Nonprofits thrive on collaboration and the pursuit of optimistic change. Nonprofit conferences function a significant platform professionals from numerous organizations to come back collectively, share insights, and strategize on reaching each collective and particular person targets..
Attending a nonprofit convention is among the greatest methods to develop professionally, make highly effective private {and professional} connections, and keep forward of the curve with the most recent fundraising strategies and instruments.
On this information, we’ll discover the advantages of attending nonprofit conferences and supply our prime suggestions for must-attend occasions. Right here’s what you possibly can anticipate:
When selecting which conferences to attend, it’s important to think about each your nonprofit’s targets and your private improvement targets. For example, are you aiming to boost your methods for company giving, leverage nonprofit expertise, or have interaction extra successfully with main donors? Maintain these targets in thoughts as you browse the conferences on this checklist to seek out alternatives that align together with your pursuits and wishes.
The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Conferences
Use the solutions to those incessantly requested questions to assist information your seek for one of the best nonprofit conferences.
What are nonprofit conferences?
Nonprofit conferences function important gatherings the place nonprofit professionals come collectively to be taught, collaborate, and share greatest practices. These occasions present a platform for networking and knowledge-sharing, empowering organizations to boost their influence and strengthen their connections inside the sector.
Moreover, nonprofit conferences increase consciousness and assist for numerous causes by showcasing the work of nonprofits. They entice potential donors, sponsors, and volunteers, fostering private and organizational development. In the end, these conferences allow nonprofits to raised serve their communities and fulfill their missions.
Why are nonprofit conferences essential?
Attending a nonprofit convention requires an preliminary funding of your group’s time and assets. For instance, you might have to dam out a piece day to take part, pay a registration payment, and journey to the convention location (if it isn’t a digital occasion). Contemplating all of these necessities, is attending a nonprofit convention actually price it for you and your group?
To assist reply this query, contemplate a these advantages of attending a nonprofit convention:
- Keep updated with developments and improvements. Focused promoting, synthetic intelligence, social media developments, and livestreaming are only a few of the revolutionary technological concerns that nonprofit professionals are speaking about now. By attending nonprofit conferences, you possibly can keep on the innovative of those new applied sciences and developments to make sure your group is utilizing expertise to its full potential.
- Community with fellow nonprofit professionals. The networking facet of most nonprofit conferences lets you make skilled connections that may assist your group down the highway. You may find out about different organizations’ successes and failures and ask questions on how different nonprofits have tackled particular points that you just’re additionally going through. The relationships you construct with different nonprofit professionals may help your group effectively into the long run as you proceed collaborating and sharing assets.
- Be taught fundraising greatest practices. Whether or not the convention subjects embrace the advantages of company philanthropy for companies and nonprofits, revolutionary advertising methods, or insightful recommendations on partaking with totally different generations of donors, you’re certain to go away with new data in your pocket. You may apply what you be taught to your group’s ongoing actions, applications, tasks, and outreach methods.
Many nonprofit professionals discover that the worth of attending conferences usually makes up for the time and assets required to attend. Nonetheless, make sure to fastidiously contemplate whether or not convention attendance is one thing you can match into your group’s price range.
The Finest Nonprofit Conferences in 2024
Nonprofit conferences occur all year long at totally different places throughout the nation (and nearly). Some occasions happen yearly, so in the event you’ve missed one you have been on this yr, don’t fear! Examine the host’s web site to see in the event that they’ll have it once more subsequent yr.
Listed here are 12 of one of the best conferences to think about including to your 2024 calendars:
Double the Donation’s Fall 2024 Matching Reward Summit for Nonprofits and Ok-12 Faculties
About this convention:
Matching items are an unimaginable but usually untapped supply of fundraising assist for nonprofits, universities, and different fundraising organizations. In matching present applications, firms match the donations that their workers make to charitable organizations. In accordance with current matching present statistics, firms donate $2-3 billion yearly via matching present applications, however an estimated $4-$7 billion is left unclaimed.
Double the Donation’s purpose is to help organizations in securing the matching present income obtainable to them. This contains via assets offered in our Matching Reward Summit, matching present automation platform, and extra.
