Human First +

AI Forward

Responsive Nonprofit Summit +Virtual
March 11-12 | 10:00 am - 2:00 pm CT

Presented by

If you’re a bold, forward-thinking fundraiser who’s ready to ditch outdated tactics and scale personal donor connections and grow giving, this summit is for you.


Come explore how to use technology and AI to connect deeper while staying human-first.

fundraising
experts.

engaging
sessions.

incredible
days.

Are you responsive?

Responsive nonprofits listen to every donor, connect personally, time the right ask, and learn new ways to inspire and engage our communities.

Register now for free, and get access to all the session recordings from RNS 2026. Plus, stay in the loop for future Responsive Fundraising events.

Featured Speakers

Join the Brightest Minds in Responsive Fundraising

Nathan Chappell
Chief AI Officer
at Virtuous

Nathan Chappell is a thought leader, public speaker, author, and AI inventor, recognized globally as an expert on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and generosity. As Senior Vice President at DonorSearch AI, he leads AI initiatives for many of the largest nonprofits in the U.S. In 2018, Nathan founded Fundraising.AI, a global advocacy organization for Responsible and Beneficial AI in the nonprofit sector.

Additionally, he is author of two books, Nonprofit AI: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing Artificial Intelligence for Social Good and the 2022 award-winning book, The Generosity Crisis, which has been deemed “required reading for this generation of fundraisers”. With over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Nathan is a sought-after keynote speaker and content contributor. His work has been featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, NPR, Forbes, Fast Company and more. His podcast, Fundraising AI, is among the top nonprofit technology podcasts worldwide.

Session:
AI and the New Era of Fundraising
Thursday, March 12 at 12:00pm CT

Nabiha Syed
Executive Director
at Mozilla Foundation

Session:
AI and the New Era of Fundraising
Thursday, March 12 at 12:00pm CT

Shereese Floyd
CEO at
Al Consultants for Nonprofits

Session:
How to Start Using AI in Your Fundraising Work
Wednesday, March 11 at 11:00am CT

Brady Josephson
Head of Growth & Innovation
at charity: water

Brady is the Head of Growth & Innovation at charity: water, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing clean and safe water to every person on the planet. He leads acquisition and paid media efforts while driving new initiatives that propel the organization forward and unlock future growth.

A self-proclaimed marketing and charity nerd, Brady has worked across brands, agencies, and startups—using technology, research, and storytelling to grow generosity and support people who are often lost or left behind.

An international speaker, adjunct professor, and five-time fantasy baseball champion, Brady lives just outside Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Liz, their sons, Hugo and Hendrix, and their dog, Melly.

Session:
How charity: water Uses AI (and doesn’t): Lessons from a Digital-First Nonprofit
Wednesday, March 11 at 12:00pm CT

Devi Thomas
Global Head, Community Development & Engagement at Google

Session:
AI and the New Era of Fundraising
Thursday, March 12 at 12:00pm CT

Gabe Cooper
Founder & CEO
at Virtuous

Gabe Cooper is the Founder and CEO of Virtuous, a Responsive Nonprofit CRM & Marketing Platform helping nonprofits build lasting relationships with their donors. He is also the author of the top-selling books Responsive Fundraising and The Responsive Nonprofit: 8 Key Practices for Scaling Innovation. After serving in a leadership role at a large nonprofit, Gabe went on to help build a series of successful software products in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. His team’s products have been featured in Wired, USA Today, NY Times, and Apple’s WWDC. His drive stems from a passion to create market-defining software and help charities reimagine generosity.

