Global virtual summit launched to support the charity sector’s response to Covid-19

  • The summit is supported by charity sector conference and training organisations around the world, made possible by Salesforce and hosted on Fundraising Everywhere
  • Conference live streamed on April 2nd between 12pm – 6pm BST / 7am – 1pm EST
  • Two virtual conference tracks on charity and fundraising response, plus additional resource library to support skills and well-being
  • Other charity conferences supporting the project by providing individual content
  • Free for everyone and available globally

The Resource Alliance is delighted to be part of a consortium, working together to respond to the situation faced by the charity sector as a result of COVID-19. 

With growing concerns from charities about how to respond in this time of crisis, the virtual conference has been curated to help connect charities and fundraisers, enabling shared learning to support a response with confidence and clarity.

Each session has been hand-selected and curated with COVID-19’s impact on the charity sector as its focus and will be presented online on April 2nd between 12pm – 6pm BST / 7am – 1pm EST.

Sessions are 45 minutes long including live Q&A with the speaker. Two tracks will run consecutively on Fundraising Everywhere’s website, fundraisingeverywhere.com, which attendees can interact and choose from throughout.

Attendance is free but attendees must register at fundraisingeverywhere.com/covid19.

Attendees can choose between the twelve live sessions on offer and will have access to all recorded content afterwards, plus a bonus video resource library, for as long as the pandemic impacts the sector.

Other charity sector partners including the Institute of Fundraising, Charity Comms, CharityDigital and Third Sector are supporting the project by using their speaker and charity connections to provide individual content.

The live stream will be subtitled in English for live viewers and available in other languages post-event.

Speakers and sessions

Planned sessions include:

  • Setting up a response task force
  • Working with your board during a crisis
  • Diversifying quickly
  • Creating digital campaigns
  • Mobilising volunteers during a lockdown
  • Becoming digital focussed
  • Campaigning in a crisis
  • Adapting strategic objectives during a crisis
  • Changing plans with funders
  • Engaging with HNWI during a crisis
  • How to survive and thrive through and beyond COVID-19
  • Turning cancelled events digital

Plus a bonus resource library on:

  • Community fundraising during COVID-19
  • Telephone fundraising
  • Legacy fundraising asks during a pandemic
  • Remote working
  • Time management
  • Well-being
  • Engaging with the media
  • Running virtual events on social media
  • Supporter experience during COVID-19
  • Making sure your COVID-19 response is inclusive

Confirmed speakers so far include:

  • Beth Kanter
  • Charity So White
  • Ian Mitlock (Charity Excellence Framework)
  • Kishshana Palmer
  • Ligia Pena (Greenpeace)
  • Rebecca Davies (Save The Children)
  • Sam Laprade
  • Tereza Litza (Lightful)
  • Wayne Murray (Audience)

There will also be live hosting from Fundraising Everywhere’s co-founders, Nikki Bell and Simon Scriver to engage with speakers and attendees. The virtual platform hosts a chat function where attendees can get involved with their own discussions and network with each other and speakers.

#FRO2020 SPEAKER LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Over 2,500 people have already registered for Fundraising Online 2020 (#FRO2020), the free online conference from the Resource Alliance taking place on the 29 & 30 April 2020.

As the impact of COVID19 forces much of our activity online, #FRO2020 offers valuable insight, tools and ideas on how individuals and organisations can innovate and accelerate their social change efforts in the digital world. All sessions will be accompanied by a live Q&A with the speaker giving you the opportunity to learn and engage for free, from anywhere across the globe.

Following the exciting announcement of two of our keynotes, Ailbhe Smyth and Sophie Chen, we now have even more incredible speakers confirmed, looking at everything from Facebook fundraising to regular giving recruitment, the power of storytelling to examples of community campaigns in Brazil. Scroll down for more upcoming #FRO2020 highlights.

With an ever-growing programme encompassing a wide range of digitally focused topics and global perspectives, we’ll be sharing even more #FRO2020 speakers and sessions very soon.

Keep updated and register for #FRO2020.


Adapting regular giving recruitment for the digital world: One journey from traditional to digital regular giving recruitment while harnessing the power of movement building and activism along the way

Kathryn Holloway and Alex Aggidis 🇬🇧

How were Friends of the Earth inspired by the digital activism of global climate activists? Like many NGOs, regular giving is the financial backbone of Friends of the Earth, and as a campaigning organisation they have depended on people power to pressure decision-makers.

