We were delighted to welcome three inspiring women from the Stara Pazova Community Foundation in northern Serbia - Marina Petrović, Ksenija Radišić and Maja Šaš - to London for our Spring Connector earlier this month.

The visit formed part of our international programme, through which we train and support international philanthropy and civil society organisations in the TFN model. You can read more about the programme here.

During their visit, Marina, Ksenija and Maja experienced our live crowdfunding event firsthand and learned more about the TFN methodology, exploring how community philanthropy and collective giving could be adapted and implemented within their own community back home.

They also had the opportunity to speak with donors about their motivations for giving, connect with social change leaders to understand the value of pitching to a live audience of potential supporters, and engage with members of the TFN community - gaining valuable insight into the power of storytelling, grassroots fundraising and collaborative giving.

Reflecting on their experience, they shared:

“We would like to thank you once again for the warm welcome and hospitality during the donor event in London. We truly had a wonderful time. For us, this was a very valuable and inspiring experience. We learned a lot, met amazing people, and gained many new ideas and perspectives. We sincerely hope that we will be able to apply much of what we learned in practice within our work and community. Thank you for your support, kindness, and for making us feel so welcome throughout the event.”

We are proud to support the growing global movement for collective giving and participatory philanthropy, and we look forward to seeing how these ideas continue to grow and create impact in Serbia.

Mihaela Giurgiou, TFN International Coordinator

Photo by Alick Cotterill. L to R: Marina, Mihaela, Maja and Ksenija at the Spring Connector 2026