The Must-Attend Nonprofit Sector Conferences Happening in 2024

By Amanda L. Cole

Finding the time to learn new tactics that resolve the obstacles you’re encountering at your nonprofit and meet nonprofit professionals outside your organization isn’t always easy. But making time on your schedule for an in-person conference might be just the thing you need this year.

NonProfit PRO’s annual list of nonprofit conferences that professionals in the sector should attend is here. Learn from nonprofit thought leaders who might have firsthand experience with the issues you’re currently facing, and discover the latest skills and technologies needed to improve your organization’s operations, fundraising and more.

Review this list of nonprofit conferences to plan your time away from the office for 2024, ensure you receive ongoing education and have a chance to meet your peers.

P2P Professional Forum Conference

Feb. 21-23 | Philadelphia

As nonprofit events continue to rebound from pandemic shutdowns, the P2P Professional Forum Conference focuses specifically on the best practices in peer-to-peer fundraising. The three-day event includes keynotes, panels and general sessions that dive into the latest ways to produce your events, analyze data to improve your methods, engage a community around your mission and more. Here are a few of this year’s general sessions:

“Leveraging Donor Trust in Corporations to Expand Your P2P Reach” with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation, Project Hope, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Classy
“Using Data to Diversify Your Communication & Coaching Strategies” with the National Alliance on Mental Illness
“Cultivating Strong Collaboration Between Marketing and Development Through Shared Strategies and KPIs” with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Zero Prostate Cancer and Revunami Inc.

In addition, the event unveils the “Peer-to-Peer Top 30 & Benchmarking Study” for 2024. If you missed the event, check out our coverage of the sessions:

Nonprofit Technology Conference

March 13-15 | Portland, Oregon, and virtual

NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference brings together nonprofit technology enthusiasts for three days of in-person and virtual sessions. The event also boasts networking meetups, games such as pickleball and table tennis, as well as an art and music showcase. Here’s a look at a few of the sessions lined up for this year:

“How to Leverage Data Without Turning People Into Statistics” with Drupal Association
“6 Steps to Get Your Nonprofit Excited About Technology” with Services in Action
“Push the Right Buttons: Elevate Your Email Game With Compelling Calls to Action” with Pure Firefly

IMAGINE: Nonprofit

March 20 | Arlington, Virginia

Presented by AWS, Imagine: Nonprofit brings together nonprofit technologists and innovators to discuss cutting-edge technology that drives nonprofit success. While the agenda hasn't been released yet, speakers will include AWS staff, including a keynote from Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of global public sector healthcare and nonprofit at AWS, as well as nonprofit leaders and nonprofit technology experts. The day-long event includes keynotes, breakout sessions and networking opportunities.

Nonprofit Fundraisers Symposium

March 20-22 | Washington, D.C.

Back for its second year, the Nonprofit Fundraisers Symposium is geared toward veteran fundraising and marketing professionals with more than 10 years of experience. Presented by Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) and The Nonprofit Alliance Foundation, the conference includes roundtables, keynotes, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Here’s a sneak peek at the educational content:

“Future-Proofing for a Historic Transfer of Wealth” with Bernstein Private Wealth, Blakely, Mal Warwick Donordigital and National Philanthropic Trust
“AI Risks for Nonprofits: Ethics, Policy, Data Privacy, Staff Training and More” with Centre for Information Policy Leadership, Epsilon and University of California Berkeley Coleman Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership
“Next Generation of Performance Benchmarking” with Bonterra, Contributor Development Partnership and Inova

AFP ICON

April 7-9 | Toronto, Canada

More than 3,000 fundraising professionals attend the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ AFP ICON each year. With 100-plus educational sessions, as well as networking events, the AFP Exchange exhibit hall, executive coaching and pre-conference deep dives, there’s plenty to experience.

“When the Going Gets Tough, The Generous Get Going: How Market Shifts Affect Charitable Giving” with Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
“Stewardship: Why We Need to Say ‘Thank You’ So Many Times” with Los Angeles Master Chorale
“Cultivating Abundance - Big Gifts for Small Shops” with Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
“Hidden Gold: How Monthly Giving Will Build Donor Loyalty And Improve Donor Retention” with Harvey McKinnon Associates

Learn more by reading our AFP ICON 2023 coverage here. If you missed the 2024 conference, here's our coverage of some of the sessions:

Also, check to see if your local AFP chapter hosts a conference. Last year, we also covered AFP-NYC’s Fundraising Day in New York, which had sessions on cultivating event attendees and social media strategy.

