Online Event: September 8, 2026
Face-to-Face: Connected
A global online learning event for the face-to-face fundraising community
In cooperation with DMAC, we have put together a 3.5 hour program where you will explore practical case studies, new technologies, honest lessons from failed experiments and fresh ideas for stronger, more sustainable F2F programmes. Connect with peers, take away practical impulses and continue the conversation towards the in-person Congress.
Join this event live from wherever you are. Two time slots are available to accommodate participants across different time zones.
Fresh insights for better F2F fundraising
This online event brings together practitioners, experts and sector voices to explore what is shaping face-to-face fundraising today. Through compact case studies, practical examples and honest reflections, participants will gain insights into ethical oversight, donor conversations, regular giving growth, technology, compliance and operational innovation.
Practical learning across markets and models
The format is designed for people who want ideas they can understand, discuss and adapt quickly. From fundraiser journeys and donor experience to mature fundraiser models, team culture and campaign quality, the sessions highlight what works, what needs rethinking and what the wider F2F community can learn from each other.
Get your tickets
As a participant of the 3rd International F2F Fundraising Congress, you are invited to join Face-to-Face: Connected free of charge.
Please contact Francisca Hernandez to register for your complimentary participation.
What to expect
Face-to-Face: Connected will take place live in two time slots, with the programme offered twice to accommodate participants across different time zones.
Please choose the time slot that best suits your location:
Timeslot 1: 8:00 AM–11:30 AM CEST
Timeslot 2: 5:00 PM–8:30 PM CEST
More details and speakers will be announced soon!
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Welcome and Framing
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Mini Case Studies - 3 Practical Examples in 30 Minutes
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Case Study 1
When Face-to-Face Becomes a Fundraising Asset
When does a face-to-face campaign become a strategic fundraising asset? This session follows a unique 15-year case study that began with a single corporate investment and grew into a fundraising asset worth more than $40 million. Discover how investment, reinvestment, retention and long-term thinking transformed one campaign into a sustainable, predictable income stream that continues to strengthen the organisation year after year and explore how the same principles could reshape the way we think about face-to-face fundraising.
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David Pettigrew (AU)
Giving Insight
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Case Study 2
Be Braver: How to manage Innovation without losing your confidence
Innovation in F2F usually fails for one of two reasons: teams are too scared to try, or they try without structure and get burned. This session covers both. Matt shares why honest reviews make teams braver, not more cautious. This includes practical tools and why leaders’ handling of wellbeing decides whether teams dare to innovate at all. F2F programmes need new ideas to stay sustainable, but many teams treat compliance as a reason to say no, and many leaders set rules which cause barriers for experimentation. The sector loses good ideas not because they were tested and failed, but because they were never tried. Attendees leave with the leadership habits that make teams feel safe enough to be brave.
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Matt Radford (UK)
Vulnerability Managers
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Case Study 3
We took a Goodturn in Belgium!
Many have tried agency or in-house fundraising, but have you ever really tried to challenge the status quo in your market? Goodturn is doing exactly that. We’re a bold, young, initiative from Belgium changing the rules of F2F. We’re an agency, yet we’re “owned” by 5 shareholders – who are NGO’s. I’ll take you through a quick trip down how we got to where we stand now, the biggest changes we’re making now from our learnings, and talk about our ambitions. You’ll leave the session motivated to find collaborators asap in your market.
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Robert Valentijn (NL)
Goodturn
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Tech and Innovation in F2F Fundraising
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Join this forward-looking session to explore how new technologies, digital tools and AI are already transforming F2F operations. Together with technology experts and experienced practitioners, you will gain a clear understanding of what is possible today, what is emerging, and which developments deserve your attention.
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Max Jakob (AT)
Formunauts
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Break
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Fabulous Fails - What We Tried That Did Not Work
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An honest and engaging session where F2F practitioners share ideas, tests and initiatives that did not go as planned and the lessons learned along the way.
Through candid stories, humour and practical examples, this session highlights how mistakes, failed experiments and wrong turns can lead to valuable insights and better decisions. By openly sharing what did not work, we can foster a stronger culture of learning, innovation and continuous improvement in F2F fundraising.
Moderated by Emily Bracken.
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Emily Bracken (ES)
Upsall International -
Eva Boumans (NL)
UNHCR
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From Donor Journeys to Fundraiser Journeys
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This joint DMAC and DonorVoice session explores the relationship between donor experience and fundraiser experience. We examine how better understanding the donor journey can help organisations improve the fundraiser journey, including recruitment, onboarding, training, motivation, performance, retention and long-term campaign quality.