Sessions:
Exclusive First Preview: 2026 Benchmark Report
Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00am CT

Building a Modern Fundraising Model for 2026 and Beyond, Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00pm CT

Innovation Showcase: What Is Coming Next in Modern Fundraising Technology, Thursday, March 12 at 10:00am CT

Donna Lucas
Chief Marketing Officer
at Joni and Friends

Donna Lucas is an accomplished marketing executive with extensive experience leading brand strategy, communications, and organizational storytelling. As Chief Marketing Officer, she oversees the development of integrated marketing initiatives that strengthen the organization’s presence, elevate its voice, and support long‑term strategic goals. Donna is known for her ability to translate complex ideas into clear, inspiring narratives that unite teams and engage diverse audiences. Throughout her career, she has championed purposeful communication, collaborative leadership, and a people‑centered approach that drives impact. Her work reflects a commitment to aligning mission, message, and strategy to advance organizational growth.

Session:
Building a “remarkable” brand that gets talked about
Wednesday, March 11 at 11:00am CT

Christa Stelzmuller
Chief Product & Technology Officer at charity: water

Session:
How charity: water Uses AI (and doesn’t): Lessons from a Digital-First Nonprofit
Wednesday, March 11 at 12:00pm CT

Cherian Koshy
Vice President
at Kindsight

Cherian Koshy, CFRE, CAP®, is a globally recognized expert in fundraising strategy, leadership, and innovation. He is the author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making, a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling book for nonprofits.

A keynote speaker and advisor, Cherian blends neuroscience, behavioral science, and real-world experience to help organizations inspire ethical generosity and lead through change. He serves on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the board of The Giving Institute, and his insights have appeared in Fast Company, Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, CEOWorld, and Yahoo Finance. He is the founder of NonprofitOS, acquired by Kindsight, where he now serves as Vice President.


Session:

Donor Behavior Is Changing and How Leaders Must Adapt
Thursday, March 12 at 11:00am CT

Kaz McGrath
Founder & CEO
at PLAI - Purpose led AI

Kaz McGrath is Co-Founder of PLAI (Purpose Led AI), helping mission-led leaders and teams use AI in simple, joyful, and transformative ways. A seasoned fundraiser, she co-founded the Ration Challenge, a global campaign that grew from a small idea in rural Thailand to raise over $80 million across four international markets, earning her multiple honors including two-time Australian Financial Review Woman of Influence and Third Sector Emerging Leader of the Year.

Kaz has worked with organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, Google, Tesla, Oxfam, and The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, bridging nonprofit and corporate sectors through community-driven impact. Through PLAI, she is empowering the next generation of fundraisers to see AI not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to redefine what’s possible for mission-driven organizations worldwide.


Session:

Practical Ethics for AI Supported Fundraising
Thursday, March 12 at 11:00am CT

Dave Raley
Founder
at Imago Consulting

Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, an advisory firm that helps organizations create growth through innovation. As a speaker and advisor, he has inspired thousands of nonprofit leaders to grow both personally and organizationally. He’s the author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving: How the Subscription Economy is Transforming Recurring Giving, and What Nonprofits Can Do to Benefit. Dave also writes a weekly innovation and leadership column called The Wave Report, and he’s the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast – a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands.

Session:
Growing Recurring Revenue in 2026: Building for a New Era of Sustainability
Thursday, March 12 at 12:00pm CT

Meena Das
CEO
at Namaste Data

Meena Das (she/her) is the CEO, consultant, and facilitator of two practices – Namaste Data and Data Is For Everyone. Namaste Data focuses on advancing data equity for nonprofits and social impact agencies, while Data Is For Everyone provides tools and resources to help people learn how to navigate the world of data. Meena is a specialist in designing and teaching equitable research tools and human-centric AI Adoption. She is also the founder of the AI Equity Project.


Session:

Taking Your Data From Chaos to AI-Ready
Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00pm CT

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Carly Berna is VP of Marketing and Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous. Carly was previously Chief Marketing and Development Officer at JVMI, a large non-profit, where she served for over 10 years. Carly earned her MBA from Pepperdine University and is an adjunct faculty member at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, teaching marketing courses. She co-hosts two podcasts, Purpose & Profit and The Responsive Lab.

