Andrzej Pietrucha – fundraising and marketing trainer and consultant for NGOs, specializing in sustainable programs and initiatives targeting individual and corporate donors. Currently works for a second-tier organization, FAOO – the Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation in Warsaw. Previously, he held fundraising and leadership positions at Polish charities, including service delivery organizations, grantmaking institutions, and corporate foundations. He holds an MA in History from the University of Warsaw, and MSc in Charity Marketing and Fundraising from Bayes Business School – City University and is a graduate of the School for NGO Trainers (STOP).
Diana Dimova-Yordanova is a corporate communications expert with extensive experience in television journalism. Currently, a significant part of her professional focus is dedicated to the development of philanthropic and volunteer initiatives at FANTASTICO GROUP. She is a member of the Management Board of the largest social responsibility initiative of the Bulgarian family-owned company – “Fantastico Close to You“ – as well as a member of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum.
Dilyana Maneva is the Deputy Executive Director at For Our Children Foundation – one of the biggest non-profit organizations in Bulgaria focused on early childhood development. Dilyana joined the Foundation right after graduating from university in 2009 and since then, she has held various positions focused on fundraising, communications and awareness raising.
Currently, as part of the leadership team, her main priorities are scaling up the social impact of the organization, digital transformation, as well as building and developing strategic partnerships with different stakeholders.
Eduard Marček has been working in the non-profit sector since 1997 and has extensive experience in numerous consulting and training projects both domestically and internationally. As a consultant, he specializes in NGO fundraising and financing. He has provided consulting services to a number of domestic and international non-governmental organizations and has contributed to various analytical studies across Europe. He regularly organizes fundraising conferences and a leadership development program for Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2018, Eduard has served as Head of Individual Fundraising for Transparency International Slovakia, an anti-corruption watchdog. He is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Slovak Fundraising Centre and, between 2019 and 2021, served as President of the European Fundraising Association. He currently also serves as Executive Director of this international network.
Kay Sprinkel Grace is an award-winning nonprofit professional whose seven books on fundraising and board engagement have influenced philanthropy globally. An influencer and advocate for institutional impact and renewal, especially in times of societal change, her work and concepts have been adopted by countless organizations.
Attorney Denitsa Rukanova is part of the team at the Anti-Corruption Fund, where she helps turn complex legal cases into stories that cannot be ignored. She believes that the fight against corruption is not just about the courtroom, but about raising public awareness and fostering a greater sense of justice.
Lynda Harwood-Compton is recently recognised as ‘one of the women powering the UK Charity Sector’. She is an award-winning, innovative and published global fundraising leader, consultant & trainer. She is the CEO and founder of the international fundraising consultancy Latch Fundraising & has an exceptional track record of leading fundraising teams across the world to consistently achieve and exceed their fundraising targets. Lynda’s current work covers Europe, Australia, Asia, North America and Latin America. She consults and trains on Partnerships & Philanthropy, NextGen Fundraising & Stewardship.
Michal Kišša is a leading ESG and sustainability expert with 19+ years of experience. As Co-CEO of a top Slovak organization – Pontis Foundation – he leads almost 50 experts and manages an €8M+ budget. He specializes in promoting topics such as transparency, anti-corruption, ethical behaviour, corporate volunteering and ESG reporting among Slovak businesses. Michal bridges the corporate and non-profit sectors to drive responsible business and philanthropy.
Paul de Gregorio is the founder of Rally and a digital mobilisation strategist who helps organisations inspire and attract public support to win change. Rally is a small but mighty consultancy that works with organisations fighting for a fairer, healthier, safer, greener, more equal world. Paul has worked with charities, campaign groups and membership organisations around the world to deliver mobilisation, fundraising and campaigning activity that engages the public at scale and inspires them to take action. He’s obsessed with showing people they have power and helping them use it for good.
Nadia Shabani is the Director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law where she is developing projects in legal and financial framework of CSOs, human rights protection and good governance. She helps public officials on central and local level, lawyers, professional groups, civil society activists, parental organizations and social service providers for developing policies, strategic documents, drafting legislation changes and impact assessments affecting civic space. BCNL pushed more than 24 legislative acts and policies to enable the civil society organizations to operate in Bulgaria, raise donations, communicate their achievements and participate more easily in the decision-making process.
Neli Kocheva has been the Head of Development and Fundraising at the Teach For Bulgaria Foundation since 2022. She was one of the first people to join the organization’s team back in 2011. Before taking on her current role, Neli led the Recruitment team for many years, overseeing the selection and recruitment of new teachers for the “A New Way to Teaching” program. Under her leadership, the team achieved impressive results by attracting thousands of applicants who went through a rigorous selection process before entering the classroom. She is currently applying the successful engagement practices from her previous role to fundraising, which has seen significant growth in recent years.
Petar Torneff, Managing Director ATC Accenture Bulgaria, brings over 20 years of experience in the IT field. Graduating from the Technical University of Varna with a degree in Computer Science, Petar further honed his leadership skills through the prestigious Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School in 2015. In 2020, he successfully completed the EMBA Program at the American University in Bulgaria.
Petar Torneff is actively involved in various transformative educational projects and is dedicated to improving leadership potential in Bulgaria. As a valued member of the Management Board of AIBEST, he contributes to the development of strategies and innovative solutions in cloud technologies, cybersecurity, online marketplaces, and the implementation of policies promoting cultural, age, and gender diversity within organizations. Under his leadership, Petar has successfully positioned Accenture Bulgaria as a center of excellence for E-commerce, Salesforce, Data, Cloud, SAP BTP, and SAP Hybris, further solidifying its reputation in these areas.
With his extensive business experience and commitment to fostering inclusive environments, Petar Torneff is sought after as an advocate for promoting a greater sense of belonging for individuals. As an I&D Ambassador, he actively promotes and supports initiatives that create workplaces where all people can feel a sense of belonging, are respected, and are empowered to do their best work.
Over the years, Petar has been actively working with BCNL to develop the NGOs and social entrepreneurs’ ecosystem with the Dar Pazar project creation, Shtrak space development, Let’s GO program and other.
Anna Korzeniewska is Founder of the Social Impact Alliance for Central and Eastern Europe, CEE Impact Foundation, and the Scholarship Fund for the Talented. The first Polish woman to earn a Professional Certificate in Fundraising from New York University (NYU), complemented by Executive MBA diploma. Jury member in Central and Eastern European impact challenges (Google.org, Social Tides). Forbes contributor (’19-’24). Senior Fellow with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Strategic thought partner for global and regional stakeholders, with a deep understanding of the region’s context, actors, and solutions.
Luben Panov is Program Director at the America for Bulgaria Foundation, where he leads strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening civil society in Bulgaria. Previously, Luben held several leadership roles at the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL). He has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and was the first director and later Board member of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL).
The conference is initiated by Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL) with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation within the project “Stronger Together: Engaging Other Sectors in Civil Society Initiatives (2026–2028)”.
Partners supporting the event are Accenture Bulgaria, Fantastico, and Vivacom. The event is held in collaboration with the European Fundraising Association (EFA).
The Fundraising Club Bulgaria is an informal network of experts committed to raising donations for civic causes. The Club’s mission is to unite the community of fundraising professionals in Bulgaria, to positively influence the philanthropic environment by sharing best practices in philanthropy and volunteerism, and to promote high ethical behavior.
The statements and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.
