Advancement Operations & Adelaide University Business Lead Advancement Systems
Adelaide University
Change, Transformation and Optimisation: Real Stories, Real Challenges, Real Results
Senior Individual Giving Advisor
New Zealand Red Cross
Innovation When Nothing Is Getting Easier: How Growth Happened Anyway
Director
Donor Republic
Innovation When Nothing Is Getting Easier: How Growth Happened Anyway
Donor Relationship Executive
Australian Conservation Foundation
Unlocking Mid-Level Giving: Turning Supporters into High-Value Donors
Chief Fundraising and Marketing Officer
Vision Australia
Innovation When Nothing Is Getting Easier: How Growth Happened Anyway
Global Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation
Karen is an experienced fundraising and organisational growth leader with more than 20 years' experience across leading Australian and international not-for-profit organisations. Her expertise spans fundraising, marketing, donor engagement, communications and strategic planning, with a strong focus on using insight and evidence to inform decision-making. Karen brings a practical perspective on how organisations can identify emerging trends, respond to changing supporter behaviours, and use data more effectively to drive sustainable growth, stronger supporter relationships and greater organisational impact.
The Hidden Signals: What High-Performing Organisations See (and Do) Before Everyone Else
Senior Manager, Fundraising & Philanthropy
Anglicare Victoria
Paula Gething is Senior Manager, Fundraising & Philanthropy at Anglicare Victoria and is responsible for leading the organisation's fundraising strategy across philanthropy, partnerships, individual giving, gifts in wills, and digital fundraising. Paula is passionate about creating supporter experiences that build trust, deepen engagement, and drive long-term donor value. She is currently leading a significant digital fundraising transformation program, leveraging data and technology to improve supporter journeys, increase retention, and support sustainable growth.
Supporter Experience: Driving Loyalty, Value and Long-Term Growth
Founder
Red Arc
Stu is the founder of Red Arc, a company dedicated to creating innovative integration tools for nonprofits. With over a decade of experience in providing solutions to the nonprofit sector, Stu has a deep understanding of the technology challenges these organisations face. He believes that innovation, rather than hard work, is the key to overcoming these challenges. Stu is passionate about simplifying complex processes to help organisations do more good.
Unlocking Mid-Level Giving: Turning Supporters into High-Value Donors
Senior Account Executive
Dataro
As a Senior Account Executive at Dataro, Ben Hough helps nonprofits turn their data into fundraising results and greater mission impact. With over 15 years in the for-purpose sector, Ben brings a genuine, on-the-ground understanding of the challenges nonprofits face and what it takes to solve them. Based in Brisbane, Australia, he also serves on the board of the Ladybird Care Foundation.
Supporter Experience: Driving Loyalty, Value and Long-Term Growth
Individual Giving Manager
Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation
Andrea Jordan is a data-driven, donor-centric fundraising leader with a background in science, communications, content management and digital. As Individual Giving Manager at Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation, she focuses on building excellent donor experiences at scale and creating strategies that drive long-term supporter value. Having held roles across leading Australian charities including Beyond Blue, Cancer Council Victoria and World Vision Australia, Andrea combines a deep understanding of fundraising with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement. Her work is grounded in the knowledge that great supporter experiences create lasting impact for both donors and the causes they champion.
Building Sustainable Regular Giving: The Decisions That Drive Long-Term Growth
Advancement Services Manager
James Cook University
Aparna Krishnan is the Advancement Services Manager at James Cook University, with a decade of experience in higher education and Advancement across the University of Wollongong and James Cook University. Her work spans advancement technology, data and CRM strategy, governance, reporting and emerging technologies, with a particular interest in how AI can be adopted responsibly and practically within Advancement. Aparna is currently leading JCU Advancement’s work in AI governance and supporting the University’s exploration of Blackbaud’s Development Agent.
The Prompt is Not the Strategy: Building the People, Policies and Practices for Responsible AI
Associate Director Advancement Services
RMIT University
Karen Laing is the Associate Director, Advancement Services at RMIT University. Karen has been a Raiser's Edge administrator and active member of the Blackbaud community across the higher education sector in the UK and Australia since 2004, participating in early adopter programs, forums and advocating for enhanced data and analytics to support full alumni and fundraising programs. She has led advancement teams through campaigns and appeals, implemented new services and worked with 3rd party vendors to improve data collection, data quality and insights during her time at University of Aberdeen, Curtin University and RMIT. Karen is currently working with platform teams and users to create a more connected eco system at RMIT to enhance consent and preference, data quality and insights to support more meaningful engagement with the university community.
