Make the most of your time at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Convention 2026 with a range of additional experiences designed to support your wellbeing, confidence and professional growth. Alongside the main programme, delegates can access free 1-to-1 coaching sessions, take part in lunchtime workshops as part of our brand new interactive track, and make use of dedicated quiet and reflective spaces throughout the event. Whether you’re looking to build your fundraising skills, find your voice, manage stress or simply pause and recharge, these opportunities are designed to help you thrive - so you can return to your work with greater clarity, energy and impact.

Explore What Else Can Support Your Development at Convention

Sarah Tite Ltd Coaching
Coaching as a Small Shift with Lasting Impact 

For the fourth year running Sarah Tite Coaching Ltd is teaming up with CIOF Convention. A team of brilliant, charity‑experienced coaches will be offering fundraisers the chance to experience coaching in a way that is accessible, supportive and practical.

On 4–5 June, will be FREE 30‑minute taster coaching sessions offered on the 5th Floor, Cambridge.

Think of it as a no‑pressure, high‑value opportunity to try coaching - especially if you’ve ever wondered whether it could help but haven’t been sure where to start. 

At its core, coaching is a form of career self‑care. It’s about valuing yourself - not just for what you deliver, but for how you feel, think and grow along the way. In a sector where pressure and responsibility are constant, coaching creates a protected space to pause, reflect and invest in your own development.

“I think coaching is an investment in you. As employees, managers or leaders, we owe it to ourselves to get the very best out of ourselves so that we can go on to serve our communities in the way that works best for us.” 
— CIOF Convention 2025 Coachee 


Book your coaching session

Book your in-person tickets

 

Coaching is only available to Fundraising Convention delegates, as such, booking without a ticket for convention does not guarantee you will be able to attend a coaching session,

Vocal Confidence Workshop with Rachel McFarlane
Your voice, your presence and professional responsibility

As fundraisers, our voices are central to our impact — whether we’re inspiring donors, influencing trustees, leading teams, pitching ideas or advocating for change. Yet many professionals feel their voice lets them down at crucial moments, particularly under pressure.
In this engaging and practical session, professional singer, performance coach and West End actress Rachel McFarlane explores how to use your voice with confidence, clarity and authenticity in professional fundraising settings. Drawing on her experience as a performer and coach, Rachel will demystify how the voice works and show how small physical and mental adjustments can dramatically change how we sound — and how we’re perceived.
Delegates will learn practical techniques to manage nerves, steady pitch, improve projection and speak with greater presence, without straining or “performing” inauthentically. The session will also explore how mindset and inner narrative influence vocal delivery — and how shifting these can help your voice sound more grounded, credible and confident.
Through simple exercises, group participation and optional practice, fundraisers will be encouraged to experiment safely and playfully with their voice. Rachel will also share insights from her own journey as an artist, including how confidence is built over time and how vulnerability can become a strength.
Delegates will leave with a small toolkit of techniques they can use immediately — before meetings, presentations or difficult conversations — to sound more like themselves, only clearer, calmer and more impactful.

Photo of Rachel McFarlane
Vocal Confidence Workshops at Fundraising Convention

Rachel will be running 4 vocal confidence workshops at Fundraising Convention 2026. These are listed as part of the main programme The sessions will run at the following times: 

  • 4 June: 10.45 - 11.30 and 13.45 - 14.30
  • 5 June: 10.00 - 10.45 and 13.00 - 13.45

View the full programme

Book your tickets

Wellbeing Workshop with Elaine Richards
Fundraisers, responsibility and the warning signs we shouldn’t ignore

Fundraising is demanding, purpose-driven and emotionally charged work — and too often, wellbeing becomes something we postpone “until things calm down”. This interactive workshop invites fundraisers to pause, reflect and take stock of their own health and energy, without judgement or diagnosis.
Led by Elaine Richards, a healthcare professional and registered nurse with over 35 years’ experience, the session focuses on the early warning signs of burnout, chronic stress and depletion that many fundraisers experience but routinely dismiss. Drawing on clinical insight and real-world experience, Elaine will help delegates recognise common physical, emotional and cognitive signals that indicate something needs attention — before those signals turn into more serious problems.

The workshop will explore why fundraisers, in particular, are susceptible to pushing through exhaustion, normalising unhealthy patterns, or feeling reluctant to prioritise themselves while serving others. Through simple activities, reflection prompts and practical tools, delegates will be supported to:

· recognise their own personal “red flags” and pressure points,
· understand the cumulative impact of stress over time,
· identify small, realistic actions that protect energy and resilience, even in busy roles, and
· consider how they can look out for colleagues and create healthier norms within their teams.

This is not a medical session and does not involve testing, diagnosis or treatment. Instead, it offers a safe, supportive space to build awareness, encourage personal responsibility for wellbeing, and equip fundraisers with straightforward checks and habits they can take back into their working lives. Delegates will leave feeling informed, reassured and better equipped to stay well — not just get through.

Photo of Elaine Richards
Wellbeing Workshops at Fundraising Convention

Elaine will be running 4 Wellbeing Workshops at Fundraising Convention 2026, they are part of the main programme. The sessions will run at the following times:

  • 4 June: 10.45 - 11.30 and 1.45 - 2.30

5 June: 10.00 - 10.45 and 1.00 - 1.45

View the full programme

Book your tickets 

Volunteering Fair
Learn about UK wide volunteering opportunities within the fundraising community

Join us each lunchtime at the CIOF Fundraising Convention for our Volunteering Fair. This is a great opportunity to explore a range of exciting volunteer roles available across the UK and discover how you can get more involved in supporting the fundraising community.

You’ll also have the chance to meet our friendly Volunteering team, ask questions, and find out how volunteering can support your professional development while making a meaningful contribution to the sector.


Learn more about volunteering with us

This is where the Convention theme, Small Shifts, Big Impact, comes to life in a personal and practical way.


A short coaching conversation, a new way of using your voice, or recognising an early sign of stress can all lead to meaningful change over time. These moments support not just individual growth, but a stronger, more confident and sustainable fundraising community - one that is continually learning, connected, inclusive and equipped to adapt. By investing in yourself alongside engaging with the wider programme, you’re contributing to a culture where fundraisers can thrive from the inside out, creating positive change that extends far beyond the Convention itself.

Explore the full programme

Get your in-person ticekts