Sessions:
Exclusive First Preview: 2026 Benchmark Report
Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00am CT

How to Take the Next Step in Your Fundraising Career (With the Help of Technology)
Wednesday, March 11 at
12:00pm CT

Premium Workshop ($99):
Mid-Level Donor Acceleration: Scaling Your Greatest Giving Opportunity
Thursday, March 12 at 2:30pm CT

Dan Kershaw
Executive Director
at Furniture Bank

Session:
The Nonprofit Tech Stack of 2026: What to Keep, Kill, or Add…and how to Evaluate AI Tools
Thursday, March 12 at 12:00pm CT

Ben Smithee
Chief Growth Officer
at Next After

At my core, I’m a strategist, storyteller, and connector. I’m passionate about helping organizations grow by building meaningful relationships, crafting clear strategies, and bringing bold ideas to life. My career started in consumer intelligence, analytics, and digital marketing. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve had the opportunity to lead initiatives for global brands, innovative nonprofits, and startups alike.

I’ve been blessed to travel the globe speaking and coaching executive teams through business transformation, and built marketing frameworks that help organizations scale by moving from confusion to clarity.

At NextAfter I focus on amplifying our mission, deepening our client and partner relationships, and helping us grow in both purpose and performance. I lead our marketing, sales, and events teams, share our knowledge with as many leaders as possible, and support our team’s mission to unleash generosity. My core mission is as a husband and dad. I’m an avid outdoorsman, adventure-seeker, and try to find any way to get on a golf course as much as possible.


Session:

How to Optimize Donation Forms for Higher Conversion [Live Audit + Templates]
Thursday, March 12 at 11:00am CT

Tim Lockie
CEO
at The Human Stack

Premium Workshop ($99):
Practical AI Skills for Fundraisers: A deep-dive session to grow your work with AI
Wednesday, March 11 at 2:30pm CT

Thom Morris
GM of Payments
at Virtuous

Thom Morris is the General Manager of Payments at Virtuous, where he leads efforts to expand and evolve the fundraising capabilities of nonprofit organizations through seamless, donor-first giving experiences. In partnership with product and engineering teams, Thom helps bring innovative solutions to life that give fundraisers the flexibility to deliver personalized giving experiences—boosting generosity, increasing recurring giving, and growing donor lifetime value.

Before joining Virtuous, Thom led Product Marketing at GoFundMe Pro, and held product and marketing roles at Blackbaud, where he supported Target Analytics. Earlier in his career, he worked at Amazon and Delta Air Lines in pricing and revenue management.

Thom lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, two kids, and two dogs. He also serves on the board of a fine arts nonprofit with operations in central Italy.

Session:
How to Optimize Donation Forms for Higher Conversion [Live Audit + Templates]
Thursday, March 12 at 11:00am CT

T. Clay Buck, CFRE
Founder and Principal at Next River Fundraising Strategies

For more than 30 years, T. Clay Buck, CFRE has built fundraising efforts into sustainable systems of generosity. Having held nearly every position in the field—from Development Assistant to Chief Development Officer and everything in between—he brings a unique practitioner’s perspective to his work. As Founder and Principal of Next River Fundraising Strategies, Clay partners with nonprofits of all sizes and missions to design programs that are data-informed, strategically sound, and deeply human. With a focus on individual giving from first-time gifts to major commitments, his approach blends system-level thinking with authentic storytelling and sound strategy. 

Clay holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MFA from Michigan State University. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a certified Master Trainer and Coach, and earned a Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology—with Distinction—from the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. He teaches courses in fundraising, strategy, and storytelling at UNLV and has been recognized with the Outstanding Faculty award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from AFP Las Vegas.

Session:
Taking Your Data From Chaos to AI-Ready
Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00pm CT

Jaclyn Jones
Chief Philanthropic Economist At Masterworks

Premium Workshop ($99):
Mid-Level Donor Acceleration: Scaling Your Greatest Giving Opportunity
Thursday, March 12 at 2:30pm CT

Scott Holthaus
Director of Brand + Content
at Virtuous

Scott Holthaus is the Director of Brand + Content at Virtuous, where he helps nonprofits grow giving and implement responsive fundraising. Before joining Virtuous, Scott spent 15+ years working in nonprofits, ministries, and technology in a variety of roles, including marketing, branding, and communications. Scott lives in the Chicago area with his wife and three kids.