The Connected Fundraising Organisation: One Supporter, One Story
The Hidden Signals: What High-Performing Organisations See (and Do) Before Everyone Else
Senior Acquisition Manager
Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section)
Olga Nikitina is Senior Acquisition Manager at the Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section), where she leads supporter acquisition and digital fundraising. With more than a decade in fundraising, Olga has built and grown regular giving programs across Face to Face, digital, telemarketing, DRTV and direct mail. She brings a practical, data-informed approach to fundraising, with a particular interest in what drives sustainable growth and keeps supporters engaged over time. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Olga is passionate about testing new ideas, challenging assumptions and using what we learn from supporter behaviour to build stronger, more effective fundraising programs.
Building Sustainable Regular Giving: The Decisions That Drive Long-Term Growth
Senior Principal Solution Architect, Agents for Good
Blackbaud
Scott Parrish is a Senior Principal Solution Architect at Blackbaud with more than 21 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations leverage technology to increase fundraising effectiveness and mission impact. A former consultant, engagement manager, and portfolio manager, Scott brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor management, and AI-driven innovation. As a member of Blackbaud's Agents for Good team, he works with organizations to connect people, data, and technology to drive meaningful outcomes. Based in Denver, Colorado, Scott is passionate about running, live music, basketball, and volunteering with Canine Companions.
Development Agent in Action: What Happens When AI Joins the Fundraising Team
The Prompt is Not the Strategy: Building the People, Policies and Practices for Responsible AI
Director
Social Venture Consultants
Mark Quigley CFRE FFIA is a multi award-winning consultant including “Best Capital Campaign” from the Fundraising Institute Australasia. He started his fundraising career last century and his own consultancy in 2002. Mark is past member of the NSW FIA Board and previous Chair of the FIA International Fundraising Conference. In 2014, Mark was honoured as a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute Australia and more recently achieved CFRE accreditation. Mark began his fundraising career decades earlier in 1997 and has since helped grow many major gift programs and lead successful capital campaigns for clients in education, disabilities, social services, as well as health and medical research. Mark’s reputation within the not-for-profit sector and Australia’s philanthropic community is considerable. Mark is a sought-after writer and presenter on fundraising and philanthropy and has delivered Fundraising Masterclasses in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Mark also created My Major GiftGetter; an app, with users all over the world in which fundraisers can plan smart, work clever and get more major gifts. In February 2026 Hilborn Press published Mark’s first book “The Year Before Your Capital Campaign: A 12 month pre-campaign guide to success”.
High and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals: The Biggest Opportunity for Sustained Growth
Head of Fundraising & Supporter Engagement
Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Driven to make an impact, Zoe has a background in Major Events, Partnerships, Community Fundraising and Individual Giving, having worked at YMCA Victoria, Austin Health and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre, and the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
Since 2022, she’s worked at the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and is currently their Head of Fundraising & Supporter Engagement, responsible for Cash Giving, Regular Giving, Raffles, Community Fundraising, Supporter Care and the CRM. During her time at the Foundation, Zoe has worked closely with Donor Republic and her talented colleagues to revitalise and reposition Individual Giving, raising funds to help children heal from trauma, violence and abuse.
A highly motivated neurodivergent fundraiser, Zoe is passionate about leading her team, creating a safe and collaborative culture at work, and making sure that the eight hours she spends at work each day helps create a more equitable world for everyone.
Building Sustainable Regular Giving: The Decisions That Drive Long-Term Growth
Fundraising Data & Analytics Manager
Australian Conservation Foundation
Johanna Rosenthal is Fundraising Data & Analytics Manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation, where she leads a data-driven strategy to support environmental protection across Australia. With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Johanna brings to her work a deep understanding of fundraising, database administration, and organisational processes. Her expertise lies in process improvement and the strategic implementation of platforms like Blackbaud CRM to increase efficiency and maximise fundraising outcomes.
When she's not a work, Joh can be found tending to her garden, hiking in the wilderness, or soaking up some sun at the beach.
Unlocking Mid-Level Giving: Turning Supporters into High-Value Donors
Head of Data and Donor Services
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation
Uttam’s journey in the charity sector began back in 2006. Over the years, he has worked across almost every corner of donor operations from gift processing and database administration to supporter care, analytics, and strategy. He is passionate about finding better ways to do things: automating messy processes, finding intuitive tech solutions, and sharing those wins with peers across the sector.
Beyond data architecture and fundraising operations, Uttam is deeply committed to community and mentorship. You can usually find him guiding young Nepalese students as they navigate study, career paths, and life in Australia. Outside of work, he’s a passionate traveller and food enthusiast, always on the hunt for the next great local dish or an interesting travel destination.
The Connected Fundraising Organisation: One Supporter, One Story
The Hidden Signals: What High-Performing Organisations See (and Do) Before Everyone Else
Donor Retention Lead
Vision Australia
Victoria has spent more than 20 years at Vision Australia, building her career across fundraising with a particular focus on regular giving, donor retention and supporter engagement.
