NIO Summit 2026 Agenda - Nonprofit Innovation and Optimization Summit

2026 NIO Summit Agenda

NIO Summit 2026 kicks off on Tuesday, September 22nd with an all-day workshop (additional cost) and the Pre-Summit Opening Party.

Tuesday, Sept 22:
Pre-Summit Events

Wednesday, SEPT 23
NIO Summit Day 1

Thursday, SEPT 24
NIO Summit Day 2

Tuesday, Sept 22: Pre-Summit Events

Pre-Summit workshops ($300 Add-on)

See Details - Optimization Masterclass

Optimization Masterclass - 8:00 AM–12:00 PM

What if you could pressure-test your next fundraising appeal, donation page, or campaign before it goes live — not just with experts, but with a room full of experienced fundraisers facing the same challenges you are?

In this highly interactive, half-day workshop, the NextAfter team will work directly with participants to evaluate and optimize real fundraising assets, including websites, donation forms, emails, value propositions, ad copy, and campaigns. Attendees are encouraged to bring live projects and current challenges to the session.

More than a traditional critique, this workshop is designed as a collaborative learning experience. Guided by the NextAfter team, participants will gain insight not only from proven optimization principles but also from the collective experience of fellow nonprofit marketers and fundraisers.

Over the course of four hours, attendees will learn how to identify friction points, uncover opportunities for improvement, prioritize testing ideas, and develop a practical optimization roadmap they can apply immediately.

Whether you’re looking to improve conversion rates, sharpen messaging, or strengthen donor response, this workshop will equip you with actionable feedback and fresh perspective to take back to your organization.

See Details - Research Exploration: The True Lifetime Value of an Email Address

Research Exploration: The True Lifetime Value of an Email Address - 1:00 PM–4:00 PM

How much is an email address really worth?

In this research-focused session, we’ll explore new findings that challenge conventional thinking about email acquisition, donor conversion, and long-term value creation.

Drawing from the latest data and analysis, this workshop examines how email subscribers convert into donors over time, how long that journey typically takes, and the lifetime value associated with those supporters. Attendees will gain insight into downstream conversion trends, revenue benchmarks, ROI performance, and how acquisition investments connect to sustained donor value.

This session is designed for nonprofit leaders and marketers responsible for audience growth, fundraising performance, and digital strategy. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to evaluate the true impact of their email program and make more informed decisions about acquisition and retention investments.

If you’re looking to better understand the long-term economics of digital fundraising, this session will provide the research, benchmarks, and strategic context to help guide your next move.

EArly badge pick up

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Skip the badge pick-up lines at the Opening Party and on Day 1 of NIO Summit. Stop by the registration desk early on Tuesday to grab your badge, swag tokens, and exclusive NIO Summit 2026 collector’s pin ahead of time—then stroll straight into the Opening Party like an SNL cast member heading backstage.

NIO Summit opening Party

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Second Rodeo Brewing – Ft Worth Stockyards
122 E Exchange Ave, Ft Worth, TX 76164

Grab your boots and get ready for a night of live music, great food, and fundraising friends—because the Opening Party is where NIO Summit Live officially takes the stage.

Before the fundraising mic drops begin, join fellow attendees for a night of live music, and Texas-sized hospitality. Heavy appetizers and beverages are included, so you can grab a drink, swap stories, and settle in for some good music.

This is also your chance to pick up your name badge, swag tokens, and exclusive NIO Summit collector’s pin before the crowds roll in on Day 1.

Wednesday, SEPT 23: NIO Summit Day 1

breakfast, Registration & Networking

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Every great live show starts with a talented cast, a lively audience, and plenty of caffeine. Get a little pre-show buzz with strong coffee and a light breakfast while you scope out the exhibit booths and swag store. Join other nonprofit leaders before the cameras roll for Day 1 of NIO Summit Live.

Live from Studio 8H

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This year, the curtain rises on NIO Summit Live with our first-ever fully live opening experience including a house band, fundraising-inspired comedy, surprise appearances, and a few unforgettable moments. Inspired by the energy and spontaneity of Saturday Night Live, the opening will blend humor, music, and community, into one fast-paced kickoff to set the tone for the next 2 days. Expect a few familiar references, a few unexpected twists, and plenty of reasons to laugh before we officially launch into NIO Summit 2026.

Featured session: Value of an email

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More info coming soon!

Featured session: Improving SEO & AI visibility in 2026 w/ the tech stack I use to do it

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In this presentation we'll talk about the shift in answers from search to search + AI, we'll share studies on what people say vs what they do when it comes to exploring answers using AI. Then I'll share my own vibe coded tools that help me to do better marketing, without adding staff. You will reframe Generative Engine Optimization into answer optimization, the ways that SEO and GEO are similar, and how they are not, the right questions to ask partners, and how to start building your own tools to solve your problems.

Weekday update

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Weekday Update is our fundraising-inspired spin on the iconic SNL segment. Broadcast live from the NIO Summit stage, these will feature a mix of funny fundraising news, maybe a surprise guests, and NIO announcements to know before the breaks.

