA member organisations

Members of EFA can benefit from a reduced Chartered Institute of Fundraising member rate. Tickets close on 27 May.

How to book

Book here and enter ‘EFA’ in the membership number field to get the preferential rate.

In addition, those who would like to attend the Fundraising Convention with colleagues, can save 10% when booking five or more tickets in a single group booking. This offer ends on 5 May.

Organisations are “being forced to cancel crucial community and fundraising events due to security risks and direct threats”, according to Challenges Facing Charities in Divided Times, based on focus groups including a range of charities, published by sector body NCVO.

The charity regulator has also suggested that funders should show “flexibility” to charities struggling to meet funding agreements as a result of this climate.

The issues of migration and asylum have caused particular tension in the UK in recent months. While these are reflected in NCVO’s report, it also mentions charities in other areas, such as LGBT issues. As reported by Fundraising Europe in October, charities across Europe have been told to consider how to avoid exacerbating polarisation in their activities, including fundraising.

The NCVO report identifies four major themes:

1. a “tangible sense of fear” that is impacting the daily lives of staff, volunteers and those they support – particularly those from global majority backgrounds
2. operational disruption and “forced invisibility”, with organisations cancelling events, or reducing their public activity because of direct threats or security concerns
3. targeting and abuse, with many participants “receiving intimidating emails and other forms of harassment”
4. increasing internal tensions and conflicting views among staff, trustees and volunteers, as well as “challenging interactions” with service users

The day before NCVO’s report was published, the head of the Charity Commission for England and Wales said he was “disturbed” to learn about measures charities were taking to protect staff in the face of “growing hostility”.

The commission also published guidance for charities impacted by these issues. This includes a specific recommendation around relationships with funders, saying:

“If you have concerns that you may not be able to deliver some of the activities set out in your funding agreements as a result of instances of abuse, threat or intimidation, seek an early conversation with the funder. They may be able to help by showing flexibility in these exceptional circumstances.”

NCVO said that it would develop further guidance on issues around staff safety, online hate and risk management. It also pledged to create “confidential peer-support spaces for leaders and frontline staff experiencing hostility”, and to continue to raise the issue with government and regulators.

Attendees will learn actionable insights for navigating 2026, including:

– The most up-to-date trends influencing nonprofits across Europe

– Where organisations are struggling most — and how leaders are adapting

– How digital and AI advancements are reshaping strategy and capacity

– The emerging priorities that will define resilient, future-ready NGOs

– Practical recommendations to apply immediately as you plan the year ahead

Whether you lead fundraising, digital transformation, operations or overall strategy, this webinar will equip you with the evidence and expert perspectives needed to steer your organisation through the challenges ahead — and seize the opportunities that lie beyond them.

Key details

When: Thursday 29 January 2026

Time: 11AM CET / 10AM GMT

Where: Virtual

Cost: Free

Join us by registering here: https://invite.salesforce.com/europeannonprofitpulsewebinar

IFC 2025 returns to Noordwijkerhout in the Netherlands on 14-17 October. Its hybrid track, IFC Online (15-17 October), lets participants attend selected sessions online as they happen live, joining in and interacting with speakers and in-person delegates.

The programme for IFC Online provides a condensed version of the IFC experience, exploring key topics through a practical lens. As well as live and on-demand workshops, participants can experience the livestream of both the opening and closing keynotes, which are made available on-demand once the sessions have streamed live through the end of the congress.

Commenting on the online lineup, Ruby Chadwick, Director of Programmes at the Resource Alliance, said:

“Our community spans the four corners of the world. The online sessions have been chosen to reflect the diverse needs of fundraisers, campaigners, activists, and changemakers working in very different global contexts. From achieving breakthrough success with limited resources to showcasing the potential of impact investment for sustainable change, the programme has been shaped to support people no matter their cause or area of work.”

In addition to the keynotes, online delegates will have access to workshops on topics including legacy fundraising, donor potential, online influencers, impact investing, and e-commerce.

Chadwick said:

“In response to the growing challenges faced by fundraisers worldwide to continue their work, we have placed a renewed focus on equity and accessibility. It is thanks to the support of our event partners Fundraise Up and Salesforce that we have been able to cover our costs and make access to IFC Online completely free of charge this year. Purpose-driven corporate charity partnerships like these are vital for the future of our sector and we look forward to the continuation of our work together.”

IFC 2025 expects to welcome an expected 800 delegates from over 70 countries to the in-person event as well as thousands more online.

The Tour is an unmissable opportunity to hear inspiring real-world examples of how nonprofits are confronting the threats and mobilising support, and to gain new strategies to implement in your own organisation.

Key details

When: 18 September

Time: 14.00-16.00 CEST

Where: Zoom

Cost: €49

Who it’s for: Fundraisers, campaigners, nonprofit leaders, and civic innovators across Europe and beyond.

The event will provide:

• 7-10-minute lightning case studies from across Europe – concentrated, practical, and immediately usable.
• Tactics to rally supporters, raise funds, and build momentum under challenging conditions.
• Connections with peers working at the intersection of fundraising, advocacy, and civic action.

Presentations include:

• Beyond Digital Fundraising: Building Power Online That Creates Change — Paul de Gregorio (Rally, GB)
• Fundraising in the Face of Intimidation — Russell Harvey (Greenpeace International, GB)
• Small Foundation, Big Impact: Crowdfunding for Civic Regeneration & Local Democracy — Valeria Vitali (Rete del Dono, IT)
• Crowdfunding for Democracy — Zuzana Suchová (Donio, SK)
• From Stigma To Support: How Polish NGOs Mobilized Donors Against The Odds — Andrzej Pietrucha (Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation, PL)

Eduard Marček, EFA’s executive director said:

“Democracy and civic space are under threat right across Europe. But fundraisers have the power to push back. The European Fundraising4Democracy Tour is your chance to discover proven strategies and inspiring real-world examples from across the continent. For Third Sector professionals seeking practical, effective solutions, this is a must-attend event.”

View the full programme and register here.