Vienna, Austria
On 29 May, representatives from Austria, Denmark, France, Jerusalem and Malta met at the main office of Johanniter Austria in Vienna for a meeting of the JOIN Fundraising Working Group. Johanniter Germany and St John Ambulance Cymru joined the meeting online.
The day opened with a discussion on opportunities for NGOs to raise their visibility and strengthen their profile with larger corporations, particularly in the context of European sustainability reporting requirements. This was followed by a presentation on the organisational structure and new fundraising strategy of Johanniter International Assistance.
Members then exchanged views on how donation trends have evolved over the past ten years. Corporate volunteering and crowdfunding were also discussed in more detail, with participants sharing current practices, methods and plans for the futur
During the afternoon session, each member organisation reported on its current national fundraising activities, including figures, best practices and common challenges. The St John Eye Hospital also shared a comprehensive update on the situation in Gaza and the broader region, presenting its ongoing response to the continuing humanitarian crisis. Participants discussed further ways to support the work of our member in Jerusalem.
The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion on the future direction of the Fundraising Working Group. Members agreed to continue meeting face to face once a year in line with the Annual General Meeting and to deepen the exchange on how to attract and engage younger donor groups.