AAW joins Emergency Appeals Alliance workshop at the DEC - Part 1

The Emergency Appeals Alliance (EAA) is a global network of national humanitarian fundraising coalitions. Its members all play a similar role in their own countries, coordinating public appeals when major international crises hit and making sure public donations are turned into effective humanitarian support.

At the centre of this network is the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), the UK’s collective response mechanism for international emergencies. The DEC brings together leading UK aid agencies to launch unified appeals during crises, helping ensure a fast and coordinated fundraising response when it is needed most.

Together, the DEC and the wider EAA network form an important global system for emergency fundraising. They are focused on improving how organisations work together, share learning and respond more effectively when disasters strike.

The workshop at the DEC

In May, EAA members came together at the DEC for a workshop focused on shared learning and open discussion about the future of humanitarian fundraising.

The session brought together senior representatives from across the EAA network. It created space to step back from day-to-day delivery and look at the bigger picture, including what is changing in the sector and what that means for alliance-based fundraising models.

AAW was invited to join the final day of the convening to contribute to this discussion. We led a session focused on global trends and the shifting context for humanitarian fundraising.

It was a real privilege to be part of the conversation and to work alongside such experienced teams who are dealing with these challenges first-hand.

Part one: the shifting context for humanitarian fundraising

The first half of the workshop focused on the wider environment shaping humanitarian fundraising right now.

Rather than focusing on individual campaigns, the session stepped back to explore the broader forces shaping income generation across the sector. A few key themes stood out.

One of the most significant was the pressure on funding. Global humanitarian funding is tightening and donor bases are becoming more concentrated. Fewer people are giving, although those who do are often giving more.

The pace of fundraising is also changing. In emergency situations, organisations are now expected to move in hours rather than days. At the same time, digital costs are rising and it is becoming harder to rely on cold acquisition alone.

High-value giving was another important theme. Major donors and corporate partners are playing a larger role in emergency appeals, but many organisations are still developing structured approaches in this area.

Finally, we looked at the growing impact of technology and AI. While there is a clear opportunity here, it is also creating a gap between organisations with strong data and systems and those without.

Taken together, these trends point to a sector that is becoming faster, more competitive and more dependent on depth of engagement rather than broad reach.

Breakout discussion: what this means in practice

Delegates then moved into smaller group discussions to reflect on what these trends mean for their organisations. Three key areas were discussed.

First was the role of warm audiences. There was clear agreement that existing supporters are becoming even more important. The focus is shifting towards how organisations can keep people engaged between appeals and then activate them quickly when emergencies happen.

The second discussion focused on AI and emerging technology. Participants explored how AI tools are already being used across fundraising activity, from content creation and audience segmentation through to supporter journeys and insight generation. There was also discussion around what organisations would do differently in future appeals as AI capability continues to develop across the sector.

Alongside the opportunities, delegates also discussed some of the risks linked to AI, particularly around misinformation following major disasters. Concerns were raised about the spread of false or AI-generated videos online and the potential impact this could have on public trust, donor confidence and the wider emergency response environment.

The final discussion looked at collaboration across the alliance, particularly around major donors and corporate partnerships. Delegates reflected on whether there are opportunities for a more joined-up approach in some areas, and how shared learning across the network could help strengthen fundraising effectiveness during major international crises.

Looking ahead

This first part of the workshop set the scene for further discussion on benchmarking insights from recent DEC appeals and the wider implications for alliance-based fundraising.

We will cover that in our next blog!

AAW was proud to be invited to contribute to this convening and to be part of a conversation focused on strengthening how the sector responds to humanitarian need.