The Conference Built for Fundraisers
At the NIO Summit, you'll learn proven tactics, network with digital fundraising experts, and leave with a plan to grow your donor base.
September 22, 2026
Pre-Summit Workshop
September 23-24, 2026
Fort Worth, TX
Less Than 30 Tickets Left!
Less Than 30 Tickets Left!
Learn What Works in
Online Fundraising
(And Have Fun While Doing It)
If you work in nonprofit fundraising and are responsible for results, you’ve likely found yourself guessing which tactics matter, which trends to follow, and where to focus your time and energy.
The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit, or NIO Summit for short, was built for you. It helps fundraisers gain clarity on what’s actually working through real-world examples and data-backed insights, so you leave more confident in the decisions you’re making for your fundraising program.
NIO isn’t just a schedule of back-to-back sessions. It’s an experience designed for people who work in nonprofit fundraising and want practical insights they can use to improve their programs. You’ll spend time with peers who understand the realities of the work, connect with others who care about growth, and take part in a fun and engaging environment that’s worth the time away from your desk. Most importantly, you’ll leave with greater clarity about what to focus on next.
Insights Backed By Real-World Testing
Learn From The Pros
Hear from fundraising professionals and industry experts who live this work every day, sharing honest insight into the real challenges and opportunities shaping fundraising right now.
Hands-on Learning
Go beyond the main stage. Dig in at a full-day pre-conference workshop on strengthening your recurring giving program, then bring your own work to the Optimization Station for live feedback on your website, donation page, email, or ads, grounded in more than 8,000 real-world online experiments.
The Latest Tools & Tech
Explore emerging tools, tactics, and ideas at the Innovation Showcase, and connect with featured partners and exhibitors, always with a focus on what you can realistically apply in your own organization.
Networking With Peers
Some of the best ideas come from the person sitting next to you. Hands-on breakout sessions make room for discussion and real problem-solving, so you leave with solutions worked out alongside peers who get the work.
Two Nights of Fun
Unwind at two evening events packed with games, activities, and plenty of time to bond with your team and meet others from across the nonprofit world.
Games, Swag & Prizes
Play games, test your trivia skills, and win incredible prizes, then trade the tokens you earn throughout the conference at the Swag Store for fun, fundraising-themed swag.
The Leaders in
Nonprofit Fundraising
Interested in speaking at NIO? Learn More
Come with a goal.
Leave with a plan.
Each ticket comes with:
- Access to all live sessions and workshops
- Breakfast & lunch each day (it’s great food, not typical conference food!)
- Invites to all the NIO Summit Parties (Trust us, you don’t want to miss these!)
- Access to all post-event recordings
Highest Rated Sessions From Past Years
Who is NIO for?
NIO is built for the people who own a nonprofit’s fundraising and marketing results — the fundraisers and marketers responsible for digital fundraising performance. If your world includes donation pages, email, ads, donor journeys, and testing and optimization, you’ll feel right at home. It’s just as valuable for nonprofit leaders who want to bring a culture of experimentation and innovation back to their team.
Why attend the NIO Summit? What makes it different?
Most conferences hand you opinions and best-practice theory. NIO hands you evidence. Because it’s run by NextAfter, a leader in nonprofit fundraising research, sessions share actual test results that challenge assumptions and encourage bold experimentation. You leave with tactics you can put to work right away — and you have a genuinely good time doing it. With its high-energy atmosphere, themed sessions, surprise entertainment, and creative networking, NIO feels more like a festival than a conference.
Why is NIO a single-track event?
Because we’d rather curate one exceptional experience than make you gamble on which room has the best session. NIO’s single-track format features expert-led talks on data-driven tactics, digital channel optimization, donor psychology, and persuasion strategies — hand-picked so every attendee sees the same high-caliber content. No FOMO, no “I chose the wrong session.” It also means the whole room is working from the same set of ideas, which makes the hallway conversations, networking, and team debriefs far richer.
What's the experience actually like?
Beyond the sessions, NIO leans all the way into the experience. Each year combines powerful nonprofit marketing insights with an immersive theme, theatrical flair, and a touch of delightful madness.
For 2026, NIO is going full Saturday Night Live! Expect SNL-style comedy, memorable characters, and fundraising skits between sessions, plus evening events, games, trivia with real cash prizes, and swag you earn throughout the conference. It’s designed to be worth the time away from your desk.
What kinds of sessions can I expect?
Everything centers on growing online fundraising: donor psychology, persuasion, digital channel optimization, A/B testing, and building an experimentation culture. Alongside the main-stage talks, you’ll find fast-paced 20-minute “Quick Tips” designed to deliver practical insights you can use right away, plus sponsor-led Innovation Showcases highlighting emerging strategies and tools shaping the future of fundraising.
Is there a pre-summit workshop?
Yes — there’s an optional deep-dive workshop for attendees who want to go further, focused on acquiring recurring donors and building sustainable revenue streams. It’s a separate add-on to the main summit.
I'm not super technical — is NIO still for me?
Absolutely. NIO is data-driven, but the sessions are about ideas and outcomes you can act on, not writing code. If you care about raising more and understanding your donors better, you’ll leave with plenty to bring home — whether you’re hands-on-keyboard or leading the team that is.
Who puts on the NIO Summit?
NIO is presented by NextAfter, a nonprofit fundraising consultancy and training institute that helps organizations raise more, acquire more donors, and achieve their mission through research, testing, and analysis. 2026 marks NIO’s 11th year.
Check Out Our
Incredible Sponsors
