March 15, 2027
Programme Day 1
The full programme is taking shape.
In the coming weeks, we will share more details about the sessions, speakers and conversations that will bring this year’s congress theme to life. What you can already expect: fresh perspectives, practical know-how and an international space to rethink, strengthen and advance face-to-face fundraising together.
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12:00 Uhr
Find your buddy!
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Elsbeth de Ridder (ES)
Global F2F Fundraising Specialist -
Filipa Morais Santos (PT)
SOS Children's Villages International
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12:30 Uhr
Lunch
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13:30 Uhr
Welcome
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13:45 Uhr
Opening Keynote
Special Surprise! -
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14:15 Uhr
Keynote
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The Power of Face-to-Face - How Fundraising Transforms Lives
Moderated by Roland Csaki (HU)
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Marianna Rudyk (UA)
Ukraine Red Cross -
Roland Csaki (HU)
International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies
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14:45 Uhr
Workshops
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1A: When the Going Gets Tough: Stories from the Frontline
#Case Studies
Level: Basic
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Roland Csaki (HU)
International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies -
Sachin Singh (IN)
Médecins Sans Frontières South Asia
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1B: How to OLÉ (Organise, Legalise & Expand) your national F2F Fundraising Market
#Regulation
Level: Advanced
How can a national F2F market grow to its full potential while remaining sustainable, fair, transparent and well organised? Drawing on almost two decades of experience from the Netherlands (where F2F generates around 700,000–800,000 new donors each year in a country of just 18 million people), this workshop will explore how charities, agencies and regulatory bodies can build and sustain a transparent and level playing field. From agreeing common rules and coordinating locations to establishing effective self-regulation, greater transparency and shared infrastructure, we will look at the practical steps that can turn a fragmented F2F market into a trusted and thriving ecosystem and at how the IPFC can help markets make that transition.
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Hank Dockter (NL)
Beyond Fussil Fuels -
Jean-Paul Kogan-Recoing (FR)
International Public Fundraising Council (IPFC)
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1C: Does Objection Handling Actually Work? Let the Data Decide
#Donor Retention
Level: Basic
We analysed ~1,000 F2F conversations, including both sign-ups and non-sign-ups, measuring objection handling success rates and long-term retention outcomes. The results surprised us.
Which objections are worth handling? Why do some succeed while others don’t?
Bring your experience, we’ll bring the data. Let’s rethink objection handling together.
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Siri-Anna Roswall Mattsson (DK)
The Danish Child Helpline -
Anne Karina Wulf (DK)
The Danish Child Helpline
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1D: The Hidden Skill Behind Great Leaders
#Personal Growth
Level: Basic
What is coaching, and what is it not? Why do some conversations create trust, while others create resistance? In this practical workshop, we’ll explore advanced active listening, coaching principles, and the neuroscience behind meaningful human connection. Through simple tools and hands-on exercises, participants will discover how to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and lead more effectively. Ideal for leaders, managers, coaches, and anyone working closely with people.
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Alin Dinu (RO)
diDo F2F Training
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1E: The Belgian F2F Benchmark: A Decade of Data-Driven Insights
#Data & Tech
Level: Basic
Join us for a groundbreaking case study unveiling the first Belgian F2F benchmark, built on over 10 years of data from 15 leading charities. This session dives deep into long-term trends in donor retention and fundraising performance, revealing how the landscape of face-to-face fundraising has evolved.Discover key figures that define success in the sector and explore the methodology behind this pioneering project. Unlike traditional approaches, this benchmark relies on real, raw retention data—standardized through a unified analytics model—ensuring true comparability for the first time. No self-declaration, no estimates: just apples-to-apples insights that redefine transparency in F2F fundraising.-
Ilja De Coster (BE)
The Donor Voice -
Joyce Browaeys (BE)
The Fundraising Collective
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15:45 Uhr
Coffee Break
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16:15 Uhr
Keynote
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Motivational Theory & Practice - a Brief History
Level: Advanced
What truly motivates fundraisers? In this session, we’ll explore why some incentive schemes drive performance while others lose their impact over time, and how different people respond to motivation in very different ways. Drawing on insights from leading motivation theories, we’ll challenge common assumptions about what inspires fundraising teams and examine practical ways to better support and engage individuals. Join us for a thought-provoking session that offers fresh perspectives on performance, rewards, and what really makes people tick.
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John Jeffries (UK)
New Canvassing Experience
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17:00 Uhr
Break
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17:45 Uhr
"Explore Vienna" / Side-Meetings / Networking
Speakers
Elsbeth De Ridder (ES)
Elsbeth De Ridder is a global fundraising leader with 16+ years experience within INGOs, including Save the Children International, World Food Programme, WWF, Greenpeace International and World Vision. Extensive expertise in Face-to-Face (F2F), designing, scaling and managing in-house, agency and hybrid acquisition models across global markets. Expert in global market entry, multi-million-dollar investments and sustainable unrestricted income growth. Skilled in cross-market collaboration and data-driven optimisation.