Today, she manages both the Vision Australia’s Regular Giving program as well as Seeing Eye Dogs’ puppy sponsorship program. Her work spans across proposition development, onboarding, stewardship, retention and optimisation.
Victoria is particularly interested in the decisions that help turn regular giving into sustainable, long-term revenue: understanding why donors stay, identifying where programs can improve, and using data and supporter insights to guide investment and strategy. She brings a hands-on, practical perspective to the challenges of growing and evolving regular giving programs.
Building Sustainable Regular Giving: The Decisions That Drive Long-Term Growth
Head of Sydney Cricket Ground Heritage Foundation
Venues NSW
Penny Tribe is the Head of the SCG Heritage Foundation, responsible for a capital campaign to raise philanthropic funds for a new, world-class museum of sport at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Penny’s career spans music, artist management, touring and major event management, arts administration and fundraising.
After studying music the NSW Conservatorium, Penny worked across the music industry in Australia including at the Sydney Opera House, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She then joined IMG Artists where she worked in Kuala Lumpur at Dewan Philharmonik Petronas touring international artists throughout Asia.
After returning to Australia, Penny began work at The Fred Hollows Foundation where she established a major donor and corporate partnership program, also setting up the Coastrek event which raised over $25 million to restore sight.
Penny then began work as the Executive Director, Advancement at Western Sydney University working with Professors Barney Glover AO and Peter Shergold AC to raise funds for scholarships and research. After a term as Director of Revenue at the Heart Foundation, Penny took up the role as Head of the newly established SCG Heritage Foundation where she leads a capital campaign to raise $70 million for a new museum of sport at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
High and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals: The Biggest Opportunity for Sustained Growth
Director, Family Advisory
JBWere
Kim Venter is Director, Family Advisory at JBWere and a Family Business - Accredited Adviser. With over 20 years of international wealth management experience, she works with families to navigate intergenerational wealth transfer, family governance, philanthropy and legacy planning. Kim is passionate about helping families align around shared values and purpose, ensuring wealth becomes a catalyst for meaningful impact across generations.
High and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals: The Biggest Opportunity for Sustained Growth
CEO
ntegrity
Richenda Vermeulen is Founder and CEO of ntegrity, a multi-award-winning agency helping charities grow their impact through fundraising, marketing and strategy. ntegrity’s work has been recognised nationally for creativity and fundraising excellence, with campaigns featured on global stages including the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Before founding ntegrity, Richenda spent more than a decade in the not-for-profit sector, from frontline social work to leading digital innovation at World Vision Australia and World Vision USA.
Beyond the Click: What it Actually Takes to Acquire and Convert New Donors
Managing Director
Visualise Reporting & Analytics
The Hidden Signals: What High-Performing Organisations See (and Do) Before Everyone Else
Head of Data Analytics and Intelligence
National Heart Foundation of Australia
Linnea Wang is the head of Business Analytics and Intelligence at the National Heart Foundation of Australia. With over a decade experience in nonprofit sector, she is dedicated to helping fundraising teams unlock the power of data to drive meaningful, revenue-generating change. A strong advocate for automation and streamlined processes, she believes in turning complexity into clarity - empowering teams to focus on impact.
The Connected Fundraising Organisation: One Supporter, One Story
Development Manager
All Hallows' School
Jessica Wong is a fundraising and development professional with experience across education, health, disability and the not-for-profit sector, whose career has been shaped by the intersection of fundraising strategy, relationships and data.
As Development Manager at All Hallows’ School, Jessica leads a broad portfolio spanning strategy, appeals and campaigns, major giving, prospect development, regular giving, donor engagement, stewardship and philanthropic partnerships.
Endlessly curious about what makes people connect, engage, and ultimately choose to give, Jessica is a self-confessed data enthusiast who believes that good data can transform how we understand and engage with our communities. Drawing on her experience in education advancement and across the broader sector, she brings a practical approach to uncovering opportunities, challenging assumptions and improving the way we work, turning data and technology into insight, action and opportunities for fundraising growth.
Change, Transformation and Optimisation: Real Stories, Real Challenges, Real Results
Fundraising Operations & Analytics Manager
Vision Australia
If there’s someone who knows data, it’s Fan! With roles that have included Data Analytics & Strategic Insights Manager (Children’s Medical Research Institute), Analytics Manager (Merkle), Data Manager (University of Melbourne) and Data Analyst (Roy Morgan Research), Fan has 20 years' experience of getting the very best out of data and analytics.
In her current role, she leads a team of five to provide analytics insights to answer business questions for fundraising strategies, campaign monitoring, fundraising success measures, prospecting, donor acquisition and retention performance. She collaborates with internal and external business partners to discover business gaps in operational process and provides solutions to elevate business efficiency and supporter satisfaction.
Building Sustainable Regular Giving: The Decisions That Drive Long-Term Growth