2024 Online Annual Fundraising Conference Speakers

Bernard Ross is director of =mc consulting, a management consultancy working worldwide for ethical organisations. 

He is an internationally regarded expert on strategy, major donors, and pro-social use of behavioural science. Bernard has written, co-written or edited eight award winning books on fundraising and social change – several with Clare Segal. Breakthrough Thinking won Best Non-profit Book in the USA. Global Fundraising was the first fundraising book to be published in China by Shanghai University Press. And with Omar Mahmoud of UNICEF International, he wrote key books on social change and decision science: Change for Good and Change for Better. His latest book with Clare Segal is Making the Ask – the artful science of solicitation.

Bernard has advised many of the world’s leading INGOs on fundraising, including UNICEF, UNHCR, IFRC, ICRC and MSF.  In recent years, he’s raised money for Europe’s largest scientific experiment, to organise supplies for the biggest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh, for a museum to house the world’s largest dinosaur in Argentina, and to save the last 800 great apes in Rwanda.

Clara Kwizera is a Philanthropy Specialist at Nedbank Private Wealth. She helps clients realise their giving aspirations and, in turn, realising her passion for helping people. Clara is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the Financial Planning Institute of South Africa. She holds a BCom in Economics and Management, BCom Hons in Financial Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning Law and is currently completing her Masters in African Philanthropy. She has served on boards of NPOs and is a steering committee member of Women in Philanthropy South Africa (WiPSA).

Nazma Hendricks’ community development practices are grounded in her academic exposure. She holds an Honours degree and has initiated a Masters in Psychology from the University of the Western Cape, where she also worked as a student counsellor and lecturer.

Nazma heads up Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, the oldest organisation working in adult rape in South Africa. She has served this outstanding NPO for 18 years and has been its director for the past three.

Prior to her directorship, she was the Operations Manager for ten years – where she managed a team of Project Coordinators while overseeing the implementation of Rape Crisis’s core programmes.

Nazma originally joined the organisation as a counselling coordinator, and her areas of expertise have included policy development, advocacy campaigning, and the implementation of the first Thuthuzela Rape Care Centre (Sexual Assault Forensic Unit) in the organisation.

Ruen Govinder is passionate about the use of tech and online media for social activism. She holds a BSc (Information Systems). One of her first jobs was at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission where she managed the electronic archives and website. She worked on the SA Heritage and Technology Programme at Michigan State University. Ruen has run a consultancy to help non-profits navigate technology and the internet for two decades.

She also established the Nonprofit Network, an online resource to assist non-profits with their digital communications and wrote several e-books on digital communications strategies.

In 2021, Ruen developed and launched the #Nonprofit website, a passion project that has since evolved into Hashtag Nonprofit NPC, which oversees a number of projects, including the #Nonprofit digital magazine for the South African non-profit sector (http://www.hashtagnonprofit.org). She continues to consult on tech management and digital communications for non-profits.

Cutting his teeth in communications as an advertising consultant, Warren worked nationally as an account manager in print for Media24 and Ads24, then in television for DStv Media Sales, working with agencies and blue-chip clients. After obtaining postgraduate qualifications in Media Management from AAA and an Honours degree in Branding from Vega, and with 10 years’ experience in media, he started LIFEbrand, a communications agency, which he has run for a decade. He serves on the Vega Advisory Council and on the advisory board for the social enterprise, GANGSTAR Cafe. LIFEbrand works exclusively with brands driving positive change, helping impact organisations and corporate CSI departments to professionalise and amplify their brands.

Julian Barrell has over 25 years of experience in the UK not-for-profit sector, helping organisations raise funds and building partnerships that deliver social impact. He has served the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, The Prince’s Trust (the Trust grew from an annual £40m turnover to £72m in the seven years that he was responsible for its fundraising), Age UK, Save the Children, Young Enterprise and The National Literacy Trust. In 2017 he joined a small but growing sports charity, Access Sport, and helped to lead it through Covid-19, while honing his skills in raising funds within the UK’s video games industry.

