Last week, the Donorfy community came together in Manchester for the highly anticipated Donorfy Together Conference 2025 - and what a fantastic day it was!

Charity professionals from across the sector gathered for a packed agenda of insightful sessions, expert-led discussions, and plenty of opportunities to connect and collaborate.

With three session streams - Inspiration, Innovation and Integration - attendees explored a variety of topics designed to equip them with practical knowledge, fresh perspectives and actionable insights to help them thrive.

If you couldn’t make it this year – we missed you! Here’s a closer look at some of the standout sessions and highlights:

From Passion to Impact – Juggling Roles in a Small Charity

If you work in a small charity, you’ll know about having fingers-in-all-the-pies. Small charities are usually made up of passionate people covering many roles. Elizabeth Hutton OBE, from Kicks Count, shared her real-world experience of balancing it all – from fundraising, marketing to donor management - all while keeping the charity’s mission and impact at the heart of operations. The session was full of relatable moments and practical tips on staying focused and efficient despite limited resources.

Visualising your Data with Donorfy Dashboards

With so much valuable data stored in Donorfy, making sense of it all can feel overhwleming. Graham took attendees on a practical dive into Donorfy dashboards, demonstrating how they transform raw data into customisable, clear visualisations. Designed to help teams track performance, measure impact and make informed decisions easier - you can learn more about them here.

The Calm in the Cause

Where do we even begin? Keynote speaker Josh Fletcher (@anxietyjosh) had the room captivated with his blend of wit, wisdom and warmth. In a sector full of passionate people who pour their hearts into their work, mental health and wellbeing are more important than ever. Josh’s packed session provided a refreshing and relatable take on managing stress and anxiety, while balancing the demands of the sector with looking after our mental health.

How to Build a Strong Business Case for Volunteer Management Software 

A highlight of the day was Matt Hayes' talk on volunteer management software (VMS) and how it can revolutionise charity operations. From engagement and retention issues to time-consuming manual processes, Matt explored the challenges many of you will recognise when managing volunteers – and showcased how a volunteer management system like Access Assemble can help. If you’re looking to enhance your volunteer management, you can take a product tour here.

Turbocharging your Campaign with Data-Driven Decisions 

CRM Manager Rob Parkin took fundraising to new heights with his insightful session on using data to supercharge regular giving campaigns. Sharing the real-world successes at North West Air Ambulance, Rob demonstrated how charities can unlock the full potential of their donor data to reach the right supporters, at the right time. This session was a great example of peer learning in action!

Boosting Your Charity’s Impact with Smart Solutions

A key takeaway from the day was Shaf and Jonny’s session, which tackled the challenges charities face with disconnected systems. They shared real-life examples of charities transforming their impact by connecting fundraising processes with charity operations using smart tech tools, such as Charity Websites (take a product tour) and Ad Grants for Charities (download the brochure)

Celebrating Success: The Donorfy Awards 🏆

One of the most exciting moments of the day was the Donorfy Awards, recognising the charities making a big impact through outstanding fundraising, collaboration and innovative use of technology. There were 19 incredible finalists in total, but only four could win … congratulations to:

Simplified Solution – Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Charitable Fund, who used Donorfy to develop an innovative bid tracking system, moving from scattered emails to an efficient centralised system.

Impact Beyond Fundraising – Stamford School who, through various initiatives, are offering free learning opportunities for all, driving sustainability and making a lasting local impact.

Outstanding Fundraising Campaign – Foxie’s Future, who raised over £4 million pounds to secure Foxlease Activity Centre for future generations.

Collaborative Impact – North West Air Ambulance, who collaborated with multiple integrators to streamline and strengthen their regular giving programme.

Overall, the conference was more than just a day of learning - it was a celebration of the incredible work happening across the charity sector. As one attendee put it:

"What a fantastic conference! Full of insights and amazing knowledge. Some incredible minds all under one roof. That’s why I love the charity sector, nothing but passion!”

A huge thank you to our headline sponsors- Dotdigital and Microsoft - speakers, exhibitors and attendees for making the day so special.

We can’t wait to do it all again - see you in 2026? 🚀