Particularly, the Summit is devoted to sharing matching present greatest practices, assets, success tales, and extra to assist nonprofits and Ok-12 colleges handle this fundraising channel extra successfully. Attendees will find out about forming sturdy enterprise partnerships and incomes precious company sponsorships to assist their tasks, occasions, applications, and extra. Plus, attendees have the chance to interact with fundraising friends in spherical desk discussions.
Date: September twenty ninth–October 1st, 2024
Location: Atlanta, GA
Registration: https://occasions.doublethedonation.com/matching-gift-summit-all-nonprofits-and-schools#/
Can’t wait? Try Double the Donation’s on-line Matching Reward Academy to discover highly effective matching present insights within the meantime.
What Fundraisers Are Saying:
“Double the Donation’s Matching Reward Summit is invaluable for company philanthropy professionals. I might suggest this occasion to anybody who’s inquisitive about rising their matching present fundraising. The Summit has served as an extremely useful useful resource for our workforce as we’ve applied insights and learnings from the occasion into our matching present fundraising technique.”
— Ariana Romanelli, Lead Affiliate, Company Partnerships at Save the Kids
Double the Donation’s Fall 2024 Matching Reward Summit for Larger Schooling
About this convention:
For professionals within the increased training area, we provide one other convention that’s tailor-made to the particular and superior fundraising wants of those organizations. Matching items are an unimaginable supply of college funding. With 26 million people eligible for matching items, instructional establishments possible have alumni and different donors who’re eligible for these highly effective company giving alternatives.
Double the Donation’s strives to empower organizations to safe obtainable matching present income via our highly effective matching present automation platform, instructional assets, and our Matching Reward Summit.
Just like our Summit for nonprofits and Ok-12 colleges, you’ll join with different increased ed professionals, hear success tales, uncover matching present greatest practices, and extra via highly effective roundtable discussions. Attendees will uncover find out how to kind sturdy enterprise partnerships to assist their tasks, occasions, applications, and extra. We’ll discover matching present information throughout prime increased training establishments and useful subjects like messag methods to encourage alumni to finish their matching present requests.
By the tip of the convention, you’ll have the ability to handle this fundraising channel extra successfully at your establishment.
Date: October 1-3, 2024
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Registration: https://occasions.
Can’t wait? Try Double the Donation’s on-line Matching Reward Academy to discover highly effective matching present insights within the meantime.
Nonprofit Advertising Summit
About this nonprofit convention:
There are a number of advertising conferences on this checklist, and for good motive. Digital instruments and techniques evolve always, making it crucial for nonprofit professionals to remain up to date on the most recent developments.
That’s the place the Nonprofit Advertising Summit is available in. This digital convention brings collectively 30,000+ nonprofit advertising professionals that includes 75+ Excessive Affect Periods about new digital advertising methods. You’ll hear immediately from probably the most influential thought leaders within the area. Though this occasion is digital, there are many networking alternatives to reap the benefits of, together with getting related on social media and becoming a member of a textual content neighborhood.
Date: August 20-22, 2024
Location: Digital
Collaborative
About this nonprofit convention:
Collaborative is a digital and in-person convention run by Elegant, an internet fundraising software program platform. The convention is targeted on serving to nonprofit professionals perceive fundraising greatest practices and find out how to leverage nonprofit expertise successfully.
Because the convention’s identify suggests, the occasion is targeted on bringing nonprofit professionals collectively in collaborative periods and workshops. The purpose is to problem your pondering, discover the way forward for fundraising, and keep on the slicing fringe of expertise. You’ll depart with new concepts to boost extra in your trigger.
Plus, audio system embrace leaders from among the most outstanding nonprofit organizations throughout the nation, connecting attendees immediately with skilled leaders and influencers.
Date: Could 15-16, 2024 — keep tuned for 2025’s dates
Location: TBD for 2025
Nonprofit Expertise Convention
About this nonprofit convention:
From matching present software program to constituent relationship administration methods (CRMs), nonprofit expertise is what retains the nonprofit sector in movement.
