This year’s Symposium brings charities and suppliers together for a day of innovation and insight.

Attendees will hear from sector leaders on benchmarking and payment trends, and explore how AI is reshaping face-to-face fundraising, from current adoption and emerging use cases, to the legal, ethical, and compliance questions organisations are navigating.

The Symposium will close with a panel on what charities and suppliers value in strong partnerships and will be followed by the End of Year Drinks and the announcement of the 2026 PFRA Award winners at Loft Bar UTS.

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Program

 

Time
Session
Description
9:00-9:20am Arrival and registration
9:20-9:30am PFRA Welcome & Setting the Scene PFRA will officially open the Symposium, welcome members and guests, and set the scene for the day.
9:30-9:40am Sector Perspective: The Value of Face-to-Face Fundraising Katherine Raskob from FIA will share a broader sector perspective on the importance of face-to-face fundraising and its contribution to sustainable fundraising in Australia.
9:40-10:30am Session One
Benchmarking		 Paul Tavatgis from The Benchmarking Project will provide their latest findings with a focus on face-to-face data. This will be practical data you can take back to compare your program against sector peers
10:30-11:00am Morning Tea
11:00-12:00pm Session Two
Payment Trends		 Kate Burtt from Blackbaud and Anne McDonnell from Nimbley will be presenting together to update attendees on current trends in payments and what they mean for face-to-face fundraising, including Instant First Debits (IFD).
12:00-1:00pm Session Three
AI Innovation (PFRA Member case study)		 A PFRA Supplier and Charity member will provide a real-world look at how they worked to put AI into practice.
1:00-2:00pm Lunch
2:00-3:00pm Session Four
Privacy and legal considerations with AI		 Phoebe Duggan from Justice Connect will assist attendees on getting clear on the legal and privacy risks of using AI in fundraising, and what good compliance looks like in practice.
3:00-3:45pm Session Five: How we swipe right?
PFRA Member Panel Session		 A panel of PFRA members will have a candid discussion on what charities and suppliers look for in each other. Useful whether you’re choosing a new partner or pitching to one.
3:45-4:00pm Formal Conclusion
4:00-8:00pm
The Loft Bar		 Fundraiser of the Year and F2F Champion Awards
Plus drinks and networking.		 Head over to The Loft Bar nearby to celebrate the best in the sector. The 2026 Fundraiser of the Year will be announced, along with one supplier and one charity F2F Champion award.

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