In this session you’ll learn how they diversified their Individual Giving programme into a digital space after witnessing uprisings across the globe with climate activists and movements like Greta Thunberg, the youth climate strikers and Extinction Rebellion inspiring collective climate action.


From local to digital – Brazilian examples of community campaigns: The power of local giving campaigns to mobilise the community and create online engagement

João Paulo Vergueiro 🇧🇷

Learn how a community-based and personalised approach, together with digital technologies, has generated great fundraising successes around Dia de Doar – Brazils’s version of #GivingTuesday.

In this session João Paulo will share examples of Brazilian community campaigns built around Dia de Doar. He’ll make the case that it’s more effective to reach people in their local communities with the goal of developing their own neighbourhoods.


The power of storytelling: Leveraging the power of storytelling to create social change

Supriya Paul 🇮🇳

The session will include key insights from Co-Founder Supriya Paul on Josh Talks’ unique approach of telling stories, through relatable role models and vernacular languages in India. She will also share the tangible and unique impact their channel has had and the change they are creating in Indian society.

Supriya will also share the strategy behind crafting a good story and choosing the medium of dissemination to ensure it reaches a wider audience and can help individuals/organisations to achieve their objectives.


It’s not just about birthdays: Five reasons why you have to adapt to social fundraising & how to deal with the lack of data

Nick Burne 🇬🇧

In this in-depth, tools-agnostic workshop, featuring recent real-world case studies and benchmarks taken from over 300,000 Facebook fundraising transactions, you will learn the seven different types of supporter that you can engage with and where to spend your time and effort for the biggest rewards.

You’ll also learn the #1 most compelling message strategy that engages Facebook fundraisers and lets you raise more. Plus, how to get supporter relationships off Facebook so you can develop multi-channel relationships, as well as how to drive more fundraisers, how to navigate the tricky waters of GDPR and PECR, not forgetting the top tricks for blowing up your own fundraisers and much much more.


More sessions to be announced!

Look out for other #FRO2020 sessions soon, including:

  • Embracing data-driven fundraising
  • Generating more income from happier supporters 
  • Using Facebook Messenger as the new donor conversion channel

And much more!

Make sure you signup for #FRO2020. We’ll keep you up to date with all the exciting speaker and session announcements, and share details of exactly where to catch the sessions on the day.

As the COVID19 pandemic progresses the work of social impact organisations will become increasingly difficult over the coming months, especially for those on the frontline of this crisis. 

However, we know that by combining the talents, expertise and dedication of our global community of friends and experts we will be able to tackle the unprecedented levels of change ahead of us together. The Resource Alliance will continue to be a platform for connection, friendship, knowledge and advice. Our commitment to serve our global community will not be diminished. 

We are still planning confidently for IFC 2020, still over 200 days away, but after consultation with our partners in South Africa and Brazil together we have made the decision to postpone our South Africa and Brazil IFC Pop Ups until the situation stabilises. We will continue to carefully assess the situation over the coming weeks and, in the spirit of complete transparency we will share any updates with our community as they become available. Our commitment to serve our global community will not be diminished. 

Our team are on hand to listen to your questions, concerns and ideas. Contact us on social media or at contact@resource-alliance.org when you need us.  

In the meantime, do what you can to keep safe, stay informed and look after each other.  

The Resource Alliance is proud to introduce four new Trustees

We are delighted to announce the appointment of four new Trustees to the Resource Alliance Board.
 
Each of these incredible women bring a wealth of experience, talent and wisdom to our leadership, and we are greatly appreciative of the contribution they have already begun to make.

Here’s more on Nana, Naila, Ingrid and Willeke.

Resource Alliance New Trustees

NANA ASANTEWA AFADZINU

Ghana 🇬🇭

Nana is Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), with 19 years’ experience in the civil society sector. Nana is a passionate advocate for an effective, efficient, influential and sustainable civil society in West Africa.

A lawyer by profession, Nana has worked extensively on governance, human rights, philanthropy and capacity building with national, international, continental and regional organisations. Nana spearheaded the establishment of a legal division for the Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment (WISE) and volunteered as WISE legal counsel.

Read more about Nana here.
 