The Nonprofit Expertise Convention (NTC) is an annual gathering hosted by NTEN, a company that unites nonprofit professionals to debate utilizing expertise for social good. This convention educates attendees on nonprofit tech greatest practices and find out how to use expertise to advertise change in your neighborhood.
Attendees embrace everybody from nonprofit employees members and volunteers to board members, consultants, and tech distributors. By attending, you’ll have the chance to take part in breakout periods, share assets with fellow attendees, and make long-lasting connections. Plus, the NTC is devoted to fostering an inclusive and accessible atmosphere, with racial affinity areas, a dedication to accessibility for all, and extra.
Date: April 16–18, 2025
Location: Baltimore, MD and digital
AFP ICON
About this nonprofit convention:
AFP ICON is commonly thought of the biggest fundraising convention on the planet. Hosted by the Affiliation of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), ICON options dozens of audio system protecting a variety of subjects. Previous periods embrace subjects like utilizing donor information to enhance future fundraising efforts and ending psychological well being stigma within the nonprofit office.
Attending AFP ICON may help you set your self and your group as much as successfully deal with the largest fundraising challenges and alternatives for the yr forward.
Date: April 7-9, 2024 — keep tuned for 2025’s dates
Location: TBD for 2025
Trigger Camp
About this nonprofit convention:
Designated a “must-attend” nonprofit convention by Forbes, Trigger Camp is an annual gathering of nonprofit leaders, professionals, and business specialists to share assets and talk about each facet of the nonprofit sector. Trigger Camp’s breakout periods transcend easy discussions to equip attendees with actionable insights and coaching supplies.
Moreover, individuals can browse a complete exhibit corridor to attach with distributors and be taught extra about different nonprofit organizations in attendance. Plus, the convention’s enjoyable night gatherings enable attendees to get to know each other in a extra relaxed atmosphere.
Date: October 21-22, 2024
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Have interaction for Good
About this nonprofit convention:
Have interaction for Good hyperlinks nonprofit professionals with leaders from the company world whose organizations are devoted to furthering optimistic social change. Attendees can take part in focused workshops and networking periods that convey collectively people who face comparable points or give attention to comparable matter areas.
As a nonprofit skilled, attending this convention will allow you to grasp company philanthropy from a enterprise perspective and make connections with potential company companions. Then, you possibly can return to your group with deeper insights that may optimize your company partnership technique.
Date: Could 14-16, 2024 — keep tuned for 2025’s dates
Location: TBD for 2025
Registration: TBA for 2025
Upswell Summit
About this nonprofit convention:
The Upswell Summit is an annual occasion for neighborhood changemakers who’re centered on making their communities stronger and extra equitable. Organized by Impartial Sector, the occasion connects professionals from numerous sectors to handle urgent social points and drive optimistic change. Extra data on audio system and panel subjects is to come back, so control the Upswell web site.
Date: Fall 2025
Location: Atlanta, GA
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit
About this nonprofit convention:
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit (NIO) is an annual convention centered on equipping nonprofit organizations with the most recent methods, instruments, and strategies for digital fundraising and advertising. Audio system embrace the main specialists in fundraising and advertising innovation, that means attendees can obtain insights into cutting-edge outreach strategies to raised have interaction their audiences.
As well as, nonprofit leaders can browse new expertise options in a sales-free atmosphere to see which instruments may work greatest for his or her organizations.
Date: September 18-19, 2024
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Nonprofit Storytelling Convention
About this nonprofit convention:
The muse of any highly effective fundraising or advertising initiative is compelling storytelling. A narrative may help construct a robust emotional connection together with your nonprofit’s supporters, inspiring them to assist and assist your trigger.
The Nonprofit Storytelling Convention is designed to assist nonprofit professionals inform higher tales to boost extra donations. The convention provides three forms of periods:
The “Principal Stage Periods” are designed to reimagine the way in which you join with donors by sharing groundbreaking methods and mind-bending ideas. The “Deep Dive Intensives” are 2.5-hour intensive workshops supposed to provide you a framework for main donor, unsolicited mail, occasion, and inventive fundraising campaigns. “Implementation Workshops” are 60-minute periods with small teams, and every workshop teaches a brand new storytelling and fundraising talent. Attendees will obtain customized assist making use of every new talent to their group.
