The International Fundraising Congress (IFC) brings together 1000s of changemakers, innovators, and thought leaders from over 60 countries to address the biggest challenges facing our world today. For four days in October, we work together to create plans and calls to actions. We meet our heroes, share our stories, and leave with a renewed sense of community and hope.

At IFC Holland: Together We Can, we will also be addressing the hottest topics and most relevant trends in the industry. Through deep-dive Masterclasses, interactive Workshops, inspiring Plenaries, and even over coffee, industry experts will present invaluable insights from both their successes and their failures in sectors ranging from Fundraising and Philanthropy to Leadership and Communications and Digital Innovations.

Here are the 5 Burning Questions IFC 2018 Will Answer for the Social Impact Sector:

1. What is “people-powered change” and why should I care?

If you want to learn more about the latest advocacy and campaigning methodologies that can engage millions and inspire them to act, don’t miss “Creating people-powered change: campaigning theories, strategies and tactics to engage and mobilise people to action,

Learning Outcomes:

  • How to develop public mobilisation campaign strategies that engage supporters and motivate them to take meaningful action
  • How to leverage culture to develop stories that inspire supporters
  • How to design outreach strategies and tactics to recruit new supporters and reach existing ones effectively

This engaging Masterclass is taught by Michael Silberman, Senior Digital Campaigns Strategist, Mobilisation Lab and Gautam Raju, Campaign Director, Purpose.

2. Who are the new philanthropists – and how do I reach them?

The exponential growth of new foundations and new money across the globe means that we need to create new ways of reaching these diverse and evolving sectors. “New Foundations, New Money: Getting into the Minds of Today’s Philanthropists” will be your guide to finding innovative solutions.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the size, scope and trends of the new wave of foundations in Europe and Asia
  • Understand the relevance and importance of social enterprise in new foundation finance
  • Understand the role of advisors, including the banks, in developing relationships in this segment

This interactive Masterclass is taught by Christopher Carnie, Founder and Director, Factary and Rafia Qureshi, Executive Director, The Womanity Foundation.

3. How do I make my messaging stick?

What are the secrets to messaging in a world where technologies are constantly evolving? How does successful messaging really connect, engage, and push people to act? Find out how during “Sticky Marketing Troubleshooting Session – Interactive Resource Cafe Session.”

Learning Outcomes:

  • Move beyond theory to viable marketing and communications solutions
  • Gain a strategic understanding of the new rules of engaging with stakeholders, volunteers and donors
  • Address YOUR questions and challenges and bring home a plan of action for creating impactful messaging

This personalized session is taught by Grant Leboff, CEO, Sticky Marketing Club Kyla Shawyer, CEO, The Resource Alliance.

4. 500,000 new supporters from Facebook? Really?

Are you ready for a social media success story that also comes with step-by-step guidance to achieve your own scalable digital transformation? Don’t miss “500k New Supporters From Facebook. Who Said Digital Isn’t Scalable?

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand how to SCALE digital using Facebook and an acquisition funnel.
  • Learn the key tactics for boosting online-only conversion to reduce the impact on tele-marketing
  • Understand the key organisational challenges and opportunities of moving to a digital lead generation and conversion programme

This active Workshop is taught by Nick Burne, Founder CEO, RAISETHRU and Danni Adam, Senior Direct Marketing Executive, Greenpeace.

5. Are we ready to #ShiftThePower?

We can all agree that it’s about time for open and frank conversations about our industry. “It’s time to talk about power and grassroots fundraising. Are we ready to #ShiftThePower?” will address why and how we fundraise in non-traditional countries and the impact we have — for good or for bad.

Learning Outcomes:

  • A reflection and discussion around power and values in our work, and whether our practices and tools support or undermine them
  • An appreciation of fundraising / local resource mobilization as a core development strategy
  • An introduction to the #ShiftThePower movement

This debate-style Resource Cafe Session is taught by Corine Aartman, Consultant/Trainer, Wilde Ganzen Foundation and Jenny Hodgson, Executive Director, Global Fund for Community Foundations.

Join us this year from 16-18 October to boldly answer the burning questions of our time. Together We Can share our knowledge and break down walls!

REGISTER HERE

 

With theme of “Together We Can,” this year’s International Fundraising Congress (IFC) will offer opportunities for fundraisers, innovators, changemakers, and game changers to network and share ideas. But above all, you will be able to put your heads and heart together to collaboratively overcome the biggest challenges we face in the social impact sector today.

Through deep-dive Masterclasses, interactive Workshops, inspiring Plenaries, and even over coffee, industry experts will present invaluable insights from both their successes and their failures in sectors ranging from Fundraising and Philanthropy to Leadership and Communications and Digital Innovations.

There is no end to the possibilities of what you will take away from ”Together We Can,” but we wanted to share our hotlist of the Top 5 Things You’ll Learn from IFC Holland 2018:

1. Blockchain Technology and You

“Blockchain” is one of the newest buzzwords to hit the beat this year. But what does this tech trend have to do with your organization, and how can you harness it’s potential? During the “Innovation in Fundraising: The Blockchain” Workshop, Duncan Cook, CEO, 3 Sided Cube, will breakdown blockchain opportunities for fundraisers, and examine, “how it could change the way charities work in the future.”

Together we can… use tech for good to make the world a better place!

