Nonprofit Conferences That You Won’t Want to Miss in 2022
Stay on top of the industry’s latest trends and expand your network at these nonprofit conferences.
What To Know About Nonprofit Conferences
Nonprofit conferences provide an opportunity for the brightest minds in the sector to come together and discuss the latest trends and state of the nonprofit world. While the pandemic put a halt to many of these events in 2020 and 2021, the advancement of virtual conferencing technology has made it easier than ever for these events to resume and be more convenient for nonprofit professionals than ever before.
Looking for some of the best nonprofit conferences and summits to add to your calendar this year? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve curated a list of some of this season’s can’t-miss fundraising, marketing, and leadership nonprofit conferences. No matter your role in the sector, we’re confident you’ll find something that inspires you to advance your career and grow your network!
Top Nonprofit Conferences To Attend This Year
Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Summit
When: October, 2022. Exact dates being finalized.
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
Brought to you by the matching gift experts at Double the Donation, their Matching Gift Summit provides everything you need to amplify the revenue you’re receiving from corporate philanthropy initiatives. If you’re unfamiliar with matching gifts, here’s a quick overview: when an employer offers this type of program, they’re promising to match the donations their employees make to nonprofits, doubling that individual’s impact on the cause.
Sounds like easy money, right? If you’re already promoting this opportunity at your organization, you still might not be doing everything you can to maximize your matching gift revenue. Join Double the Donation’s experts as they embark on a series of presentations and workshops, helping you to improve your matching gift processes.
What You Can Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Presentations that delve into matching gift marketing and acquisition strategies
- Expert guidance on developing a matching gift strategy and gaining internal buy-in
- The chance to interact with peers from nonprofits across the country and discuss their successes and challenges with matching gifts
- Insight into how Double the Donation’s industry-leading tools can help you identify and drive matches to completion
While the exact date for the next rendition of this nonprofit conference hasn’t been announced, keep an eye out for the announcement. We’ll also update the date on this page as soon as it’s available!
The Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference (AFP ICON)
When: April 16-18, 2023
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Named the world’s #1 nonprofit fundraising conference, AFP ICON offers something for every nonprofit professional out there! The sessions and workshops cover an incredibly broad range of topics, including everything from fundraising and event planning to bookkeeping and staff development. Throughout the event, you’ll receive tactical and practical advice, handouts, and real-world examples from your colleagues.
Brought to you by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, one of the best parts of this nonprofit leadership conference is its networking opportunities. There are plenty of gatherings and receptions throughout the day where you can exchange ideas with experienced fundraisers. Plus, see if your state, local, or regional AFP branch will host a reception, where you can meet other fundraising professionals from your area.
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Plenty of networking opportunities, informational sessions, workshops, and roundtables
- Impressive keynote speakers – 2022’s event featured seven-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix and bestselling author Zainab Salbi
- 100+ educational sessions on leadership, relationship building, volunteer management, ethics, donor research, and more
- Pre-conference workshops
- Free access to session recordings post-event
- Discounted registration rates for AFP members, speakers, exhibitors, and international attendees from outside North America
This year’s AFP ICON already happened, but planning is already in the works for next year’s conference. Whether you want to master leadership, relationship development, solicitation, or something else, this is one of the best nonprofit conferences out there for that!
Cause Camp
When: September 14-15, 2023
Where: Greater Sandusky, Ohio
Named by Forbes as a “must-attend” event for nonprofit professionals, the Cause Camp Nonprofit Conference is brought to you by Nonprofit Hub and Do More Good. While the event took place virtually last year in light of the pandemic, it returned in person this year with some incredible speakers, engaging breakout sessions, and one-on-one networking opportunities.
The ultimate goal of Cause Camp is to empower attendees (AKA “campers”) with larger networks and big ideas to take their nonprofits from good to better! 2023’s rendition of this nonprofit conference will be focused on “lessons in building momentum” through the transformative nature of nonprofit life.
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- A lineup of the best speakers and topics based on what’s currently happening in the sector
- Plenty of breakout sessions (known as “expeditions”), where leaders intend to train attendees and not just chat
- Opportunities to tour the event space and visit nonprofit vendors and specialists
- Major prizes for engaged campers, intended to help them push their organizations forward
- Swag bags for all campers
This year’s Cause Camp Nonprofit Conference has already happened, but tickets for next year’s event go on sale on June 15, 2022!
Elevate
When: June 21-22, 2022
Where: Portland, Oregon + Virtual
Presented by Swaim Strategies, Elevate is a hybrid nonprofit fundraising conference that will equip you with all the tools you need to transform your fundraising events. This two-day event covers how today’s nonprofit professionals can fuse the essential building blocks of events with virtual, hybrid, and in-person tools.
Perfect for anyone looking to build their post-pandemic event calendar, Elevate is designed to share the tools and insights you need to hit your fundraising goals in today’s changing landscape. By the end of the conference, you’ll know what it takes to bring your community together safely, foster an inclusive environment, and cultivate stronger donor relationships.
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Sessions focused on today’s event planning landscape, including a deep dive into storytelling, relationship-building, and strategy development as well as the steps for creating your event plan
- Access to a pre-event webinar series that covers event planning topics
- Accessibility accommodations, including ASL interpretation available upon request and live captions in English and Spanish
We recommend this nonprofit fundraising conference to anyone who works with fundraising events in the nonprofit sector. Note that in-person attendance is limited to 40 people, and all attendees must be fully up-to-date on their vaccinations and wear N95 or KN95 masks.
