The 11 Best Nonprofit Conferences for Any Fundraiser in 2024 [UPDATED]

An important part of being an effective fundraiser is staying up to date on current fundraising trends, industry best practices, and donor preferences. One of the best ways to do that is to attend nonprofit conferences. They’re the best! In addition to the info-packed sessions and workshops, these conferences provide invaluable opportunities to connect with other fundraisers, share ideas, and encourage each other.

But how on earth do you choose the right fundraising conference to attend? There are so many options!   

We rounded up a few of our favorite nonprofit fundraising conferences and included our impressions of each one. We hope this will help you choose the conference that’s the best fit for you and your passions! 

The Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference (AFP ICON) 

Toronto, Ontario | Apr. 7-9, 2024 | afpicon.com

This is one of our favorite conferences! There are tons of sessions, workshops, and roundtables to choose from, and they cover an unbelievably broad range of topics. There’s something for everyone! Sessions about fundraising and event planning are plentiful, but so are sessions covering bookkeeping, IT management, staff development, and more. 

One of the best parts of AFP ICON is the emphasis on tactical, practical information. You’ll leave every session you attend with handouts, examples, and ideas bouncing around in your head. This is a great learning opportunity for anyone in the nonprofit sector who wants to be more effective in their role. 

Check out our recap of AFP ICON 2023 here. 

Learn more about AFP ICON 2024.

Qgiv Conference

Orlando, Florida | Jan. 17-20, 2024 | qgivconference.com

Qgiv Conference is one of Qgiv’s many initiatives designed to provide nonprofit professionals with exceptional fundraising tools and learning opportunities. This year, we’ve added an extra day of fundraising education and fun! The conference offers four days of of exciting, CFRE-accredited workshops designed to help fundraisers raise money efficiently and effectively.

In addition to attending conference sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with nonprofit consultants and technology providers in the exhibit hall. Exhibitors range from digital agencies to donor management systems and grant databases—all companies that either work exclusively with nonprofits or have heavy involvement in the nonprofit sector. This is an excellent opportunity to network with industry peers and experts. 

To be the first to learn about Qgiv Conference’s 2024 dates, email events@qgiv.com and ask to subscribe to conference updates.  

Learn more about Qgiv Conference.

Nonprofit Storytelling Conference 

Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico | Nov. 11-13, 2024 | nonprofitstorytellingconference.com

If you’re looking for a smaller event with a more specific focus, you may want to check out the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference! 

This conference focuses primarily on nonprofit marketing and fundraising, and there’s something for nearly everyone who works in development. If you work in major gifts, grants, development or event planning, you’ll love the emphasis on identifying and crafting compelling stories that make your marketing and fundraising more effective.  

Take advantage of the happy hours, receptions, roundtables, and workshops. Storytelling is an art and a science, and this conference is a valuable opportunity to share ideas with your fellow fundraisers.  

Learn more about the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference.

The Nonprofit Innovation and Optimization Summit (NIO) 

Indianapolis, Indiana | Sep. 17-19, 2024 | niosummit.com

Do you love A/B tests? Do you geek out about data? Well then, this conference is for you! NIO is put together by the team at NextAfter, a consulting company that focuses on helping nonprofits grow their digital fundraising by understanding donor behavior. They run tons of experiments and A/B tests to figure out which strategies work (or don’t), how donors behave under different circumstances, and how nonprofits can optimize their fundraising to be as effective as possible.

This is definitely a conference for the data-focused fundraiser. You’ll see lots of examples from other nonprofits and results from fundraising optimization experiments. You’ll leave this conference with tons of ideas and a renewed enthusiasm for experimentation, iteration, and optimization. 

Keep an eye out for exhibitors, session moderators, and other people handing out tokens during the conference. Hang onto them! You can trade those tokens for some pretty sweet merchandise at the conference Swag Shop. 

Learn more about the 2024 NIO Summit.

State and Regional AFP Conferences 

Various locations | Various times | afpglobal.org

Did you know that the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) hosts tons of different conferences throughout the year? AFP ICON is the most well-known (and most widely attended) conference, but many smaller AFP chapters host their own conferences and workshops. Some notable examples include Planet Philanthropy (put on by AFP Florida), Bridge Conference (by AFP in the DC Metro Area), and Fundraising Day (by AFP NYC). Check with your local AFP chapter to see what local or regional options are available! 

These smaller AFP conferences are outstanding resources for nonprofits. Aside from the opportunity to network with fundraisers from your area, you may be able to save some time (and money!) by not having to travel far from home. These local conferences also help provide you with a solid grasp of how philanthropy functions in your area. What works for a major fundraiser in Chicago may not work in a smaller community—the sessions at regional conferences are more likely to be specific to your community, its needs, and its possibilities. 