NAILA FAROUKY 

Egypt 🇪🇬

Naila has built an award-winning career across several continents. She is a Peabody Award recipient with experience in executive project management, media production and strategic development and communications. In 2014, she took on the role of CEO at the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF), a membership-based network of associations and foundations in the Arab region.

Prior to joining AFF, Naila spent 14 years at Sesame Workshop where she was responsible for managing overall strategic project management and development, production, content and creative aspects of Sesame Workshop’s multi-media Sesame Street projects in the MENA region, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

Read more about Naila here.

 

INGRID SRINATH

India 🇮🇳

Ingrid is the founder Director of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University, the first academic centre in South Asia to focus on these themes.

As well as her roles as Executive Director of CHILDLINE India Foundation and CEO of Hivos India, Ingrid served as Secretary General for 4 years at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, an influential global network of non-profit organisations.

Ingrid has served on several advisory boards including: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Fair Share of Women Leaders to mention just a few.

Read more about Ingrid here.

 

WILLEKE VAN RIJN

Austria 🇦🇹

Willeke is a highly experienced resource development manager currently heading up the Strategy and Analysis team at SOS Children’s Villages International, the world’s largest charity focused on providing a loving home for children around the world.

Prior to that Willeke spent 13 years at Oxfam as a global fundraising strategy advisor for affiliates all around the world providing strategic fundraising oversight, R&D of new fundraising markets and channels, and entry set up and market development of new fundraising departments and personnel.

Read more about Willeke here.

Resource Alliance Statement on IFC 2020 and Coronavirus (or Covid-19) 

STATEMENT FROM MARCH 2020 – Please revert to update here

First, policy issues aside, our hearts and thoughts are with all the individuals, families and organisations impacted by the Coronavirus around the world. We particularly offer our deepest compassion and commitment to the members of the social impact community we serve, and the countless people and causes each of you serve. This is an incredibly challenging time for work that is already challenging in the best of times. We offer our sincerest hope that that Coronavirus does not stop us from doing that work but becomes a test of our creativity and our will to thrive and succeed on behalf of all those we serve. 
 

In that spirit, with IFC 2020 taking place in the middle of October (still 7 months away), the Resource Alliance team continues to plan confidently for the event. This is the 40th anniversary of our beloved gathering and we are working diligently to deliver the best IFC ever. The theme of Accelerating Change seems all the more profound in the current climate. 

We will continue to carefully assess the situation over the coming weeks and, in the spirit of complete transparency, share any updates with our community as they become available. If, for any reason, we decide to reconsider any aspect of IFC 2020, we will work with each of our registered delegates to offer a full refund of registration fees*, as well as offer the opportunity to participate in other online and offline events and forums throughout the course of the year. 

In the meantime, we continue to plan for IFC, in addition to our online conference, Fundraising Online (or #FRO2020), at the end of April. We hope you will be able to join us for both opportunities to connect, share and learn!

If you would like any further information, have any questions or want to share your thoughts with the team, we encourage you to get in touch with us at ifc@resource-alliance.org — as always, the collective wisdom of our community is our greatest source of inspiration and advice. 

*Please note that the Resource Alliance cannot cover any additional costs incurred such as flights/travel fares or visas. If individuals or organisations make the decision not to attend the event (aside from any government enforced travel bans), our standard cancellation terms apply. 

Change Accelerator: Sandy Cipriano

Sandy Cipriana with Alber, Luthuli and friends - young boys dressed as superheroesdressed

Our Change Accelerator for March is Sandy Cipriano, Founder of Cupcakes of Hope, who aim to create awareness and raise funds for children with life threatening diseases, predominantly done through a love of baking cupcakes. Every month Cupcakes of Hope helps 80 -100 little cancer patients by paying for their medical and day-to-day expenses.

How did you get into social impact sector?

I’ve always volunteered as a student.  It was not always easy, but it felt good knowing that I could and did make a difference. Unfortunately one of our family friends lost their 3 year old daughter to cancer. Seeing what this family went through, I felt I could do something to help similar families during one of their toughest journeys. 

We run a family restaurant and we decided to do our first fundraiser in 2009, we raised R5 000 for one little patient. Our yearly fundraisers grew bigger every year and in 2011 we introduced cupcakes as a fundraising tool. That year we set a New World Record for the MOST CUPCAKES ON DISPLAY, 21 000, and raised R200 000 for children with cancer.  