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Ilja De Coster (BE)
The Donor Voice
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Break
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F2F: The Alternative - Large-Scale Operations for the Mature Fundraiser
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A distinctive session exploring large-scale F2F models that challenge common assumptions about who fundraisers are and how successful F2F operations can be built.
This session focuses on one agency recruiting around 100,000 donors per year, with an average fundraiser age of around 57, alongside SOS in-house teams running similar large-scale operations. It explores what mature fundraiser models can teach the wider sector, how these approaches compare with more traditional youth-focused F2F teams, and the implications for donor trust, fundraiser retention, quality, credibility and sustainability.
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Pecha Kucha - 3 Good Ideas in 25 Minutes
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A fast-paced opening session featuring three speakers, each sharing one practical idea in just five minutes. Expect fresh thinking, proven approaches and inspiring examples that participants can take away, adapt and test in their own organisations or markets.
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Josh White (UK)
OXFAM GB
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Closing Reflections and Call to Action
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Speakers
Eva Boumans (NL)
UNHCR
Eva Boumans is a fundraising professional with extensive experience in Face-to-Face fundraising, individual giving, and donor acquisition. Currently working at UNHCR, Eva leads F2F fundraising initiatives and collaborates with agencies and stakeholders to drive sustainable growth. Previously she held leadership roles at Hivos and CARE Nederland, combining strategic expertise, team development, and innovation to strengthen fundraising performance and donor engagement.
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)
Global F2F Fundraising Specialist
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.
Max Jakob (AT)
Formunauts
Max Jakob is Managing Director at Formunauts and a Programme Committee Member for the International F2F Fundraising Congress. With 20 years of experience in face-to-face fundraising – including 10 years working at a leading F2F agency – Max brings deep hands-on knowledge of what it takes to run successful, sustainable campaigns. At Formunauts, he works closely with the development, data, and managed campaigns teams to ensure the platform empowers as many face-to-face fundraisers as possible while helping generate new regular donors in the most efficient and scalable way. His focus is on building the systems and support that let people in fundraising do what they do best – connect, inspire, and grow impact.
David Pettigrew (NL)
Giving Insight
David Pettigrew has almost 30 years’ fundraising experience and is a leading adviser in face-to-face and regular giving. An early adopter of F2F, he has helped charities across several countries build, review and grow sustainable donor acquisition programmes. Today, he combines practical fundraising leadership with data and insight to improve retention, strengthen donor relationships and maximise long-term donor value.
Matt Radford (GB)
Vulnerability Managers
Matt is the Founder and Director of Vulnerability Managers, a consultancy specialising in vulnerability and ethical fundraising. With nearly 20 years of experience in the charity sector, he has held senior fundraising roles at organisations including Mind and ActionAid, with expertise spanning appeals, donor retention, and regular giving.
In addition, Matt serves as Deputy Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) Professional Conduct Committee and is the vulnerability specialist on the DMA Governance Committee. He is the creator of the internationally recognised “Before, During, After” and “Empower, Support, Protect” vulnerability frameworks, which help organisations deliver ethical marketing practices and better support people in vulnerable circumstances.
Robert Valentijn (BE)
Goodturn
Robert’s journey in F2F fundraising started 17 years ago, on a rainy day ringing doors for WWF, where he fell in love with his job. Working himself through every level on agency side throughout 10 years Robert wanted to make a bigger impact, so he started working at Save the Children. After 5 beautiful years and many great successes, Robert now lead Goodturn, the ethical fundraising agency from Belgium. Being the first in it’s model to go to market, Goodturn’s shareholders are NGO’s. They are floating in between an in-house and an agency, which is a very exciting playground. They are about to expand to Ghent to open their second office!
Josh White (GB)
Oxfam GB & Independent Consultant
Josh is a fundraiser with extensive experience leading large-scale acquisition campaigns, agency operations and strategic partnerships. He has led F2F programmes at Amnesty Intl UK, Guide Dogs for the Blind and now leads the programme at Oxfam GB, maintaining a focus on innovation, optimisation and team development. He also worked as a global F2F specialist with the Amnesty International Secretariat and currently consults with NGOs on all aspects of their F2F activity, with a particular focus on launching and relaunching programmes.
In cooperation with