Julian manages Jingle Jam, the world’s largest charity games event, which has raised over £25m (almost R588 million) for 35 charities over the past 12 years. He is now focused on driving fundraising and NPO partnerships towards the vision of Jingle Jam becoming a £5m (almost R120 million) a year organisation supporting good causes globally. As one of the leading fundraisers in video gaming and livestreaming in the UK, Julian has also run several training courses on raising funds from video games and livestreaming.

Howard Lake is a digital fundraising pioneer. A fundraiser since the 1980s (Oxfam, Afghanaid and Amnesty International), he created the world’s first web resource for professional charity fundraisers in 1994 (UK Fundraising – fundraising.co.uk) and sold it successfully in 2022. He has trained thousands of fundraisers around the world in using digital fundraising and wrote the world’s first book on the subject in 1996. He founded the Fundraising Camp series of events, and co-founded Barcamp Nonprofit. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and was chair of the judging panel for the National Fundraising Awards. He is the founder of Giving X Ltd and is exploring how we can grow giving on a massive scale to benefit all NPOs. And that, of course, includes AI…
https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardlake/

Carolin Gomulia is a seasoned strategist who has honed her skills in the government and non-profit sectors. She challenges conventional thinking and helps organisations to gain new insights and fresh perspectives. With a focus on creating positive change, Carolin is passionate about working with organisations to achieve their goals and make a meaningful impact. She has a proven track record in developing innovative strategies, rallying support, and mobilising resources. With extensive experience across continents, Carolin has developed a unique perspective that sets her apart as a strategic leader. Her 15+ years of experience includes work with non-profits in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Iraq, Jordan, Nepal, Germany, the UK and the USA. Carolin, who speaks fluent English, German and Spanish, holds a Masters degree in Development Studies and another in Development Management. She is deeply committed and passionate about social justice and transformation. www.theworkroom.biz 

Henk Swanepoel, CEO of iZinga Assist, UK, is an award-winning business leader with an exceptional track record in the marketing, media and event management industries. Over the years, he has built up an extensive global network of decision-makers and influential professionals across many sectors.

Henk has in-depth marketing and media sales experience across radio, TV, print and digital platforms. This work includes conceptualising and meticulously implementing memorable, highly creative events and exhibitions.

Henk harnesses the power of relationship marketing to promote goals, events and charitable causes.

He strongly values community and societal involvement. He has an outstanding record of accomplishment in developing new businesses, obtaining sponsorships and fundraising.

Derek Lubner, Chairman of iZinga Assist, has a career path spanning a wide variety of start-ups in the technology, product marketing and social entrepreneurialism sectors. He has experience working in the USA, the UK and South Africa and has an in-depth knowledge of the challenges facing non-profit organisations.

Derek has been a board member of Mothers2Mothers, since its founding 20 years ago. M2M employs over 1500 HIV positive women as mentor mothers, who help to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Based in Cape Town, M2M operates in 10 African countries.

Derek also runs his late parents’ South African-based family foundation MAID (Make an Immediate Difference), which has supported over 30 NPOs for 20 years in the fields of education, music, community, sport and health.

Daphney Nemakhavhani, Director of Development and Fundraising at the University of Johannesburg, has substantial experience in resource mobilisation and stakeholder engagement. She has served as chairperson of the Old Mutual Educational Trust and as an executive member of the South African Association of Financial Aid Practitioners. Daphney is currently working on her Masters in African Philanthropy. Her research topic is Motivation for Alumni Gifting.

Sibonelo Dube is a Manager at Monocle Solutions Pty Ltd, a management consulting firm based in South Africa and Europe. He has seven years of experience in Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Programming, and Internal Auditing. He is also the Chairperson of the Kutlwanong Promaths Working Alumni Committee which is focused on raising funds for the Kutlwanong Centre for Maths and Science through donations from the Kutlwanong Promaths working Alumni. The Kutlwanong Centre for Maths and Science is a non-profit organisation that offers Mathematics and Physical Sciences extra classes to Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners who come from disadvantaged areas across South Africa.