Premium Workshop ($99):
Practical AI Skills for Fundraisers: A deep-dive session to grow your work with AI
Wednesday, March 11 at 2:30pm CT

Will Schiffelbein
GM of Virtuous Raise
at Virtuous

Will has spent the last 15 years working in and around nonprofit organizations. With experiences spanning major gifts, planned giving, and digital fundraising, he has the privilege of speaking with hundreds of nonprofit marketing and development leaders every year. At Virtuous, Will is the General Manager of Virtuous Raise, an industry leading enterprise-grade digital fundraising platform. More importantly, he is a husband and father of 3 rambunctious children.

Session:
How to Optimize Donation Forms for Higher Conversion [Live Audit + Templates]
Thursday, March 12 at 11:00am CT

Take Your Fundraising to
the Next Level!

The free summit sessions are just the beginning. Get exclusive, expert-led access to
premium workshops on Practical AI Skills for Fundraisers or Mid-Level Donor Acceleration—
designed to help you turn strategy into action immediately.

Premium Workshops: $99 each.

Workshop #1:

Practical AI Skills for Fundraisers:
A deep-dive session to scale your work with AI

Wednesday, March 11 at 2:30pm

This is a practical, immersive, work-through-your-own-prompts workshop.

In this deep-dive session, you’ll work directly with a nonprofit AI practitioner who has spent years in the sector building tools and training that make AI accessible and actionable. You’ll learn how to craft high-impact prompts that get consistently useful, context-aware results, tailored to your data, your donors, and your fundraising workflows.

We’ll cover:
1. How to write prompts that deliver better, more accurate outputs from tools like ChatGPT
2. Techniques for shaping donor communications, analysis, segmentation, and task generation
3. Ways to iterate and refine prompts to save time and reduce noise
4. Real-world examples and practice exercises you’ll actually use back at work

Expect hands-on exercises, live feedback, and tactics you can use immediately whether you’re new to AI or ready to level up your skills.

Workshop 2:

Mid-Level Donor Acceleration:
Scaling Your Greatest Giving Opportunity

Thursday, March 12 at 2:30pm

This interactive 2-hour workshop dives deep into the true value of mid-level donors; why they matter, where most programs fall short, and how to intentionally grow this segment into a reliable pipeline for major gifts and long-term retention.

You’ll hear from Jaclyn Jones, bringing the perspective on what works across many organizations, alongside Carly Berna, who has actually built and scaled mid-level donor programs inside a nonprofit. Together, they’ll break down the strategies, structures, and day-to-day practices that turn overlooked donors into deeply engaged supporters.

Expect a highly practical session covering:
1. How to define and segment mid-level donors based on value, not just dollar amount
2. What mid-level donors actually need (and why generic comms fail)
3. How to design a scalable engagement model that doesn’t overwhelm your team
4. The metrics that matter and how mid-level fuels major giving growth

Agenda

Empower Your Mission with Expert Knowledge

Times are listed in Central Daylight Time.

Kick off the morning by getting to know our sponsors and engaging with fellow attendees during our networking session.

Welcome to The Responsive Nonprofit Summit! Thousands of nonprofit leaders have gathered to learn fresh insights and tactical strategies to create deep, personal connections with every donor.

Person 3

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Person 3

Scott Holthaus
Director of Brand + Content
at Virtuous
 
 

Get exclusive first access to a preview of the 2026 Benchmark Report, built from real fundraising data across Virtuous customers. See how leading nonprofits are performing on donor retention, recurring giving, major gifts, and more and where the gaps are quietly widening.

We’ll break down what top-performing organizations are doing differently, what patterns are emerging heading into 2026, and how you can use these insights to recalibrate your strategy before the rest of the sector catches on.