Date: November 11-13, 2024
Location: Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
Good Tech Fest
About this nonprofit convention:
Good Tech Fest focuses on find out how to use expertise and information to make a optimistic distinction on the planet. Periods are led by information scientists, product managers, and fundraising and tech professionals. Attendees have the chance to find out about all the things from machine studying instruments and fairness points within the tech world to crypto philanthropy.
This yr, Good Tech Fest can be internet hosting three conferences on separate dates and in separate places.
Dates: October 7-8, 2024; April 28-Could 1, 2025; Could 20-21, 2025
Places: Nairobi (Fall 2024); Utah (April-Could 2025); Digital (Could 2025)
Bridge Convention
About this nonprofit convention:
The Bridge to Built-in Advertising & Fundraising Convention, also called the Bridge Convention, is an annual gathering of nonprofit fundraising professionals, leaders, consultants, companies, and different advertising professionals. The convention covers each revolutionary fundraising and advertising methods together with frequent points nonprofits have historically confronted, equivalent to find out how to maintain donors engaged and rework them into recurring givers.
Date: July 31-August 2, 2024 — keep tuned for 2025’s dates
Location: TBD for 2025
Ideas for Making the Most of Your Convention Attendance
Your convention preparation shouldn’t finish after you full the registration kind. Conferences are concentrated, action-packed occasions that appear to fly by when you’re there. That’s why it’s essential to go in with a plan of who you wish to communicate with and what you wish to do whereas on the convention.
Listed here are a couple of ideas for taking advantage of your convention attendance:
- Do your analysis beforehand. Who can be on the convention? Who do you completely wish to discuss to earlier than the occasion concludes? How are you going to begin a pure dialog with these people that builds on issues you’ve gotten in frequent? Make an inventory of people you’d like to attach with and some info you already find out about them.
- Resolve who will attend the convention. Ought to a bunch of employees members out of your nonprofit attend the convention or only one or two people? Decide who would be the greatest representatives in your trigger and profit probably the most from attending.
- Take part in all the things you possibly can. You most likely gained’t have the ability to attend each single session or panel. Nonetheless, make an effort to attend a big selection of shows and discussions primarily based on the subjects that curiosity you probably the most or that you just assume can be most useful in your group. This lets you get probably the most worth out of the occasion.
- Hunt down shows which can be exterior of your purview. Contemplate attending one or two periods or panels that don’t immediately relate to what you do day by day. These periods may find yourself being probably the most precious, as a result of they present you a unique perspective or share details about one thing that you just aren’t very conversant in.
- Accumulate enterprise playing cards. Collect enterprise playing cards for organizations and people that you just work together with and comply with up with them after the nonprofit convention. In these messages, thank them for his or her dialog or presentation and ask any follow-up questions you might have considered since. If the person lives close by, see in the event you can schedule an in-person assembly or lunch with them to keep up the connection you’ve constructed.
- Share the data you’ve realized together with your workforce. Create a brief presentation in your nonprofit’s different workforce members who didn’t attend the convention. Summarize the important thing takeaways you acquired from the convention and any modifications or methods you assume the workforce ought to implement going ahead. Let workforce members chime in with their ideas and suggestions on any proposed modifications.
We additionally suggest carrying a folder and pocket book with you in the course of the convention to take notes and retailer enterprise playing cards, handouts, and different printed supplies.
A Closing Observe About Nonprofit Conferences
When signing up for any nonprofit conferences, keep in mind to strategy these occasions with an open thoughts and a willingness to be taught. Be ready to interact in significant conversations, share your personal experiences, and be taught from others who’re equally captivated with creating optimistic change.
For extra details about nonprofit conferences, bookmark the Double the Donation and NXUnite web sites. These websites supply ongoing updates on nonprofit webinars, panels, and conferences that any nonprofit skilled can be a part of to develop their talent set and fundraising data.
