SIDCN Fest: Line-up, Programme & speaker info
- izzyelton2
- May 16
- 4 min read
This year’s SIDCN Fest is just around the corner! It's taking place online on 25th June and we would love to see you there. Registration is now open, so please do sign up to ensure you receive the Zoom link for the day.
This day of inspiring talks, peer learning, and networking is for anyone working in, or passionate about small international development charities.
Feel free to join any sessions throughout the day, or stay for the duration. Here's what we've got in store...
Here's a sneak peek into the breakout room topics, so you can start thinking about which ones you'd like to join. (If you find it hard to choose, don't worry - all of the sessions will be recorded!)
Fundraising and sustainability sessions
Growth Management - Growing from Micro to Larger
Olivia Baker White & Sam Wambayo, Kids Club Kampala
Sharing real lessons from both in-country programme expansion and UK fundraising growth. What’s worked, what’s been tough, and how to navigate scaling as a small charity.
Supercharge Your Digital Fundraising Strategy
Maline Bungum, Global Giving & Catherine Franks, Children's Helpers Worldwide
In this engaging session, you’ll explore how to kickstart your digital fundraising journey, set SMART goals you’ll actually stick to, craft powerful stories that inspire action, and get to know (and grow!) your audience in ways that build lasting support.
Transition to Local Leadership - Challenges and Successes Along the Way
Heidi Bentley & Medi Muyisa, The Congo Tree
Sharing the inspiring journey of moving from externally-led leadership to appointing their first Congolese Director after 12 years - reflecting on the challenges, successes, and lessons from embedding youth leaders in decision-making, and what the future holds for a locally-led organisation. A brilliant session for anyone passionate about youth leadership, decolonising development, and power-shifting in practice.
From Idea to Impact: Journey to Self-Sufficiency Through Earned Income
Caren Okombo, Power for the People & Rose Kigeri, Women's Rights Initiative Uganda
Join us for an insightful session, delving into Women's Rights Institute Uganda's journey of developing Star Pads as an enterprise idea. We'll explore the initial steps of assessing feasibility and planning, along with the valuable lessons learned along the way. This session will also feature a co-presentation with Power for the People (PFP), where we'll share our experiences and challenges on a parallel journey and Kenya, and reflect together on the power of collaboration over competition. This session will give practical insights and inspiration for innovative approaches to fundraising and income generation.
Member Spotlight sessions
Collaboration with Local Government
Lyndsey Mclellan & Camilla MacLaverty, PHASE Worldwide, Rudra Neupane & Ganesh Shrestha, PHASE Nepal
Join the PHASE Worldwide team as they share the conclusion of a 3-year programme delivering healthcare and agricultural support for mothers and children under 5 in hard-to-reach areas of Nepal and how they ensure the impact lasts. They’ll share their sustainability approach and work closely with local government teams.
Effective Partnership With Other Organisations
Shaenna Loughanne, Bridge2Aid & Dr Gordian Kikompolisi, THEDI
Sharing the journey of moving from delivering their programmes to supporting and amplifying the work of local partners in Tanzania. This session will explore how effective partnerships can strengthen health systems and improve access to essential services. The discussion will feature Gordian Kikompolisi and the CEO of Bridge2Aid, Shaenna Loughnane, and together, they’ll unpack how to bring diverse partners to the table, ensure the right voices are heard, and build positive, sustainable partnerships centred around a shared goal of improving health outcomes.
We Couldn't Be There, so We Found a New Way to See Everything: Using GIS for Impact Evaluation
Alison Hall & Pamela Anyeko, Seeds for Development
When COVID lockdowns made it impossible to reach northern Uganda, Seeds for Development refused to disconnect. Join Alison Hall MBE and Pamela Anyeko from Seeds for Development as they share how their team adopted Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), they’ve transformed how small charities can track, measure, and share their impact in real time, from anywhere in the world. This isn’t just about fancy tech. It’s about meaningful, transparent, and practical ways even the smallest organisations can amplify their work and tell their stories.
Measuring and Communicating Your Impact (Without Losing Your Mind)
Mark Smith & Murti Uma, Enable Ed
Let’s be honest, proving your impact as a small charity isn’t always easy. Budgets are tight, time is precious, and spreadsheets… well, they’re not everyone’s best friend. But what if it could be simpler, smarter, and maybe even enjoyable? Join Enable Ed’s dynamic duo, Murti and Mark Smith, as they unpack lessons from real charity projects they’ve evaluated. Expect a relaxed, honest, and seriously useful conversation about what impact means for small Charities like yours.
And that's just the breakout rooms! We've also got our headline session from Marlene Kawira and Emily Wilson-Smith where they'll be doing a live podcast episode, discussing feminist MEARL, storytelling and systems that centre people.
Then there's Vic Hancock Fell who will be unpacking Fair Collective's research and report on the mental health crisis in small charity leadership, plus a sesson on AI and fundraising from CEF's Ian McLintock, AND a peer-led networking session over lunch (sandwiches not provided) - phew!
We can't wait to see you there.