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Essential Nonprofit Conferences 2025: The Year Ahead
If you're dedicated to making a difference through a career in the nonprofit sector, attending nonprofit conferences in 2025 is essential to your development as a leader. These events serve as invaluable sources of insights, offering a platform for meaningful networking and a means to stay updated on the latest trends and industry best practices.
As the social sector looks toward the future, these conferences are your pathway to effecting positive change within your organization and contributing to the transformation of entire corporate social impact sectors.
Benefits of Attending a Conference
Attending one of these nonprofit conferences in 2025 can offer numerous benefits to current nonprofit professionals, volunteers, board members, and future social sector workers including college students.
Here are some advantages of participating in these events:
Networking opportunities:
Conferences provide a platform to connect with industry and fundraising professionals, potential collaborators, and like-minded individuals.
Learning about the latest trends and best practices:
Conferences offer a wealth of knowledge through various sessions, workshops, and keynote speeches, enabling attendees to stay updated on the latest strategies and techniques.
Opportunities for knowledge expansion and skill development:
Conferences often feature a wide range of sessions and workshops that allow attendees to expand their knowledge base, acquire new skills, and enhance their professional growth. For example, Elevate 2025 provides you the opportunity to earn a digital badge in, “Social Sector Leadership”. Digital certificates and badges are perfect to showcase your new skills on LinkedIn.
Building relationships and collaborations:
Conferences provide a conducive environment for building relationships, collaborations, and partnerships within the nonprofit industry. These connections can lead to mutually beneficial opportunities in the future.
Staying motivated and inspired:
By hearing success stories, experiences, and innovative ideas from industry leaders, conferences can help professionals stay motivated and inspired in their work.
Potential for career advancement:
Attending conferences demonstrates a commitment to professional growth and can open doors to new career opportunities and advancement within the nonprofit sector.
Nonprofit Conferences in 2025: Your Gateway to Success
Elevate 2025, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance's 11th Annual Virtual Conference:
- Date: February 25-27, 2025
- Location: Virtual
- Theme: This three-day virtual conference will inspire your thinking and action on today’s social and political landscape, focusing on advocacy and public policy, financial stability and growth, and innovating for impact in the nonprofit sector.
- Ticket Prices: $125 Early Bird Rate Ends February 1st
Evolve: Nonprofit Marketing Summit
- Date: March 4-6. 2025
- Location: Virtual
- Theme: In the last century, technology has transformed the world in ways once thought unimaginable. Just in the past decade, we’ve witnessed exponential growth—a surge of progress that rivals lifetimes of change. Nonprofits now stand at the very center of this evolution, confronted by a digital landscape filled with both unprecedented challenges and unparalleled opportunities.
- Price: Free
Conference for Newcomers in Development:
- Date: April 7-10, 2025
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Theme: Designed for development professionals with fewer than two years of
- professional fundraising experience and newcomers to education
- development.
- Price: $2,125
Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC):
- Date: April 16-18, 2025
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland and Virtual
- Theme: The annual gathering of people who want to make the world a better place through the skillful and equitable use of technology. At the NTC, you’ll learn essential nonprofit technology best practices.
- Price: $675 members / $975 non-members
- Date: April 22-24, 2025
- Location: Palm Springs, CA
- Theme: Designed for nonprofit and corporate social impact sectors to meet, network, and learn about the latest strategies, best practices, and trends in the social impact space
- Price: $1,995
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- Date: April 27-29. 2025
- Location: Seattle
- Theme: Join this annual multi-day conference for a combination of cutting-edge strategies, inspiring keynotes, and unparalleled networking opportunities designed to elevate your mission and drive impact.
- Price: $2,999 as a non-member
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations:
- Date: May 5-6, 2025
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Theme: held in partnership with North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, is designed to expose participants to cutting-edge practices in equity-informed, community-driven grantmaking while giving them the knowledge and tools to apply learning in all aspects of their work.
