121 Shares

Nonprofit conferences are finally coming out of the ZOOM rooms and the 2023 season for conferences are now being announced and planned.

2023 is a unique time for conference-goers. While in-person events are beginning to open up again, many have pivoted to a hybrid learning environment. In-person attendance is becoming both available and optional. It’s great to have options. However, even the best conferences take up work hours, often require travel, and are always associated with hard costs. If you want to get a full lie of the land, scroll down to access our full database of conferences. These cover all areas of the nonprofit sector, in the US and abroad. And, if you just want the highlights, our top 8 picks are below.

Top Nonprofit conferences for 2023

ANA DC Nonprofit Conference

When: Feb 7-9th, 2023
Where: Washington, D.C. & Online (Hybrid)
Website: https://www.ana.net
What: Nonprofit fundraising and marketing conference
How much: $99-$999
Audience size: Around 200
Who attends: Professional fundraisers, nonprofit communications teams, and tons of vendors.

About: Formerly DMA: Washington Nonprofit Conference) Hosted by ANA (Association of National Advertisers), which acquired DMA Nonprofit Federation, this multi-day conference offers plenty of fresh ideas and expertise. Networking is encouraged during breaks, and there is also a reception. At the 2022 ANA Nonprofit Federation Winter Conference, presented by Data Axle, you’ll hear case studies and success stories from experts and industry leaders that offer you actionable solutions to the issues and challenges you face in 2022’s challenging and dynamic environment.

The conference will bring together fundraising and marketing professionals to exchange innovative ideas and generate creative strategies that can help you build and strengthen your relationship with your donors.

SXSW Civic Engagement & Climate Change + SXSW EDU

Note: We combined our summaries for the SXSW bonanza because, Texas.

When: March 10-13, 2023 (Civic Engagement, Climate Change & more)
Where: Austin, TX & Online (Hybrid)
Websites: https://www.sxsw.com/conference/civic-engagement/ & https://www.sxsw.com/conference/climate-change/
What: Mega-marketing and tech conference. These tracks cover innovation, activism, comms, education and tech. So much tech.
How much: Registration opens in late summer 2021. Stay tuned for more information.
Audience size: 15,000 (SXSW EDU); 37,000 (SXSW)
Who attends: Professional fundraisers, nonprofit communications teams, and tons of vendors. And, everyone else. SXSW EDU is more focused to educators, government and people working in the ed space.

About: If you’re the kind of person that thrives in crowds, parties, and socializing, this is your home. You must attend this conference. SXSW’s Civic Engagement & Climate Change tracks are hosted under SXSW at large. These could be particularly interesting for nonprofit professionals, but many other tracks are offered that could also prove to be valuable. These include Advertising & Brand Strategy, Startups, Tech, Media and more. The main issue here is that socially conscious programming competes with the broader SXSW circus, including celebrity mainstages and a dizzying amount of vendors and exhibitors in the main hall (which is more like an airport hangar).

SXSW EDU is a more focused conference in the lead-up to the main event. If the ed space is where you live, the exposure to the newest concepts and lessons from case studies is excellent. The exhibit hall and networking parties don’t get started until the main conference on March 11, so if you’re shelling out for this, make sure you love the session topics.

Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC)

When: April 12-14, 2023
Where: Denver, Colorado & virtual conference
Website: https://www.nten.org/gather/ntc
What: The longest-running, nonprofit-focused tech conference in the US
How much: $400 (depending on timing and NTEN membership)
Audience size: around 2000
Who attends: Nonprofit communications teams, techies, and some fundraisers

We LOVE the community around this conference. The sessions are well-curated, with specific tracks and great opportunities for networking. There are parties thrown by vendors plus a larger gathering hosted by NTEN. NTEN programmers carefully choose their venues with accessibility in mind, and the whole event is planned with great attention to inclusivity. Be sure to do your homework on the sessions you go, to as some may feel like they’ll require advanced research. Make sure you save time for the sponsor exhibit hall.

The Collaborative (Classy)

When: June 7-8, 2023

Where: In-Person in Philadelphia, PA

Website: https://collaborative.classy.org/

What: Nonprofit marketing, fundraising, and leadership conference

How much: $320-$499 for In-person; Online event is free

Audience size: 1,000 in-person attendees; 3,000 online attendees

Who attends: Anyone in the nonprofit or social enterprise space looking to learn more about fundraising and technology best practices, Classy platform features, leadership lessons, and insights on how to grow your organization.

About: Collaborative, brought to you by Classy.org, is a two-day experience dedicated to nonprofit professionals. With fundraising and technology at the forefront of the conversation, we’ll explore best practices and learn how to leverage the latest technology to raise more. Extend the experience by attending our new User Conference bonus day for Classy customers. Don’t want to travel? Join us for Collaborative: Virtual Sessions and on Classy’s virtual event platform, Classy Live.

About: Presented by Nonprofit Hub, Cause Camp features a small audience and presenters with a high amount of polish. The content is carefully curated and well-paced. Networking happens between sessions and at an opening-day party. The community is very welcoming and it is clear why many people return year after year.

“Cause Camp is a nonprofit conference that Forbes has named a “must attend” event for nonprofit professionals. It’s a gathering of nonprofit leaders and professionals worldwide to learn from industry experts. No topic is off-limits at Cause Camp! We curate a lineup of speakers and topics based on what is happening in the nonprofit sector right now. Campers walk away with bigger networks and ideas to take their nonprofits from good to growth!