I absolutely loved seeing how the whole community came together to ‘bake’ a difference and I felt that we could help more children if we get the whole South Africa involved so we decided to registered Cupcakes of Hope as a Non Profit Company in 2012. 

Since we started our foundation, we have helped more than 2 000 patients as well as 16 other cancer charities in South Africa, and raised over R10 million. This is by far the SWEETEST way to help SAVE a life.

What is your driving force for accelerating change?

I believe that EVERY ONE can make a difference in this world – all you need is a bit of time and LOADS of LOVE! I also believe that every act of kindness has a ripple effect with no end.
 
If you could “wave a magic wand” and accelerate your organisation’s success, what’s the one big thing you’d most like to accomplish?
I believe that Cupcakes of Hope has created a community of volunteers (our Cupcake Angels), who are between the ages of 3 and 90, from pre-schoolers to firemen, from nurses to accountants, who stand side by side to change the world for the better.

Together we are ‘baking’ a difference in the lives of children with life threatening diseases. I would love to see more people from different socio-economic backgrounds, working together for a great cause.

On National Cupcake Day we see our Cupcake Angels coming together, working side by side to ‘bake’ a difference in someone’s life.

What one piece of advance would you give to future change accelerators who want to make a big impact in their work?

In my case I started with a fundraiser to help one patient and little did I know that it would be ‘the spark’ to ignite Cupcakes of Hope. My message to accelerators is to always dream BIG, and believe that you can make a difference.

Find your passion, in our case it was using our God given talent of baking cupcakes, and try and use that to make a difference in a cause you believe in!

So let your light shine bright and it will inspire others to do the same.

This week International Women’s Day took place. Tell us about a women who has inspired/helped you accelerate change in your life or work.

I always talk about two ladies who had a huge impact on me when I was growing up. 

The first one was Oprah Winfrey, as I loved watching her Angel Network shows. The foundation of Cupcakes of Hope is actually based on one of the episodes I watched, where a young 15 year old girl wanted to make a difference, but she did not have money. So instead she visited old age homes and spoilt the ladies by doing their nails and hair… showing me that you don’t always need money to make a difference and that sometimes all people need is a bit of time and loads of love. 

I alway knew that one day I would meet Oprah, but I always thought that I would be flying out to America to attend her show, instead Oprah actually came to visit us as she has had dinner at our restaurant in Vereeniging, not once but on three separate occasions. For me this was a full circle moment meeting someone who has inspired and touched millions of people all over the world.

The second woman who inspired me is Mother Teresa, who said ‘we can’t all do great things, but we can do little things with great LOVE” – and that is what Cupcakes of Hope is all about.  

Our Cupcake Angels are spreading Cupcake LOVE all across South Africa and my dream is to see Cupcake LOVE being spread all over the world, helping even more children fight their battles because they don’t deserve to fight this battle alone.

Do you know a inspirational Change Accelerator? Nominate them for our next newsletter and to be entered into our global awards by emailing us here.

Session Leader Applications for IFC 2020 are now open

Each year, we select 20 members from the international fundraising community to become a member of the fun and vital Session Leader team at the IFC, with the opportunity to network with world-renowned speakers and delegates from all over the world.

In exchange for your help, we will provide you with accommodation and food as well as a significantly reduced registration fee of £700.

What does a session leader do at the IFC?

You will be the first point of contact for your assigned speaker if he or she requires any assistance before, during or after their session.

In addition, session leaders will work as a group and act as an information point for delegates, speakers and the Resource Alliance staff.

Session Leader requirements

We select an international group of 20 people who themselves work in fundraising, come from a country with an emerging philanthropic culture, may be from charities with a small training budget or fundraisers staring out as consultants.

It is most important that we have an international, vibrant and flexible team that knows how to have fun and work hard too!

If you application is successful, you will be required to pay the discounted registration fee of £700 by 31st August 2020. You will also be responsible for your own travel to/from IFC 2020, including all arrangements, payments and required travel documents.

You will be required to arrive at the IFC by midday on Monday 12th October, and to leave after 3pm on Friday 16th October. Please consider these factors before applying to be a Session Leader.

How to apply to become a Session Leader at IFC 2020 

To be considered for the role, please apply by 26th June 2020. You will be notified on the outcome of your application by 13th July.

Apply Now