Sibonelo holds an Honours degree in Finance and Accounting from The University of Cape Town. He is passionate about giving back to high school learners from underprivileged schools and his current project is giving financial awards to the top three learners who passed their final Grade 12 exams well at his former school, Siyabonga High School which is based in Soweto and at Kutlwanong Centre for Maths and Science.

Theresa Vivian Moila, otherwise known as Mama Vivi, is an MBA graduate and has a social work background. She lectured and tutored in four institutions of higher learning and has delivered academic papers and motivational talks on different platforms for over 20 years. Vivian has been a guest speaker at the WITS Graduation for Humanitarian Studies. Her versatility and expertise enable her to address diverse audiences on varied topics.

Her heart has always been on serving humanity and this has shaped most of her life. Mama Vivi derives great joy from observing transformation in individuals and communities due to the support bestowed on them. In her work, she has touched the lives of ordinary and extraordinary individuals, who have gone on to become productive members of society – their best gift to her.

She worked as a senior CSI manager for over 20 years, focusing on funding education, sport, women and children.

Theresa has spent many years serving on boards and continues to do so, while also coaching and mentoring young people from South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.

Erica Schofield is founder of Circalyst, an online consultancy focusing on funding and fundamentals for Circular Economy, Environmental and Social Impact organisations. Her key skills are around integrating the world of tech, people and crowd activation. She has run 21 crowdfunding campaigns, with a 95% success rate, and has consulted for Thundafund, the African rewards-based crowdfunding platform on broad scale projects spanning South Africa, Kenya and Gambia. Key to Erica’s offering is her multidisciplinary experience and has held several NPO-based leadership roles, particularly in the performing arts field.

Lakiwe Blekiwe is a professional with a diverse background in Journalism and Media Studies. Having pursued a degree in Journalism at the University of Johannesburg and a Diploma in Media Studies at Jeppe College, Lakiwe quickly made a mark in the field of journalism. With a keen eye for storytelling, Lakiwe worked as a journalist for two years, contributing insightful pieces to reputable publications such as TimesLIVE, The Sowetan, and The Herald Port Elizabeth.

Lakiwe then transitioned into the dynamic world of crowdfunding, bringing a wealth of journalistic skills to a new domain. Currently serving as the Head of Charities at BackaBuddy, a leading crowdfunding platform in South Africa, that empowers individuals and organisations to make a positive impact by raising funds for various causes.

Koketso Diole, a Senior Analyst in the Enterprise Banking Propositions segment at Standard Bank South Africa, is a dynamic professional with experience in private and NPO sectors. During her years in banking, she has developed strategies and projects aligned with facilitating access to entrepreneurial support, through innovative solutions and ensuring an impactful client experience by identifying client needs to deliver appropriate solutions. One such solution is crowdfunding for entrepreneurs. She holds a Master of Philosophy qualification in Social Policy and Development and undergraduate qualifications in Agribusiness Management and Agricultural Economics. Koketso is forward thinking about creating inclusive societies and believes in active youth participation in society, and encourages young people to strive to effect change in their working and social environments and to contribute to its many forms of upliftment.

Melanie Jackson is a journalist by training who has been involved in the non-profit sector for 20 years. She has worked ‘on both sides of the fence’, in grant-making and raising funds for a variety of causes. Her experience has ranged from corporate and trust fundraising to individual giving. As the founder of Words that Count, Melanie spends much of her time guiding organisations in their development strategy and measuring the impact of their interventions. She is also a successful trainer and mentor. She has raised money for SA organisations as diverse as a mission hospital and UCT. Melanie also has extensive experience in communications, both from a strategic and operational perspective, which has included developing and implementing comprehensive communications plans. She is a trustee of Positive Vibes, a Namibia-registered non-profit organisation and a council member of Northlink College.