Engage for Good Conference

May 14-16 | Minneapolis

The Engage for Good Conference debuts under new ownership this year. More than 600 social impact leaders from both nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies are expected to attend the event that focuses on corporate-nonprofit partnerships. This conference includes networking opportunities, general and breakout sessions, workshops and The Halos, a new gala designed to celebrate the annual Halo Awards.

Sessions for 2024 include:

"Beyond Likes: Mastering the Ever-changing Landscape of Social Media" with CARE and Meta
"From Transactional to Transformational: Building Long-term Partnerships Through Successful Employee Engagement Programs" with The Kraft Heinz Company and Rise Against Hunger
"Building Partnership with Historically Underrepresented Communities: A Barbie & NDSS Case Study" with Mattel and National Down Syndrome Society

Collaborative by Classy

May 15-16 | Chicago

The Collaborative by Classy takes over fun event spaces to provide attendees insight into the philanthropic landscape with keynote speakers, panel discussions, product demos and insights from Soraya Alexander, president of Classy and chief operating officer at GoFundMe.

This year’s opening keynote speaker will be Xavier Ramey, CEO of Justice Informed, a consulting firm that offers innovative DEI and philanthropic solutions. While this year’s full agenda is not yet available, NonProfit PRO attended the event last year and covered sessions on growing corporate giving programs and providing online giving options for face-to-face fundraising campaigns. Here's a look at what sessions are planned for this year:

"How to Drive 70% Of Donation Volume Through Recurring Giving" with Chicago Public Media and Shriners Children's
"Goodbye Donor Funnel: Moving Into a Donor Vortex Fundraising Model" with Children's Miracle Network, Monumental Shift, NMDP and Tim Tebow Foundation
"Harnessing First-Party Data to Move to a State of True Intelligence" with Cleveland Clinic and Stadia

Annual Fundraising Conference

June 10-12 | Atlanta

The African American Development Officers Network (AADO), an organization of 3,500 fundraising professionals of color, will debut the AADO Annual Fundraising Conference in 2024. AADO formerly co-presented the Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The new conference’s tracks will include leadership, philanthropy and advancement services.

"Reclaiming Our Power: Restorative Rest for Development Officers"
"Diverse Voices, Shared Visions: Cultivating a Culture of Inclusivity with Millennials and Gen Z in Philanthropy"
"Stop Treating Your Donors Like an ATM!"

Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference

July 31 to Aug. 2 | Oxon Hill, Maryland

The Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference from DMAW and AFP-DC returns to National Harbor with the theme, “Powering Progress,” which represents the rapid advancements to technology in the nonprofit sector. The conference features pre-conference workshops, keynote speakers, educational sessions, networking events and the Solutions Showcase exhibit hall. Here is a preview of some of the sessions:

"Bridging Generational Gaps in Philanthropy: Strategies for Engaging the Next Generation of Donors" with Allegiance Group + Pursuant and The Trevor Project
"Game, Set and Match - Thinking Differently to Ace Your Matched Giving Campaigns!" with Blakely and Heat & Stroke Foundation of Canada
"How Leading Fundraisers Succeed with Direct Mail in a Time of Postal Transformation" with Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Disabled American Veterans

Additionally, both BridgeTECH and Faith and Fundraising Forum will return for a second year. Both events are full-day conferences on July 31, with additional sessions throughout the Bridge Conference.

Co-presented by NonProfit PRO, BridgeTECH focuses on the vital role of technology in nonprofits' fundraising and marketing efforts. The event will showcase technologies, strategies and insights for digital fundraising campaigns, donor databases, artificial intelligence and more.

"How to Leverage Texting to Encourage Giving and Cultivate Relationships" with Operation Smile and Powered by Text
"Ready, Set, Migrate: Overcoming Tech Transition Hurdles" with Orbis International and Skeleton Key Strategies
"How Fundraisers Can Save Time and Spur Creativity With AI-Driven Content" with Nonprofit Nation Podcast and The Fundraising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

Meanwhile, the Faith and Fundraising Forum, co-presented by The Nonprofit Alliance, is designed for faith-based fundraisers to address their unique challenges.

