Fundraising in Times of Courage – Conference 2026! Save the date for the largest NGO fundraising event in Bulgaria
On 18 June 2026, the Bulgarian capital Sofia will host the second edition of the International Fundraising Conference – the largest event in Bulgaria dedicated to the financial sustainability of civil society organizations. The forum will bring together Bulgarian and international fundraising experts who dedicate their work to strengthening civil society and supporting important public causes.
The event is initiated by the Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL).
The International Conference “Fundraising in Times of Courage: Stretching the Boundaries” will take place on 18 June (Thursday) at Grand Hotel Millennium, Sofia, followed by a special Masterclass for fundraising professionals focusing on practical skills and in-depth discussions on mobilizing supporter communities through creative digital campaigns held on 19 June (Friday).
Time for COURAGE
This year’s edition of the conference will focus on pushing beyond familiar boundaries and mobilizing communities in support of meaningful civic causes. It is time for courage!
The whole-day forum will give participants the opportunity to gain inspiration beyond national borders, exchange experience with leading fundraising and corporate social responsibility experts from Central and Eastern Europe and expand their network of like-minded professionals.
Key Conference Topics
The forum will offer a wide range of topics aimed at strengthening the professional expertise of fundraisers, placing strategic conversations, and creating space for cross-sector partnerships:
- Fundraising without professional burnout and strategies for sustainable leadership.
- Community fundraising: digital mobilization of supporters.
- Conversations with business leaders about the social impact of investments on societal development.
- Corporate funds for strategic support of difficult causes.
- Cross-sector partnerships with businesses as a driving force for the development of civil society.
- The strategic role of fundraising professionals in the new geopolitical reality.
Parallel Thematic Sessions
As tradition dictates, the conference will also include parallel thematic sessions dedicated to current issues in fundraising practice, including:
- Engaging the next generation of donors.
- Fundraising vs. AI: How can we use the power of artificial intelligence tools while addressing ethical risks?
- The percentage mechanism: Does it kill or support philanthropy? Lessons learned from Central and Eastern Europe.
- Building an NGO brand: How do advertising agencies help tell the stories of civic causes in the context of new challenges?
- Stories of bold NGO campaigns that push beyond familiar limits.
- The social impact of fundraising and why measuring the results of our work matter.
Masterclass on Building Big Digital Movements
On 19th of June, in Shtrak – Sofia, the conference keynote speaker Paul de Gregorio from Rally will lead a 4-hour Masterclass for adopting a Digital mobilization model to engage the public at scale & drive action. It’s a training program designed for all fundraisers who communicate with the public to inspire them to take action of any kind.
Paul will represent the concept of mobilization and movement building and how it applies to charities with a wide range of examples of how organizations have activated this thinking to drive successful public engagement, campaigning and fundraising activities.
The training program will be a mix of presentation, practical workshop exercises and discussion which will help fundraising professionals and CSOs representatives to:
Identify the areas of strength and weakness in an organization’s ability to test the Digital Mobilization model.
Start planning their own Digital Mobilization test.
Be clearer on the messages that the organization can use to inspire the public to take action.
A Successful First Conference Edition
The first edition of the conference in 2025 became a landmark event for the sector. The forum brought together over 200 representatives from the nonprofit sector and business from Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Ruse and Warsaw, as well as 30 speakers and moderators from the United Kingdom, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
The program included 11 inspiring sessions, such as “How to Fundraise for Difficult Causes”, “Digital Mobilization for Democracy”, “What Does Corporate Giving in Bulgaria Look Like Today?”, “Engaging Major Donors in the Defense of Democracy”.
You can explore highlights from last year’s forum here.
A Gathering of the Community that Moves Causes Forward
The International Fundraising Conference has been shaped as a central meeting point for the philanthropic community in Bulgaria — a space for exchanging ideas, building partnerships between civil society and business, and developing new strategies for the sustainability of socially important causes.
The second edition of the forum is expected to further expand the community of fundraisers and donors who believe that a strong civil society is the key to a more just, sustainable, and free Bulgaria.
Don’t miss the fundraising event of the year! Save the date: 18 June 2026.
The conference is initiated by Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL) with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation within the project “Stronger Together: Engaging Other Sectors in Civil Society Initiatives (2026–2028)”.
Partners supporting the event are Accenture Bulgaria, Fantastico, and Vivacom.
The event is held in collaboration with the European Fundraising Association (EFA) and Social Impact Alliance for Central and Eastern Europe