Ilja De Coster (BE)
The Donor Voice
Ilja De Coster is senior consultant fundraising and Fundraising Data Stategist. Nearly 20 years now he supports the fundraising of different bigger and smaller organisations.Since 2017, Ilja De Coster is Chief Platform Architect and Fundraising Data Stategist at the fundraising consultancy The DonorVoice. The DonorVoice is the leading global agency that applies the latest research on donor psychology into actionable insights for day tot day fundraising. Between 2013 and 2019, Ilja De Coster worked part time for Amnesty International Flanders, where he took the lead in an ambitious growth plan that succeeded to triple individual giving income to support human rights work worldwide. In Belgium he was the initiator of the Belgian Fundraising Day and is founding vice-president of the Fundraisers Belgium. For Ilja De Coster consulting for civil society organisations and fundraising isn’t just a job – it is a passion and political engagement for a democratic society.
Joyce Browaeys (BE)
The Fundraising Collective
Alin Dinu (RO)
diDo F2F Training
Alin Dinu is a fundraising leader, trainer, and team coach with over 10 years of experience in face-to-face fundraising, leadership development, and coaching. He has helped build and scale fundraising teams from 4 to 50+ members, designed training programs, and coached managers, leaders, and fundraisers. As Co-Founder of diDo F2F Training, he develops learning programs focused on fundraising, communication, leadership, and team performance.
Hank Dockter (NL)
Beyond Fossil Fuels
Starting as a fundraiser for charities in the 1990s, Hank went on to organise street and door-to-door fundraising in the Netherlands together with visionary Dutch fundraising founders Bert Cocu and Kees-Jan Heijdra. Today, the Netherlands is one of the best organised and most successful F2F markets for charities in the world. It is powered by smart software and the willingness of commercial agencies to contribute to a truly open and level playing field.
John Jeffries (UK)
New Canvassing Experience
John Jeffries has worked in face-to-face fundraising since 2006, bringing a strong background in training, people development and fundraising operations to the sector. After early roles with Fundraising Initiatives and the RSPB in the UK, he became International F2F Specialist for SOS Children’s Villages and later Global F2F Manager for Save the Children International, supporting F2F and D2D programmes around the world.
He is co-founder of New Canvassing Experience (NCE) in the United States, an agency focused on improving how F2F fundraisers are trained, managed and remunerated. Today, John is NCE’s Head of Client Services and continues to support programmes internationally, with a strong focus on cooperation, innovation and raising standards in face-to-face fundraising.
Jean-Paul Kogan-Recoing (FR)
International Public Fundraising Council
Jean-Paul Kogan-Recoing is Co-founder and Managing Director of TchekaY and President of the International Public Fundraising Council (IPFC). He pioneered Face-to-Face fundraising in France in 1998, and his work has contributed to recruiting over 2 million regular donors worldwide. Today, he focuses on building the market infrastructures that enable sustainable F2F growth by combining governance, self-regulation, payment innovation and data-driven decision-making to unlock the long-term potential of Face-to-Face fundraising.
Filipa Morais Santos (PT)
SOS Children’s Villages International
Filipa Morais is a Global Fundraising Senior Advisor at SOS Children’s Villages International, with over 13 years of experience in donor acquisition and multi-channel fundraising. She contributes to fundraising development across more than 100 countries through global capacity-building initiatives, including webinars, workshops, and knowledge sharing, and has previously served as Director of Fundraising & Communications and Interim National Director in Portugal, leading significant growth in individual giving. Filipa is an international speaker passionate about leadership and face-to-face fundraising. She is based in Lisbon and is a proud mother who enjoys travelling and dancing.
Siri-Anna Roswall Mattsson (DK)
The Danish Child Helpline (Børns Vilkår)
Siri-Anna Roswall Mattsson has a background in working with children, youth, and the arts. She began her fundraising career as a Field Fundraiser at Amnesty before moving into Phone Fundraising at The Danish Child Helpline, Børns Vilkår. In 2022, she co-founded the organisation’s in-house Face-to-Face fundraising department, building it from the ground up and leading its ongoing development. Alongside her fundraising expertise, Siri-Anna is also a certified dog trainer.
Anne Karina Wulf (DK)
The Danish Child Helpline (Børns Vilkår)
Anne-Karina Wulf began their fundraising career as a Field Fundraiser for Amnesty in 2018 before joining The Danish Child Helpline as a Telefundraiser. In 2022, they co-founded the organisation’s Field Fundraising programme and have since led its development and growth, overseeing recruitment, training, daily operations, and strategic development. Through these roles, they have built extensive experience in fundraising, team leadership, and programme development.
Roland Csaki (HU)
IFRC – International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Organizations
Roland built F2F programs in nearly 2 dozen markets in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. 20 years in the F2F, managing programs in challenging and competitive market, has has seen “it all” and solved issues deemed unsolvable. Roland is also leading on analytics, analyzing & predicting F2F program productivity and profitability, donor retention, lifetime value and advising senior managements on investments.
Marianna Rudyk (UA)
Ukraine Red Cross
Marianna Rudyk is a humanitarian and fundraising professional with over 10 years of experience in the Ukrainian nonprofit sector and international humanitarian organisations. Since 2013, she has worked across Ukraine and abroad, including managing a charitable foundation in Ukraine and working with a Social Refugee Centre in Romania in cooperation with Terre des Hommes, UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and World Vision.
Since 2024, Marianna has been leading the development of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society’s Face-to-Face (F2F) fundraising programme, building the in-house operation from the ground up during the full-scale war in Ukraine. Her work focuses on team development, recruitment, training, fundraising performance, donor engagement and adapting F2F practices to a highly challenging security and humanitarian environment.