2. The Science Behind Support

Have you ever wondered what exactly makes some people more generous than others? The innovative Big Room Session “The Neuroscience of Philanthropy: A Fundraisers’ Guide to How Supporter Brains Work” will address the science behind giving. You’ll learn surprising facts about the way we think and make decisions, and how to improve your communications from Bernard Ross, Director, The Management Centre (=mc), Meredith Niles, Executive Director of Fundraising & Engagement, Marie Curie UK, Omar Mahmoud, Chief of Market Knowledge, UNICEF, Geoffrey Peters, CEO, Moore DM Group.

Together we can… use our brains for social good!

3.  Journey Mapping for the Win

Understanding the “donor experience” is a critical step to engaging long-term sustainable giving. Through the process of Journey Mapping, you will learn about the who, what, when, where, and how’s of what motivates your donors. With this knowledge, you will discover how, “to transform how you view, and support, your donors,” through the Masterclass, “Journey Mapping: Empathize with your donors so they can empathize with your cause. Learn to map your donors’ journeys to better understand and meet their needs, and your own.” Speakers include Michael Johnston, President and Founder, hjc, Diana Ruano Ortiz, Global Donor Development Manager, UNHCR, and Brian Walsh, Principal, Structured Empathy.

Together we can… transform our donor relationships!

4. Putting Digital First in Your Integrated Campaign

Has your organization been victim to the war between fundraising, communications and campaigns? In reality, these aspects of your foundation must be working together to achieve your goals. In the Workshop “Radical future: How digital-first campaigning organisations are changing fundraising forever,” you’ll discover how to integrate your strategies to focus on the infinite potential of digital. You’ll learn from real-world success models from Jon Lloyd, Advocacy Campaigns Manager, Mozilla and Anne Isakowitsch, Senior Campaigner, SumOfUs.org and Co-Founder, Campaign Bootcamp Germany.

Together we can… make radical change possible through digital!

5. Improve your Corporate Fundraising Game

Do you feel like you simply cannot compete with Big Brands when it comes to acquiring corporate partnerships? You are not alone! Believe it or not, there are ways for organisations of all sizes to successfully compete in the corporate fundraising game. The making of a modern corporate fundraiser: How to win breakthrough corporate partnerships and develop your own personal influence” will give you the tools and the confidence to “compete and win against bigger names and bigger budgets.” Workshop hosted by Adam Heuman, Director of Engagement, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and Helena Sharpstone, Director/Co-owner, Sharpstone Skinner.

Together we can… gain the confidence to achieve our fundraising goals!

Whatever challenges or goals you face, at IFC Holland 2018, you will meet like-minded peers and mentors to help you on your fundraising journey. Whether you’re a fundraiser newbie or an established industry thought leader, you’ll leave IFC with a renewed sense of community and the connections you’ll need to achieve your mission.

TOGETHER WE CAN – FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IFC

In October 2017, the international fundraising and social impact community gathered together for 4 days outside Amsterdam to spark conversations that would collectively change the course of the fundraising world. IFC Holland 2017: A New Conversation was attended by over 1000 delegates from 60 countries, eager to share their social impact knowledge and experience with each other, because it is only by working together that we can overcome the challenges that face our world.

Through deep-dive Masterclasses, interactive Workshops, inspiring Plenaries, and even over coffee, industry experts presented invaluable insights from both their successes and their failures in sectors ranging from Fundraising and Philanthropy to Leadership and Communications and Digital Innovations.

While what we learned from the conference could certainly fill a book, our Top 5 Learnings from IFC Holland 2017 were:

1 . Rethinking the Value of Volunteers

Delegates were urged to specifically rethink their attitudes towards volunteers as not just “free labor,” but instead as key team players. Volunteers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, we would not be able to effect the change our organisations are striving to achieve. IFC Holland taught us that by empowering our volunteer networks to be more active and engaged with staff, together we can achieve our missions!

2. Showing Some Donor Love

“Donor Fatigue” is plaguing the sector. The conundrum is that the more desperately we try to reach our donors for support, the less likely they are to give. Speakers at IFC Holland 2017 challenged us to rethink how we engage with our donor base by deepening these relationships. This can be achieved by opening the lines of communication, encouraging collaborations, and generally showing our donors some much needed LOVE!

3. Overcoming Barriers to New Innovations

In our digitally driven world, innovation is king. In the nonprofit world, “the Bottom Line” is what takes precedence, often leaving many small to mid-sized organizations vulnerable to being left behind because of bandwidth, finances, and fear of failure. IFC 2017 sessions focused on giving us the tools to recognize and overcome barriers to innovation, specifically how to operate in a climate that encourages risk and allows for failure, thus creating outcomes the might never have otherwise realized.

4. Marketing to Millennials

The future of fundraising is the Millennial Market – but how do we reach this digitally-obsessed, short-attention-spanned market that demands transparency, results, and above all “realness?” IFC 2017 delegates learned how young people can be cultivated from “awareness to activism to giving.” This youth demographic requires new ways of thinking, non-conventional outreach, and revolutionary campaigning, long before they even have the capacity to give. One thing is for sure: Millenials are definitely worth the investment from our industry.

5. Beyond Fundraising

One of the most common themes running through IFC Holland 2017 was that social impact depends on more than just fundraising. For sustainable growth and long-term success, we must begin to explore innovative financing and partnership opportunities. Because of the temperamental nature of fundraising, our very survival depends upon being open to new ideas – even including sharing our success secrets with each other… which is exactly what IFC is all about!

After all the sessions, networking opportunities, and plenaries, we could all agree that conversation and collaboration are vitally necessary to invigorate and sustain our social impact work. Building on the learnings of 2017, this year’s IFC will focus on the theme of “Together We Can.” We hope that you can join the conversation from 16-18 October, 2018 in Holland where together we can change the world!