Papillon Press and Consultancy founder, Jill Ritchie, has been fundraising, training, and advising others on resourcing organisations for over three decades. A writer before becoming a corporate, trust and foreign fundraiser, Jill found a natural home in the written aspects of fundraising. There are few sources of funds for NPOs and universities that she has not successfully accessed and has raised over R2 billion in the process. Her primary focus is mentoring new fundraisers. She also consults on raising money in the UK, and her latest book is Fundraising from UK Donors. She has planned and managed capital campaigns for six SA universities and many NPOs. Jill has had 28 books published, 20 on fundraising. She has served on many boards and councils, including the SA National Museum and TUT. She also chairs two London based organisations: The UK Fund for Charities and the SA-UK Trust Network and is a board member of the Tutu Foundation, UK and iZinga Assist.

A terrible shooting incident in 2012 was the catalyst that moved Zina from the care-free realm of an airhostess to a life and career focussed on rescuing and educating vulnerable children. She started as a social investment funder working for a corporate in their charity division, and two years later moved from funder to fundraiser, having grown so fond of the work achieved by a then very small children’s home: The Almond Tree.

Six years later, with Zina as fundraiser, The Almond Tree has grown and developed from a small baby home with six babies to a large village supporting 64 babies and children.

Shelagh Gastrow is an advisor to the philanthropy and non-profit sectors in South Africa. She was Founder and Executive Director of Inyathelo: The South African Institute for Advancement and subsequently worked as a Director of GastrowBloch Philanthropies.

Shelagh’s focus is non-profit organisational governance and long-term financial sustainability. She has designed and delivered a range of programmes to strengthen civil society organisations and has provided holistic advisory and mentoring services to leaders in the sector. She has also written widely about philanthropy and civil society.

She developed a South African philanthropy network that led to the formation of the Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa (IPASA) and has assisted individuals, foundations and financial services companies in their quest to further their philanthropic interests. www.gastrow.co.za

Elbie Postma Botha is a dedicated professional and advocate for social justice, currently serving as the Director of Boost Africa Foundation. Her journey with Boost began in 2007 when she played a pivotal role in drafting the founding documents of the organisation. Over the years, Elbie has passionately volunteered in various programmes, contributing to the Foundation’s mission.

Elbie is a qualified lawyer, having practiced for a decade before making a significant career shift when she embraced the role of Director at Boost Africa, bringing her legal expertise and a profound commitment to social causes. Her decision to transition into the non-profit sector reflects her deep belief in the transformative power of education as a tool for social change.

Peter Burdin is the BBC’s former Africa Bureau Chief. He has 35 years’ experience as a senior editorial leader in the BBC’s International News operation and has worked extensively in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Indian sub-continent and Asia, from where he has covered numerous major international news stories.
He has won several Sony Awards for his news and documentary programmes, including the war in Bosnia, South Africa’s first democratic elections and the funeral of President Nelson Mandela.

Peter lectures in International Journalism at universities in the UK and Africa and he wrote the chapter on the importance of young people in the McKinsey book Re-imagining South Africa. He is co-Founder and Senior Advisor to Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), which is seeking to transform education access and outcomes across the continent.

Peter Chairs the international disability charity Humanity & Inclusion UK. He is a trustee of the African Leadership University, the SA-UK Trust and the Africa Foundation which works to build schools in six African countries and teach African children about the importance of conservation.

UK-based Dr Carolyne A. Opinde Dr.h.c. is an award-winning social impact expert, author, speaker and the Founder and CEO of The NGO Whisperer® Centre for Social Impact. With over two decades of experience, Dr Opinde is a highly skilled Resource Mobilisation Specialist, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and a Scrum Product Owner. She has raised over £100 million and managed large complex social impact projects. Dr Opinde has worked extensively with NPOs, social enterprises, governments and funding agencies to promote social innovation, investment and impact for a sustainable world now and in the future.

Carolyne holds an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities from the United Graduate College and Seminary International (USA), a Master of Science in Project Management from the University of Salford (UK), and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). She has received numerous accredited qualifications and awards.