IFC 2009 to focus on fundraising through global recession

This year's International Fundraising Congress (IFC) will address the challenges of fundraising during a global recession, event organisers The Resource Alliance have announced.

Now in its 29th year, the IFC brings together over 1,000 fundraisers from over 50 countries across the world for learning, high level debate and networking. IFC 2009 takes place from 20-23 October 2009 at the NH Leeuwenhorst Hotel in Holland.

The IFC 2009 conference comprises an opening and closing plenary, 14 master classes, 5 IFC Live! sessions (following a popular TV news or discussion show format) and over 40 workshops, as well as an exhibition area, networking and evening entertainment programme.

Workshops follow five tracks: individuals; corporate; major gifts; institutional funding and; beyond fundraising.

This year's event will reflect the sector's increased use of digital media, together with the challenges of the recession.

For example, Roberta Capella of SOS Children’s Villages Austria and Margaret Bennett of THINK Consulting will run a Masterclass entitled 'Surviving and thriving in an unpredictable market', which will cover the successful strategies employed during previous recessions to help charities survive and, for some, every prosper.

Bryan Miller of Cancer Research UK and Jonathan Waddingham of Justgiving will present a data-driven workshop showing how to maximise and measure the success of fundraising through social networks.

Professor Adrian Sargeant, Chair of Fundraising at Indiana University, will lead a panel discussion about Fundraising In Times of Recession, and run a workshop in which he will unveil new research revealing the three key drivers of donor loyalty and how fundraising programmes can be modified to affect them.

IFC Chair, Tim Hunter, said: "Fundraising is not about the money, it is about the belief that we can make a difference. But, we do need to invest in fundraising in order to succeed in meeting that goal.

"Now more than ever, the sector needs to investigate new fundraising techniques, to innovate and diversify income streams, if we are to survive the current economic crisis. IFC is about exactly that – it brings together the best of the best in fundraising to help you do your job even better. Every year, the programme gets better and better and this year is no exception".

www.resource-alliance.org/ifc