- Price: TBA
20th Annual Bridge Conference (The Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference)
- Date: July 30 – August 1, 2025
- Location: National Harbor, Maryland
- Theme: “Powering Progress,” with pre-conference workshops on Wednesday, July 30 and five separate tracks for attendees to follow on July 31 and August 1. Those tracks are Fundraising & Marketing, Advanced Executive, Faith & Fundraising, Political/Advocacy, and International.
- Price: $730-$1,200 for non-members
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Nonprofit Innovation and Optimization Summit (NIO):
- Date: September 30 – October 2, 2025
- Location: Kansas City, MO
- Theme: Travel “Back to the Fundraising Future” to overcome B.I.F.F. and learn how to stop your valued donors from vanishing before your very eyes! You’ll get expert guidance on using timeless principles of fundraising, persuasion, and donor psychology alongside the latest tech, tactics, and strategies to inspire your donors to fund the future they want to see!
- Price: $1495
Nonprofit Storytelling Conference:
- Date: November 13-15, 2025
- Location: San Diego, California
- Theme: Nonprofit marketing and fundraising conference with an emphasis on identifying and crafting compelling stories.
- Price: $1995
Generosity Xchange:
- Date: October 2025
- Location: Virtual
- Theme: The conference presents a great opportunity for fundraisers across the nonprofit industry to hear from thought leaders and Neon One experts, network with other nonprofit professionals, and hone their fundraising skills!
- Price: Free
Good Tech Fest:
- Date: May 20-21, 2025
- Location: Virtual
- Theme: Good Tech Fest is a conference for professionals in the nonprofit, social impact, and government spaces who are seeking to create an impact with technology. Individual sessions at Good Tech Fest cover topics like machine learning tools, equity issues in tech, crypto philanthropy, and more.
- Price: $50-$250
Tips to Maximize Your Conference Experience
To make the most out of attending an in-person nonprofit conference, consider the following tips:
- Engage in networking opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals and expand your professional network.
- Actively participate in sessions and workshops, ask questions, and take notes to gain valuable insights and key takeaways.
- Utilize conference resources and materials provided, such as handouts, presentations, and online platforms, to enhance your learning opportunities and experience.
- Connect with guest speakers and presenters to have further discussions or explore potential collaborations.
- Share your conference experiences on social media platforms and join online conversations using dedicated hashtags to connect with fellow attendees.
Tips to Maximize Your Virtual Conference Experience
If the conference is virtual, consider these additional tips to optimize your experience:
- Block off your calendar in advance to ensure you can fully focus on conference sessions and avoid scheduling conflicts.
- Ensure a stable internet connection and test the conference platform in advance to avoid any technical difficulties.
- Create a dedicated and distraction-free workspace where you can fully engage in the virtual sessions.
- Actively participate in chat discussions and take advantage of virtual networking opportunities to connect with other attendees and speakers.
- Take breaks and practice self-care during long conference days to maintain focus and energy.
- Leverage the latest nonprofit technology tools and features provided by the virtual conference platform to enhance your participation, such as interactive polls, virtual exhibitor halls, and Q&A sessions.
Conferences as Leadership Development
Due to the nature of our ever-evolving world, attending nonprofit conferences in 2025 will become imperative for leaders to keep up with industry trends. By investing in their employees' attendance at conferences and supporting their pursuit of other nonprofit management training, organizations are actively contributing to the growth of the social sector.
This investment not only equips employees with the latest insights and best practices but also empowers them to become dynamic nonprofit leaders, capable of steering the organization through the challenges and opportunities that arise in the nonprofit sector.
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Conclusion
Attending a nonprofit conference in 2025 can be a valuable investment for individuals working in the nonprofit sector. These conferences offer opportunities to learn, connect, and stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in fundraising and marketing efforts, and leadership. By participating in conferences, professionals and other fundraisers can enhance their skills, expand their networks, and contribute to the overall growth and success of their organizations. Make sure to explore the upcoming nonprofit conferences in 2025 and consider attending to enhance your skillset this year.
