March 17, 2027
Programme Day 3
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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09:30 Uhr
Keynote
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Keynote: Value over Volume - Early donor retention in F2F
#Donor Retention
Level: Advanced
Norwegian Refugee Council is implementing a series of measures to improve donor retention in the first months – with already early results in terms of cost saving and increasing donor value.
In this session we’ll be sharing practices and data on items connected with systems for donor retention, monitoring of KPIs and engagement of fundraising staff.
The objective is to help organizations and agencies to move beyond an optic of volume and static retention curves, and into a value approach that improves investments and helps with the sustainability of markets.
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Bruno da Silva Machado (NO)
Norwegian Refugee Council
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10:15 Uhr
Keynote
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Expectation on the Menu, Experience on the Plate. The Choices That Make Fundraisers Stay — SOS Children's Villages Case Study
Level: Basic
Why do most F2F teams struggle with retention – and what actually works to make fundraisers stay?
This session presents the team retention framework developed at SOS Children’s Villages Portugal, built around the Order vs. Delivery metaphor – the gap between expectation and experience for each F2F fundraiser profile. Through practical case analysis, we follow the full journey of real F2F fundraisers: where they started, how expectation vs. experience played out, which management actions were taken, and what measurable retention results were achieved.
Using real before-and-after data and predictive insights into engagement and retention, we demonstrate how to transform high turnover into long-term belonging. In an interactive part of the session, participants will explore how human-centered management – combined with the metrics that truly matter – can become a practical retention framework, with tools they can immediately adapt to their own teams and markets.
An immersive and practical session into what truly makes F2F fundraisers stay.
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Camile Boldo (PT)
SOS Children's Villages Portugal -
Milena Lordelo (PT)
SOS Children's Villages Portugal
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11:00 Uhr
Coffee Break
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11:30 Uhr
Workshops
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3A: 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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3B: Introducing Behavioural Science into F2F Acquisition & Retention
#Donor Retention
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Ilja De Coster (BE)
The Donor Voice
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3C: Stronger Together: One Donor Journey Across F2F and Digital
Level: Advanced
Is face-to-face versus digital the wrong debate? Public Outreach and Save the Children Canada show how our digital lead conversion (DLC) model turns real, in-person conversations into targeted digital supporter acquisition, personalized email engagement, and mission-aligned telemarketing – each stage built on what moves people to act. The result: F2F converts faster thanks to the brand awareness and recognition digital builds, while digital sustains F2F-level retention at scale – each strengthens the other.
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Whitney Brown (US/CA)
Public Outreach Fundraising -
Greg O'Toole (CA)
Save the Children Canada
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3D: What is the norm? How to monitor effectiveness in the field
#F2F vs. Digital
Level: Basic
Have you ever wondered how your team is performing on the field? Are you interested in what are the elements that can positively influence the increase in the number of sing-ups? Have you ever thought about the potential of locations and whether a particular location fits the profile of your organization? How to fairly set the reward for the best promoters?
You can find the answer to the above questions in the norm – the number of signed monthly donations per hour.
Join us at the lecture to learn to listen to everything the norm tells you, regardless of whether you run the F2F program in-house or in cooperation with a F2F agency.
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Mathea Milošević (CRO)
RED NOSES Croatia
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12:45 Uhr
Room Change
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13:00 Uhr
Keynote
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Embracing transformation & innovation to secure the future of face-to-face fundraising
Level: Advanced
What does the future of Face-to-Face fundraising look like? How can organisations embrace AI and innovation without losing the human connection that makes F2F so powerful? This session explores how fundraising fundamentals, technology and innovation work together to improve supporter experience, retention and long-term growth. Fundraising professionals will leave with practical ideas to future-proof their F2F programmes.
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Elsbeth de Ridder (ES)
Global F2F Fundraising Specialist -
Daniel McDonnell (UK)
DMac Alliance for Change
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13:30 Uhr
Lunch
Speakers
Camile Boldo (PT)
SOS Children’s Villages Portugal
Camile Boldo is a fundraising and business professional with experience in team management, business consulting, and client relationship management. She has developed strong expertise in leadership, communication, strategic planning, project management, and people development, consistently delivering results across a range of roles. Camile holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and are currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science and Human Rights.
Whitney Brown (US/CA)
Public Outreach
Whitney Brown is a strategist, fundraiser, and technologist with over a decade of experience designing campaigns that connect people to causes. As Chief Innovation Officer at Public Outreach, she leads face-to-face fundraising operations in the UK and shapes digital and multi-channel strategy across Canada and the US. Her work sits at the intersection of F2F, telemarketing, and digital acquisition, driving donor growth and long-term retention across international markets.
Bruno da Silva Machado (NO)
NRC – Norwegian Refugee Council
Bruno is the Global Director for Individual Fundraising at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and is enthusiastic about F2F fundraising.
Bruno has worked with fundraising since 2008, where he started with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and took fundraising roles across markets (e.g. Norway, Mexico or India); as well as operations, in Central African Republic and Sierra Leone. As background education, he completed his master thesis with the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). Bruno comes to the conference to help build quality practices for sustainable face to face markets.
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.
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.
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.
Milena Lordelo (PT)
SOS Children’s Villages Portugal
Milena is a fundraising professional with five years of experience at SOS Children’s Villages Portugal, having progressed through all levels of Direct Dialogue fundraising from Face-to-Face fundraiser to team leader, project assistant, manager, and current Direct Fundraising Lead. With a background in Law and a Master’s degree in Human Rights from NOVA University of Lisbon, she specializes in ethical donor acquisition across Face-to-Face, Door-to-Door, and Telemarketing channels, with a strong focus on child-centered impact.
Mathea Milošević (HR)
RED NOSES Croatia
Graduated with a master’s degree in marketing with a special passion for working in the non-profit sector. Mathea Milošević completed her formal education at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, during which she developed a desire to develop in field of non-profit organisations. After a short period of work in a bank and accounting, the desire to work in NGOs prevailed and Mathea began to achive her full potential by working in the RED NOSES Croatia. For 7 years now, she has been working as the Head of the SMJEHONOŠE donation program, which brings together citizens to provide regular monthly support to their mission. The above is mostly achieved through the F2F program, which began operating 10 years ago. Over the years, they have managed to build a stable team and be an example of good practice in the development of an in-house F2F team. Mathea deeply believes that by developing empathy and giving to others, we can only further enrich our own life.