New conference focus for IoF
Melanie May | 14 January 2016 | News
The Institute of Fundraising is launching a new style conference this March that offers a different approach to staff development and management.
The Happy Fundraiser conference is aimed at managers of fundraising teams, and moves away from the traditional conference format by taking a much more interactive approach to give attendees instant, useable outcomes. It aims to help charities create a happy workplace by teaching team leaders how to give staff more freedom to do their jobs, and so motivate and engage them to do their best work.
The conference includes sessions with Henry Stewart, chief executive of Happy, and author of The Happy Manifesto, Shannon Banks, head of talent, Western Europe, Microsoft, and Susan Foster, director of fundraising, National Trust.
Happy’s Stewart will kick off the conference by challenging participants to rethink the way their fundraising departments are organised and managed. Later in the day, Microsoft’s Banks will discuss what makes the organisation a regular in the media’s Best Workplaces lists and what charities can learn from a corporate organisation, while the National Trust’s Foster will explain how she restructured and built her fundraising team, and share some of the principles and factors that have led to her team’s high satisfaction scores in the annual staff survey.
Each session will be interactive with group discussion, and there will also be an opportunity to meet other fundraising professionals through a speed networking session.
Katie Johnson, head of events at the IoF, said:
“The programme is designed to allow fundraising team leaders to reflect upon and rethink their approach to management and working styles in order to provide the best possible environment for their teams. At what has proved to be a very trying time for fundraisers, it’s more important than ever that they are supported by happy and cohesive workplaces. Motivated and empowered teams will produce true fundraising innovation.”
The conference takes place on 2nd March, in London. More information can be found on the IoF site.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.