Nonprofit Technology Conference
When: March 23-25, 2022
Where: Virtual
The Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) is the longest-running, nonprofit technology conference in the United States. Created by NTEN, this three-day, information-packed conference provides an incredible list of sessions, covering important topics like digital inclusion, cybersecurity, and digital storytelling. In other words, there’s something for everyone, no matter your job, role, or experience.
To make it accessible to nonprofit professionals all over the world, they brought the Nonprofit Technology Conference to the virtual space for the first time ever in 2021 and kept it that way for 2022!
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- 180+ live, interactive sessions covering a wide range of topics related to IT, fundraising, digital inclusion, cause-related marketing, and more
- Presentations from these inspirational speakers: activist and writer Alice Wong, actor and human rights advocate Angelica Ross, and author Saeed Jones
- Group conversations and breakout sessions to share stories and connect in a more relaxed environment
- Plenty of engagement opportunities, such as racial affinity spaces, mediation sessions, virtual art galleries, and live music
While this event has already passed, make sure to go ahead and leave time for it on your calendar for next year! The Nonprofit Technology Conference happens every year around the same time, and next year, 23NTC will be hosted in Denver.
Raise
When: September 12-13, 2022
Where: Chicago, Illinois + Virtual
Raise is a nonprofit conference powered by the fundraising innovators at OneCause. It’s designed to help nonprofit professionals connect, grow, and inspire each other. By registering, attendees will be able to learn from fundraising experts, interact with inspiring speakers, and network with peers from across the sector. Plus, those in charge of this nonprofit fundraising conference submit every session for Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credits, and if approved, you’ll be eligible to receive credits.
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Two days packed with sessions focused on event fundraising, peer-to-peer campaigning, donor engagement, leadership, and storytelling
- For in-person attendees, exclusive ‘in-person only’ sessions, access to the conference app, networking events, gift bags, and meals
- For remote attendees, live streaming access to general sessions, keynote, selected content, and networking opportunities during sessions via the conference app
- CFRE credits for approved sessions
Plus, all attendees will have access to the on-demand nonprofit conference for up to one year after the event ends. If you’re looking to strengthen your fundraising strategies, go ahead and add Raise to your calendar!
Nonprofit Changemakers
When: Fall 2022 – Exact Dates TBD
Where: TBD
Brought to you by Top Nonprofits, the annual Nonprofit Changemakers Summit brings industry professionals together to dive into fundraising, organizational culture, leadership, and marketing strategies. They invite experts from across the sector to speak on how organizations are addressing critical issues and leading high-impact change in an ever-changing landscape. Last year’s summit featured more than 30 live and online educational sessions, and we can expect this year to be just as informational and inspiring!
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Dozens of presentations that cover vital fundraising, leadership, and communications topics
- An impressive lineup of speakers from across the sector
- CFRE-approved credit for attendees
- Opportunities to build relationships, network, and showcase solutions
While the exact dates have yet to be announced for the 2022 rendition of this event, this is one nonprofit leadership conference you won’t want to miss!
Nonprofit Storytelling Conference
When: October 27-29, 2022
Where: San Antonio, Texas
Who: Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising Professionals
The Nonprofit Storytelling Conference is an annual event that delivers actionable storytelling advice for marketing and fundraising professionals everywhere. When you tell the right stories, your fundraising abilities are transformed, and you can drive greater results for your work. By attending this year’s event, you’ll learn how to engage your community and reel them into your cause through powerful stories, helping them envision their impact on the people impacted by your work.
What To Expect From This Nonprofit Conference:
- Presentations that teach storytelling techniques for fundraising appeals, newsletters, events, major donors, and monthly donors
- A carefully curated team of speakers, tailored specifically to the audience’s topic requests
- StoryLabs, where conference guests can sit down with speakers one-on-one to ask questions
If you can’t attend in person this year, you can still purchase access to the video sessions at a reduced rate.
FAQs About Nonprofit Conferences
Why should professionals attend nonprofit conferences?
Advancing your nonprofit career requires you to constantly develop new skills and enhance the ones you already have. Nonprofit conferences provide the ideal time for that. They create an opportunity for you to network with peers, troubleshoot challenges, get inspiration from other successful organizations, and become the leader your nonprofit needs. Through info-packed presentations and workshops, they empower you to stay up to date on current fundraising trends and industry best practices. Plus, the organizations and individuals who host these events often curate a list of speakers who are experts on topics relevant to the conference.
What is the best nonprofit conference?
Simply put, there’s no single “best” nonprofit conference. Rather, it all depends on the topics you want to learn more about, the speakers you’d like to hear from, and the skills you’d like to develop. For instance, if you’d like to learn about digital donor communications, you might attend a nonprofit marketing conference. If you’d like to learn more about how to leverage technology, you might attend a nonprofit technology conference. Some events are tailored to specific areas of nonprofit development, whereas others cover a wide range of topics. It’s all up to what you want to learn!
How do I get a nonprofit conference added to this list?
Maybe you host your own annual nonprofit conference, or maybe there’s just one that you really, really enjoyed and want added to this list! We’d love to hear your suggestions. If we left an event off of this page that you’d like us to share, email content@nxunite.com, and we’ll consider your suggestion the next time we update this page.