"It Takes Responsible Fearlessness to Create Amazing Audience Experiences" with Mission Aviation Fellowship and Sublimity
"Inspired Giving: Unlocking Donor Motivation" with BDI and City Rescue Mission

Read our coverage of 2023’s BridgeTECH and the Bridge Conference.

Raise Conference

Sept. 9-10 | Nashville

Raise Conference from OneCause returns to Nashville for the second straight year. The event will include a sponsor pavilion, Raise Awards, a #FearlessFundraiser Party and a variety of sessions, such as:

"Rinse, Repeat, Recycle (Your Content)" with The Rayvan Group
"Back to the Ballroom: Giving a Big Boost to Your Live Event" with Custom Benefit Auctions
"Fired Up Board Fundraising with a DEIB Lens" with The Board Pro

Leadership Summit

Sept. 9-12 | San Diego

The Leadership Summit from The Nonprofit Alliance places a strong emphasis on fostering connections, prioritizing networking over traditional expert-led podium presentations. Last year, the summit commenced with an outdoor networking activity.

While details for this year’s event are still in the works, 2023’s event description included: “We use liberating structures, facilitation techniques that stimulate critical conversations and liberate the full potential of any group to elevate the expertise in the room.”

Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit

Sept. 18-19 | Indianapolis

Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit from NextAfter hosts its conferences in event spaces with a fun theme attached. This year’s event will boast a theme of “Generosity Jones and the Holy Grail of Fundraising.”

While more details haven’t been unveiled yet for 2024’s conference, last year’s theme revolved around game shows. Select activities provided attendees with poker chips that could be redeemed for NextAfter swag. Additionally, attendees who visited sponsor booths spread among three spaces — each with a different game show theme — could collect specialty poker chips that could be traded in for a chance to become a contestant on a game show in the sponsor rooms or on the main stage.

Winners walked away with a variety of prizes, including a new car, as well as new fundraising tactics to take back to their organizations. Check out our coverage of last year’s NIO Summit:

AFP LEAD

Oct. 17-19 | Atlanta

After ICON, AFP returns with AFP LEAD. The leadership-focused event features education sessions and networking for current and emerging nonprofit leaders. AFP is accepting session proposals for this year’s event through March 10, but read more about the conference through the sessions NonProfit PRO covered last year:

Cause Camp

Oct. 21-22 | Colorado Springs, Colorado, and virtual

Nonprofit Hub’s Cause Camp continues its hybrid format to educate nonprofit professionals via sessions, workshops and an exhibit hall. More details for 2024’s event have not been announced yet, but last year’s sessions included board relations, fundraising, donor retention, team building and volunteer management.

Nonprofit Storytelling Conference

Nov. 11-13 | Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Nonprofit Storytelling Conference from Reliant Studios focuses on the power of storytelling to engage donors, raise money and build a community through various sessions and workshops. The agenda hasn’t been unveiled yet, but event content will cover in-person, direct mail and online storytelling.

NonProfit POWER

Dec. 2-4 | Baltimore
NonProfit PRO’s NonProfit POWER is a free, all-inclusive conference for qualified attendees. If you’re a senior nonprofit executive at a midsize or large nonprofit and interested in attending, fill out our qualification form here.

Since planning for the 2024 event is still underway, check out the NonProfit POWER agenda and some highlights from 2023:

Day 1 Coverage: Keynote speaker Nathan Chappell, founder of Fundraising.AI, author of "The Generosity Crisis" and senior vice president of DonorSearch, discussed the impact artificial intelligence is having on the nonprofit sector and how organizations can take advantage of the innovation.
Day 2 Coverage: Katrina VanHuss, chair and founder of Turnkey, and Courtney Bugler, president and CEO of Zero Prostate Cancer, discussed the role of the CEO in building your nonprofit’s community.
Day 3 Coverage: Keynote speaker Bill Stanczykiewicz of Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy discussed how to adapt your fundraising strategies during turbulent times.

Editor’s Note: Have a nonprofit sector conference you think is worthy of this list? Email suggestions to acole@napco.com to be considered for next year's list.

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Amanda L. Cole Author's page Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. Contact her at acole@napco.com.