A Message From Jeff Giddens:
Why I Believe NIO Summit Is Worth Your Time.
As the CEO of NextAfter, I have the pleasure of leading our organization’s mission to understand why people give, and to do our part to unleash the most generous generation in the history of the world. One way we do this is through our annual fundraising conference called the Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit.
Now going on its 11th year, I wanted to personally share why we continue investing in this community and why I believe NIO Summit 2026 will be the most valuable conference that you and your team attend all year.
Jeff Giddens, CEO at NextAfter
Jeff Giddens serves as CEO of NextAfter, where he helps lead the organization’s mission of growing generosity through research, experimentation, and practical fundraising insights. Through his work with nonprofit organizations across the country, Jeff has helped uncover what actually works in digital fundraising and has spent years sharing those learnings with the broader nonprofit community.
Why We Created NIO Summit
At NextAfter, we have the privilege of working alongside amazing nonprofit organizations like yours every day. Through that work, we see firsthand what is changing in fundraising, what challenges organizations are facing, and how the most effective teams are adapting to succeed.
One thing has become increasingly clear: nonprofits don’t need more theory. They need practical insight they can trust and ideas they can put into action. That’s why we created the Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization (NIO) Summit.
The NIO Summit brings together nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, marketers, and innovators to share proven strategies, emerging ideas, and real-world lessons from organizations on the front lines of fundraising. Every session, conversation, and experience is designed to help you discover what’s working right now and how you can apply those insights within your own organization.
Whether you’re looking to acquire more donors, increase online giving, adapt to new technologies, improve retention, or better navigate today’s evolving fundraising landscape, NIO is built to help you move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.
What You'll Experience
- A chance to have real and constructive conversations with other nonprofit leaders who are facing similar challenges
- Practical and actionable sessions grounded in real world results
- Access to research, experiments, and case studies you can apply immediately with your team
- Meaningful conversations with other mission driven professionals that continue long after the event ends
- An immersive conference experience unlike anything else in the nonprofit sector
Want To Learn More?
Explore the full NIO Summit experience, including speakers, sessions, workshops, and special events.
If you're interested in diving deeper, you can also explore our optional Tuesday workshops, including the Optimization Masterclass and our new research session on the true lifetime value of an email address.
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit is presented by NextAfter.
5810 Tennyson Pkwy, Suite 102, Plano, TX 75024