In 2023, we’ll be providing Lessons in Building Momentum through the roller coaster of nonprofit life! Tickets go on sale June 15, 2022!”

AFP ICON

When: May 16-18, 2023
Where: New Orleans
Website: http://afpicon.com/
What: The largest conference in the world for fundraising professionals
How much: $499–$1,499 (depending on timing and membership)
Audience size: around 4,000
Who attends: Professional fundraisers, nonprofit communications teams, and tons of vendors

About: Hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, this is the Super Bowl of fundraising conferences. Representation from all of the main players in the CRM and donation platform games are here. Content is focused on the trends and tactics in fundraising with a lot of time (we’re talking hours a day) is allocated to the sponsor exhibit hall. Big points for networking and parties, which are thrown by the conference and sponsors. Remember when going that this is a group of fundraisers: Their job is to raise money. Game. On.

Engage For Good

When: May 16-18, 2023
Where: Atlanta, GA
Website: https://engageforgood.com/conference/
What: Nonprofit and Corporate Social Responsibility conference
How much: $445–$1,395
Audience size: Around 300
Who attends: CSR professionals, nonprofit marketers, executives, cause marketers

About: Formerly known as the Cause Marketing Forum, this focused audience works (as the original name would suggest) in the cause marketing ecosystem. Content sits at the intersection of purpose and profit, featuring case studies of successful partnerships. Networking happens between sessions and at the opening day after-party. This is a great conference to learn from experts about smart earned-revenue models, and about how the CSR world at for-profit companies operates.

National Conference of Volunteering and Service: Points of Light

When: June 14-16, 2023
Where: Downtown Chicago
Website: https://www.pointsoflight.org/conference/
What: The world’s largest conference focused on volunteer and service, bringing together more than 2,000 nonprofit, government, business, and civic leaders to gain and share the knowledge, resources and connections..
How much: $199
Audience size: around 2,000
Who attends: Volunteer coordinators, nonprofit communications teams, gov’t and social entrepreneurs and vendors. Many organizations involved in the old Hands-On Points of Light and AmeriCorps networks.

This multi-day conference offers plenty of breakouts and practical, learning-driven tracks with an eye towards cross-sector collaboration. Service and volunteerism are a core theme, with many sessions focused on utilizing AmeriCorps and corporate volunteers. Networking is encouraged during breaks, however there isn’t a main reception for dedicated networking. Plenty of vendors are on-site to share insights and exhibit their work.

Cause Camp

When: Sept 14-15, 2023
Where: Greater Sandusky, Ohio
Website: https://www.cause.camp/
What: Nonprofit marketing, fundraising, and leadership conference
How much: $249 individual ($99 to stream)
Audience size: Typically 300, Open
Who attends: Nonprofit story tellers, executives and fundraisers

In 2023, we’ll be providing Lessons in Building Momentum through the roller coaster of nonprofit life! “

NIO Summit: Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization (NextAfter)

When: Sept 19-21, 2023
Where: Gilley’s Dallas, located in downtown Dallas, TX
Website: https://www.niosummit.com/
What: Nonprofit marketing, fundraising, and leadership conference
How much: $695 individual (price increases as date approaches)
Audience size: Typically 300, Open
Who attends: Nonprofit executives, marketers and fundraisers

About: The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit (hosted by NextAfter) isn’t just a fundraising conference — it’s an immersive experience. Attendees enter a whimsical world adapted to the real-life realities of working at a nonprofit organization as a fundraiser and/or marketer. Most importantly, marquee speakers from both the for-profit and nonprofit industries give actionable insights and steps to improve your results in Ted-Talk style presentations. It’s both fun and valuable for all. This year the theme is classic game shows and they will serve as the backdrop for an unforgettable learning adventure.

Upswell

When: November 15-17, 2023
Where: Fort Worth Texas
Website: https://independentsector.org/upswell/
What: Nonprofit fundraising and marketing conference
How much: TBA, but hosting free pop-up events now through the Fall
Audience size: Open
Who attends: Professional fundraisers, nonprofit communications teams, and tons of vendors.

“The Virtual Upswell Summit will be a one-day event where we will convene thought leaders, inspired innovators, and powerful creators through a series of Main Stages, workshops, and small-group networking events. Scheduled one week after the Midterm elections, we will amplify the learnings and reflections from the previous Upswell events, tackle what the political landscape means for our communities, and look ahead to 2023.” .

Download the list here

If we missed any quintessential nonprofit conferences or you would like to add your conference to the list, please add it below:

Submit your conference to the list

Also, just in case you are in charge of planning a conference, we love presenting and sharing our knowledge with the sector. Here are the topics we like to present around.

And here’s our podcast on how to effectively attend a conference with Social Media for Nonprofit

Bonus!

Create Good

When: April 26-28, 2023
Where: Durham, NC
Website: https://www.creategoodconference.com/

About: Create Good is a 2-day conference to inspire nonprofit communicators to amplify their missions with the latest tools and techniques. We invite communicators from around the country to share what they have learned, creating the most meaningful and eye-catching work. It’s a fun, laid-back conference where folks who love nonprofit communications finally feel seen. In its 9th year, this conference brings back repeat attendees and fresh, diverse faces every year.