The International Fundraising Congress is hearing a lot about inspirational fundraising, but Celina Ribeiro says fundraisers' job is to get out of the way of inspiration.

A little corner of Holland is buzzing right now. In spite of the catering, the annual migration of global fundraisers is awash with change making, paradigm shifting and, above all, inspiration.

It's an inspiration fest, this. Inspirational leaders, inspirational direct mail, inspirational you. There's more inspiration here than hangovers.

And it's enough.

As so often happens in fundraising conferences, the delegates - assumed to be deflated by markets, politics and personal attacks - are inflated to popping point.

Disclaimer: I know fundraisers do a good and vital job. I know it's a hard market and environment to operate in. And I know that it's important to be recharged.

Solidarity and recognition is important. So too is being reflective about the world outside your world.

More important than being inspiring, is recognising that your job is not killing the inspiration that has prompted your supporters to come to your cause (rather than brand) in the first place. Donors give because they're asked, no doubt.

But they give to your cause because something in it inspires them. Something ignites their anger or passion. They are already inspired, your cause is giving them an opportunity to act. Surely fundraisers' priority must be finding out what inspires donors, rather than trying to feed a pre-ordained inspiration to them.

And too often, after that initial opportunity to act, the fire in fundraising dies. Donors are funnelled into an overtly automated stewardship process that feels either too cautious or too mercenary. The fundraising has become a block to inspiration. I say this as a donor moved by emotion and ethics to support a charity and who has in turn received bland, corporate 'thank you for making a difference' emails.

One, by the way.

Listening to learning from the Labour Party's election campaign today, one found that the party emailed supporters thrice in a day. It is intense, but it feels real. It suggests that the Party knows you actually care, and are as passionate as it is. It feels real, and that is inspirational.

Inspiration is everywhere. Fundraisers are not the inspiration: they must be the inspiration catchers. The inspiration facilitators.