AM Break - messages from our sponsors

See Details - Exhibits, Optimization Station, Birds of a Feather, Swag Store, Celebrity Jeopardy

Sponsor Exhibits:
Explore products, services, and solutions designed to help strengthen your fundraising program. Connect with industry partners, discover new tools, and gather fresh ideas throughout the day.
Hint: This is also where you’ll find snacks, beverages, and plenty of opportunities to recharge between sessions.

Innovation Showcase:
These sponsor-led presentations highlight innovative ideas, emerging strategies, and practical tools shaping the future of fundraising. Each showcase delivers actionable insights you can take back to your organization right away.
• Innovation Showcase #1: 9:50 AM – 10:10 AM - Topic TBD
• Innovation Showcase #2: 10:20 AM – 10:40 AM - Topic TBD

Optimization Station:
Bring your donation pages, emails, campaigns, website copy, or fundraising challenges and get live feedback from the experts. Whether you need a quick tweak or a fresh perspective, the Optimization Station is your place for practical, actionable guidance.

Birds of a Feather Discussions:
Connect with peers who share your role, nonprofit sector, or fundraising focus area for informal, topic-driven conversations. These collaborative discussions are designed to help you exchange ideas, tackle common challenges, and learn from others navigating similar opportunities.

Swag Store:
The only currency accepted at the Swag Store is Swag Tokens, and earning them is half the fun. Visit sponsor booths, attend parties, engage throughout NIO, participate on social media to collect tokens and redeem exclusive NIO Summit gear and prizes.

Celebrity Jeopardy:
Test your knowledge in this experiential activity inspired by the classic game show and the SNL skit, with a fundraising twist of course. Compete to win real cash prizes against fellow attendees in fast-paced trivia rounds covering pop culture, nonprofit trends, fundraising knowledge, and a few unexpected surprises along the way.

See Details - Innovation Showcase Presentations

Innovation Showcase:
These sponsor-led presentations highlight innovative ideas, emerging strategies, and practical tools shaping the future of fundraising. Each showcase delivers actionable insights you can take back to your organization right away.
• Innovation Showcase #1: 9:50 AM – 10:10 AM - Topic TBD
• Innovation Showcase #2: 10:20 AM – 10:40 AM - Topic TBD

Live from Studio 8H

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Don’t be late getting back from Messages From Our Sponsors! You never know what crazy things may happen live on the NIO Summit stage. Each new session block kicks off with a fundraising-inspired performance guaranteed to get you laughing, energized, and ready for what’s coming next.

Featured Session: The Trust Portfolio: How Nonprofits Build Donor Loyalty in the Age of AI

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AI has flooded the internet with more content than any organization can compete with. For associations and nonprofits, the answer isn’t producing more content. It’s building more trust.

In this session, Joe Pulizzi introduces the Trust Portfolio, a simple framework for growing donor loyalty by activating multiple trusted voices across your organization. Instead of relying on one brand voice, associations can leverage leaders, practitioners, beneficiaries, and advocates to create powerful, repeatable trust signals that attract and retain supporters.

Attendees will learn how to identify their organization’s natural trust assets, build a three-voice starter Trust Portfolio, and turn donors into long-term fans in an AI-saturated world.

Quick Tip

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More Info Coming Soon!

These fast-paced, 20-minute sessions are designed to deliver practical fundraising insights you can put to work right away. Led by experienced industry professionals, Quick Tips focus on actionable ideas, emerging trends, and real-world strategies that can help strengthen your fundraising efforts. Expect concise, thought-provoking presentations packed with value.

Featured Session: The Plural Brand: Winning Trust When AI Makes Every Cause Sound the Same

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Generative AI has given every organization the ability to sound smart, polished, and professional. For non-profit marketers, that should feel like a gift. Instead, it's becoming a trap. When every cause can produce articulate impact reports and emotionally resonant appeals at the push of a button, those qualities stop being differentiators and they become camouflage.

In this keynote, Rose introduces The Plural Brand, a practical framework for non-profit communicators navigating the age of synthetic noise. He'll make the case that broadcasting a single, monolithic brand story to every audience is actively working against you in 2026. He’ll talk through three interconnected shifts: why "meaningless distinctiveness” may actually matter more than your mission statement in earning attention; how to organize your brand around rooms rather than demographics, and why strategic vulnerability is the most credible signal your brand can send in a world of algorithmic perfection. This is not a talk about how to use AI differently. It's a talk about how to differentiate against all that do.

Weekday update

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LUNCH & Networking

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Lunch: Enjoy a lunch break and network with fellow attendees. Share insights, and recharge for the afternoon sessions. This break provides a perfect blend of nourishment and opportunity to foster new professional connections.

Sponsor Exhibits:
Explore products, services, and solutions designed to help strengthen your fundraising program. Connect with industry partners, discover new tools, and gather fresh ideas throughout the day.
Hint: This is also where you’ll find snacks, beverages, and plenty of opportunities to recharge between sessions.

Optimization Station:
Bring your donation pages, emails, campaigns, website copy, or fundraising challenges and get live feedback from the experts. Whether you need a quick tweak or a fresh perspective, the Optimization Station is your place for practical, actionable guidance.

