The Forum is on 19 November, in Leuven, Belgium. EFA’s annual European gathering for fundraisers and fundraising leaders, it provides a space to exchange on strategy, leadership, civic space and the future of fundraising and philanthropy in Europe.

The event is followed by a networking dinner the same evening. EFA’s Annual General Assembly, member workshop and Board meeting take place on 20 November – for EFA members only.

Fundraisers and fundraising leaders attending the Forum will hear how regulation, technology, and shifting civic space are reshaping fundraising and philanthropy in Europe, and engage in peer exchange on strategy, purpose, impact, and long-term sustainability — beyond operational tactics.

Attendees will also gain early insight into emerging giving models and sector-wide trends affecting future fundraising strategies, and have the opportunity to connect with European peers shaping standards, policy, and professional practice in fundraising.

Forum sessions on 19 November include:

• Political philosophy on fundraising in times of shrinking space for civil society with Ilja De Coster, Supporting Fundraising, and Fundraisers Belgium
• Shrinking civil space in Europe: countering polarisation through positive narratives with Ruth Williams, Fundraising Verband Austria
• Life after the Meta ad ban: how five European sections of Amnesty International adapted to the new reality, with David Conway, Amnesty International GB
• Scaling generosity data: from pilots to a European Commons with Birce Altay, GivingTuesday Europe Hub
• Engaging with public authorities: what lessons for philanthropy and fundraising in Europe?, with Laurence Lepetit, France générosités, and EFA vice president
• Testing our fundraising intuition against the evidence, with Vuk Vuković, KU Leuven
• If you want to change the world, do you really need a charity to do it? with Ian MacQuillin, Rogare
• Roundtable: Unlocking U.S. philanthropy: new sources of support For European nonprofits with Suzana Erickson, Myriad USA

Click here for more information and to register

This year, the Forum is supported by Postcode Lottery Group as Main Partner, Myriad USA as Partner, and Mindwize as Sponsor.

A big thank you for their invaluable support, which helps EFA both to deliver this event and expand our reach to even more fundraisers globally, and to Fundraisers Belgium for hosting us.

About the EFA European Fundraising Forum partners and sponsors

Postcode Lottery Group sets up and operates charity lotteries, which raise funding to support initiatives working for a healthier, fairer, greener world – from local grassroots charities to large international NGOs. Through lotteries operating in the Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Germany, and Norway, players have raised €15.5bn so far for goods causes and social initiatives, with Postcode Lottery Group’s charity partners receiving €1bn in 2025 alone – funding they can use wherever it is needed most.

Myriad USA provides donors with a simple and efficient platform to support nonprofit initiatives overseas, anywhere across the globe. Myriad USA’s work is built on the belief that local knowledge counts, and driven by the desire to improve the lives of people around the world. In 2025, it facilitated a record $195 million in grants to 1,075 nonprofits across 103 countries.

Mindwize is an international fundraising agency, headquartered in the Netherlands, and has been helping charities grow for more than 30 years. Mindwize works with more than 70 fundraising specialists across the Netherlands, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Austria and Denmark, helping charities build powerfully effective fundraising programmes.

The Tour will bring together eight campaigners and fundraising experts to share how they are mobilising communities, raising money and turning public concern into action.

Join EFA online on 29 September, from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST, to discover:

• How to respond to breaking news in hours rather than days from Ali Walker Davies, Forward Action (GB)
• How community-driven Meta advertising can mobilise supporters with Ján Plišnák, PS:Digital (SK)
• What young people can teach us about trust, engagement and AI with Oriane Penny-Lepastier, Institut de l’Engagement (FR)
• How grassroots fundraising can strengthen voting rights from Martina Turola, The Good Lobby Italia (IT)
• How crowdfunding becomes a tool of democratic resistance with Gvantsa Kakauridze, Orbeliani Foundation (GE)
• What motivates giving within the LGBTQ+ community from Antonio Vega, Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre / Technological University Dublin (IE)
• How music can generate solidarity and support democracy from exile with Sara Tokina, Belarus Outside Sound System (PL)
• How a civil society network successfully defused a disinformation campaign from Larissa Probst, Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DE)

Join fundraisers, campaigners and civil society leaders from across Europe to discover new tactics, challenge your thinking and connect with others using fundraising to protect democracy and civic space.

Full event information and registration here.

Ali Walker Davies from Forward Action in the UK will present Hours, Not Days: How To Turn Breaking News Into Movement And Money, sharing a practical playbook for getting organisations ready, and drawing on real campaigns that mobilised thousands of supporters at speed.

In his session, Building Community-Driven Meta Ads Campaigns, Ján Plišnák from Slovakia’s PS:Digital will use real campaign case studies to show how to work strategically with Meta Ads audiences and scale crowdfunding or donation-based campaigns more effectively.

In addition, Larissa Probst, from the German Fundraising Association (Deutscher Fundraising Verband), will present Stronger Together: How A Civil Society Network Defused A Disinformation Campaign. Sharing how civil society responded when an AI-generated “exposé platform” launched by Germany’s far-right party, the AfD, sought to discredit civil society organisations, the session will also provide practical insights on rapid response, donor communication, resource sharing, and building resilient networks before the next attack occurs.

The European Fundraising4Democracy Tour will showcase campaigns defending democracy and civic space, through fundraising, crowdfunding, civic mobilisation and more. It takes place online on Tuesday 29 September, at 14.00-15.30 CEST, with a programme of speakers from across the continent.

Walker Davies, Plišnák and Probst are the latest speaker additions to the programme, which also includes:

• Gvantsa Kakauridze, Orbeliani Foundation — From Charity To Resistance: How Crowdfunding Becomes A Tool For Democracy In Georgia.
• Oriane Penny-Lepastier, Institut de l’Engagement — Funding Democratic Resilience: What Young People Taught Us About Trust And Engagement In The Age Of AI.
• Sara Tokina, Belarus Outside Sound System — Turning Music Into Solidarity: How Belarus Outside Sound System Fundraises For Democracy In Exile.
• Martina Turola, The Good Lobby Italia — Funding Democracy From The Ground Up: Lessons From A Grassroots Voting Rights Campaign.
• Antonio Vega, Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre / Technological University Dublin — Pride And Prejudice: Pro-Social Preferences, Charitable Donations, And The LGBTQ+ Community.

Registration for the European Fundraising4Democracy Tour is open. Full event information here.

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.