Responsive Nonprofit Summit

Virtual | Dates TBD | virtuous.org/summit

If you’re looking for a conference that focuses on how to be a more responsive fundraiser who caters to the needs of your donors, Virtuous’s Responsive Nonprofit Summit is the conference for you. This virtual conference is a free, three-day event that takes place exclusively online. 

2023’s conference boasted 75 speakers and 36 sessions, and it was packed with information on how to elevate fundraising results by becoming more responsive and personal with every giver. 

Virtuous hasn’t announced dates yet for next year’s summit, so be sure to check this link for news about the Responsive Nonprofit Summit 2024.

Nonprofit Marketing Summit

Virtual | Mar. 5-7, 2024 | nonprofitmarketingsummit.org

If you handle any kind of marketing for your nonprofit, attending this conference is a great way to hone your skills! A broad variety of sessions mean you can learn about anything from planning a social media marketing calendar to the ins and outs of Google Ad Grants.

Nearly every possible facet of nonprofit marketing is covered in this two-day event. If you’re looking to hone existing marketing skills or develop new ones, this is a wonderful resource!

If you like to go back and re-watch sessions you loved (or watch the sessions you couldn’t attend!), spring for the VIP pass. In addition to other benefits, you’ll get recordings of all 30+ sessions so you can watch them when you want a refresher.

Learn more about the 2024 Nonprofit Marketing Summit.

Cause Camp

Colorado Springs, CO | Oct. 21-22, 2024 | cause.camp/2024conference

Cause Camp is an outstanding event for anyone who appreciates turning best practices and industry know-how into action items you can use right away. The emphasis at Cause Camp is on developing relationships with other fundraisers and learning strategies you can immediately take back to your nonprofit.

Cause Camp draws hundreds of nonprofit professionals and industry leaders, so it’s a great opportunity to network and learn about solutions to real-world challenges facing fundraisers.

Learn more about Cause Camp 2024.

DonorPerfect Community Conference

Virtual | June 4-5, 2024 | donorperfect.com/donorperfect-conference

The DonorPerfect Community Conference is a free, virtual conference that teaches industry skills to nonprofit professionals. The theme for the 2024 DonorPerfect Community Conference is “Spark.” Fundraisers are often tasked with the challenge of igniting passion for their cause—making a spark, if you will. This year’s conference will focus on how to do that important work in a world that can sometimes be indifferent to causes of any kind. Whether that means pivoting in response to current events and trends, discovering new methods for revitalizing donor relationships, or refreshing your budget, this free virtual conference has you covered. 

The DonorPerfect Community Conference features celebrated thought leaders that will help prepare you for the future of fundraising. And, if you can’t attend the live event, DonorPerfect has archives of each year’s presentations that you can view for free on their website.  

Learn more about the DonorPerfect Community Conference.

Bridge Conference

Fort Washington, MD | July 31-Aug. 2, 2024 | bridgeconf.org

The Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference will take place in late July and early August in National Harbor, MD, near Washington, D.C. Produced by the Association of Fundraising Professionals DC and the Direct Marketing Association of Washington, the event will focus on improving marketing, data analysis, and fundraising efforts.  

Registering for the current year’s event often includes access to recordings of last year’s sessions, so you get access to two years of expertise for the price of one! At the time of publication of this blog, the Bridge Conference website has not been updated with information on the 2024 event. However, you can check their Facebook page for updates.

Learn more about Bridge Conference.

Good Tech Fest

Virtual | Date TBD | goodtechfest.com

As the name implies, the Good Tech Fest is all about helping those in the social good space have more impact through data and technology. They pride themselves on providing sessions led by people currently working in the space, so you can make sure you’re taking away practical, easy-to-implement tips. 

While the main conference date for 2024 has yet to be announced, Good Tech does offer other online courses throughout the year. You can also become a member and get access to over 100 on-demand sessions from past events. 

Stay updated about news for the Good Tech Fest 2024.

Final thoughts

There are so many amazing options for fundraisers looking to attend a nonprofit conference. We’ve just listed 11, and that doesn’t even include sector-specific conferences (healthcare-focused nonprofit conferences, faith-based-focused conferences, etc.) or organization-specific conferences (YMCA’s annual conference, regional organization conferences, etc.). We hope this list gives you some insight into a few of our favorite conferences and what to expect from each one! 

Looking for educational opportunities?

You’ll love our webinar program! Our guest speakers and Qgiv staff cover topics from nonprofit storytelling to legal compliance and beyond. Look through our webinar archive and put together your own in-home conference experience!