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Keynote speakers announced for Scottish Fundraising Conference 2026
Howard Lake | 2 September 2026 | News
Resilience, inclusion and neurodiversity will be the themes of the plenary sessions at Scotland’s largest fundraising conference which takes place this month.
The keynote plenary speakers for the Scottish Fundraising Conference 2026, supported by justrunning.com, include two sessions designed to motivate delegates and equip them with “fresh perspectives to strengthen fundraising and leadership across the charity sector”.
The annual conference takes place on 22nd and 23rd September 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central. Hundreds of fundraising professionals from across Scotland and further afield will attend for two days of learning, networking and professional development.
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Richard McCann of ICAN Academy
The conference will open on with Richard McCann, founder of The ICAN Academy, who will deliver an keynote entitled “Building Resilience, Confidence and Inspiring Change”.
Drawing on his personal journey and years of experience helping organisations develop resilient, high-performing teams, McCann will explore “how individuals can overcome adversity, build confidence and embrace change”. During his session he is expected to encourage delegates to reflect on their own leadership and resilience while providing practical strategies to help them thrive in today’s challenging environment.
Fay Strathmerren and Rebs Curtis-Moss
The second day of the conference will begin with “Why Neurodiversity is Essential to the Future of Fundraising”, presented by award-winning fundraiser Fay Strathmerren and digital fundraising and communications consultant Rebs Curtis-Moss.
Drawing on their experience and extensive careers across Scotland’s charity sector, they will explore why embracing neurodiversity is “critical to the future success of fundraising”. They aim to challenge assumptions, highlight what inclusive organisations do differently and demonstrate how creating workplaces where neurodivergent fundraisers can thrive benefits everyone.
Sharryn McKelvie, Chair of the Scottish Fundraising Conference, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Richard McCann, Fay Strathmerren and Rebs Curtis-Moss as our keynote speakers for this year’s conference. Their sessions reflect two themes that are increasingly important for our sector: building personal resilience and creating inclusive workplaces where everyone can succeed. We know delegates will leave inspired, challenged and equipped with practical ideas they can take back to their organisations.”
Other sessions at the the two-day event cover fundraising issues and disciplines range from individual giving and philanthropy to leadership, innovation, supporter experience and fundraising strategy.
Conference bookings remain open.
- Scottish Fundraising Conference opens for registration (17 May 2023)
- Scottish charity sector receives boost in annual giving report (12 February 2024)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.