Swag Store:
The only currency accepted at the Swag Store is Swag Tokens, and earning them is half the fun. Visit sponsor booths, attend parties, engage throughout NIO, participate on social media to collect tokens and redeem exclusive NIO Summit gear and prizes.

Live from Studio 8H

See Details

Don’t settle in too slowly after lunch! You never know what surprise guest, or unforgettable skit may happen live on the NIO Summit stage. The afternoon kicks off with a fundraising-inspired performance that will get you laughing, recharged, and ready for the next round of big ideas.

Featured Session: Experimentation Bonus

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Learn how to build an Experimentation Culture and find more wins? Let me share how I increased the win-rate of 7 large Experimentation Programs.

Quick Tip

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Featured Session: Moving Beyond Google: Building a Marketing Mix That’s Ready for Prime Time

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For many nonprofits, Google is the center of their digital marketing universe. It’s familiar, measurable, and often effective. But relying too heavily on a single channel creates risk and limits growth. This session explores why channel diversification has become essential for nonprofit marketing teams and how to approach it without overwhelming limited resources. Drawing on real-world experience and proven success, the talk looks at what happens when organizations expand beyond Google thoughtfully, not reactively. Through case studies and practical strategy, attendees will learn how to evaluate new channels, connect them to existing efforts, and build a more resilient marketing mix that supports long-term goals.

Weekday update

See Details

PM Break - messages from our sponsors

See Details - Exhibits, Optimization Station, Birds of a Feather, Swag Store, Celebrity Jeopardy

Sponsor Exhibits:
Explore products, services, and solutions designed to help strengthen your fundraising program. Connect with industry partners, discover new tools, and gather fresh ideas throughout the day.
Hint: This is also where you’ll find snacks, beverages, and plenty of opportunities to recharge between sessions.

Innovation Showcase:
These sponsor-led presentations highlight innovative ideas, emerging strategies, and practical tools shaping the future of fundraising. Each showcase delivers actionable insights you can take back to your organization right away.
• Innovation Showcase: 3:15 PM – 3:35 PM - Topic TBD

Optimization Station:
Bring your donation pages, emails, campaigns, website copy, or fundraising challenges and get live feedback from the experts. Whether you need a quick tweak or a fresh perspective, the Optimization Station is your place for practical, actionable guidance.

Birds of a Feather Discussions:
Connect with peers who share your role, nonprofit sector, or fundraising focus area for informal, topic-driven conversations. These collaborative discussions are designed to help you exchange ideas, tackle common challenges, and learn from others navigating similar opportunities.

Swag Store:
The only currency accepted at the Swag Store is Swag Tokens, and earning them is half the fun. Visit sponsor booths, attend parties, engage throughout NIO, participate on social media to collect tokens and redeem exclusive NIO Summit gear and prizes.

Celebrity Jeopardy:
Test your knowledge in this experiential activity inspired by the classic game show and the SNL skit, with a fundraising twist of course. Compete to win real cash prizes against fellow attendees in fast-paced trivia rounds covering pop culture, nonprofit trends, fundraising knowledge, and a few unexpected surprises along the way.

See Details - Innovation Showcase Presentations

Live from Studio 8H

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Don’t be late getting back from Messages From Our Sponsors! Anything can happen once the lights come up and the NIO Summit stage comes back to life. The final session block of the day kicks off with a fundraising-inspired performance that will pull you back into the action and keep the energy going strong through the end of Day 1.

Quick Tip

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Featured Session: The Generosity Gap: Why Donors Want to Give, But Still Don’t

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Your donors may care. They may click. They may even start the form. Then something happens.

They hesitate. They get distracted. They wonder if their gift will matter. They tell themselves they will come back later. And later is where generosity often disappears.

In this entertaining and tactical session, Cherian Koshy, author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making, reveals what is happening in the donor’s mind in the moments that matter most. Using neuroscience, behavioral science, and real fundraising examples, this session will help attendees understand why some optimized experiences move donors to action while others quietly leak generosity.

Attendees will learn how identity, emotion, trust, memory, and friction shape giving decisions across appeals, donation pages, stewardship, monthly giving, and retention. They will leave with a practical framework for making donor experiences easier to act on, easier to trust, and easier to remember.

Weekday update

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Dinner on your own

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Head back to your room, freshen up and grab a quick bite to eat. But don’t stray too far…you won’t want to miss the Official NIO Summit Party that starts at 8:00 PM at the iconic Billy Bob's Texas!

The Summit party

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Head back to your room, freshen up, and grab a quick bite to eat. But don’t stray too far because the night is just getting started. At 8:00 PM, we’re taking over the world-famous Billy Bob’s Texas for the official NIO Summit Party.

Get ready for an unforgettable night of live music, dancing, networking, and Texas-sized fun with your fellow fundraisers. Whether you want to hit the dance floor, catch up with friends old and new, or just experience one of the most iconic venues in Fort Worth, this is your chance.

After a full day of big ideas and fundraising inspiration, the Summit Party is where everyone comes together to relax, connect, and make memories that will last.

Thursday, SEPT 24: NIO Summit Day 2