If you want to know how your organization truly stacks up and what to change next this is the session you don’t want to hear about secondhand.

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Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

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Gabe Cooper

Founder & CEO

at Virtuous

This is a live walkthrough of Virtuous Raise, our flexible online giving solution built to increase conversion and average gift size.

Watch exactly how teams use Raise to design fully branded donation forms, dynamic gift arrays, recurring prompts, and real-time optimizations that adapt to each donor. You’ll see how quickly these experiences can be launched and how small changes can unlock meaningful revenue gains.

If online giving is a core part of your growth strategy, this is a must-see demo.

In this session, Donna Lucas tells the inside story of how she helped turn around a legacy nonprofit brand, transforming it into one that donors recognize, trust, and talk about. You’ll hear what actually changed behind the scenes, where they took risks, what they stopped doing, and how brand clarity unlocked new momentum across fundraising and engagement.

This isn’t a branding lecture. It’s a real-world story of what it takes to make a nonprofit brand remarkable—and what happens when you get it right.

If you’re leading brand, marketing, or fundraising at an organization that feels stuck, diluted, or invisible, this session will help you take the next steps.

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Donna Lucas
Chief Marketing Officer
at Joni and Friends

 

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Shereese Floyd

CEO at
Al Consultants for Nonprofits

This session is a live look at the Virtuous Responsive Fundraising Platform—CRM, marketing, giving, insights, and major gifts working together as one system.

You’ll see how data flows across teams, how donor signals trigger action, and how automation replaces busywork. If you’re evaluating platforms or struggling with disconnected tools this demo shows what “integrated” actually looks like.

Hear the true story of a fundraiser who spent over a decade inside a single nonprofit, growing from role to role while navigating changing expectations, limited time, and rising goals. Along the way, technology became the lever that allowed them to do more, steward donors better, and lead at a higher level.

You’ll learn how they used data, automation, and modern tools to scale personal relationships, gain strategic influence, and become indispensable to their organization.

If you’re wondering what the “next step” in your career actually looks like in a tech-powered fundraising world, this session will hit close to home.

Person 3

Carly Berna

VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

charity: water has never followed a playbook and that’s exactly why people pay attention.

In this candid fireside chat, charity: water pull back the curtain on how one of the most respected, design-forward, and innovative nonprofits in the world thinks about AI. You’ll hear where they’ve embraced it, where they’ve intentionally said no, and how they balance experimentation with donor trust and brand integrity.

Learn how to decide what innovation actually serves your mission, your donors, and your long-term credibility.

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Brady Josephson
Head of Growth & Innovation
at Charity Water

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Christa Stelzmuller
Chief Product & Technology Officer
at Charity Water

The fundraising models that worked five years ago won’t carry organizations into the future.

In this keynote, Gabe Cooper breaks down why fundraising must change and introduces the Responsive Fundraising Maturity Model as a roadmap for what comes next. You’ll see how donor expectations, data, and AI are forcing a shift away from disconnected, one-size-fits-all approaches toward responsive, personalized systems built to scale.

Gabe will unpack the stages of fundraising maturity, where most nonprofits are falling behind, and what it takes to evolve your model for 2026 and beyond.

Person 3

Gabe Cooper
Founder & CEO
at Virtuous

AI is only as powerful as the data behind it.

In this session, you’ll learn what it actually means to make your data AI-ready; from cleaning and unifying records to creating a single source of truth your team can trust. We’ll explore how strong data foundations unlock better insights, smarter automation, and more personalized donor experiences.

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of the data capabilities that fuel effective AI and how modern nonprofits are preparing their data to get real value from the next generation of fundraising technology.

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Meena Das

CEO
at Namaste Data

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T. Clay Buck, CFRE
Founder and Principal at Next River Fundraising Strategies

Meet us at the Main Stage for the Day 1 Closing, where we’ll unearth the biggest takeaways from the day and give you a sneak peek into the agenda for day 2 of the Responsive Nonprofit Summit.

Person 3

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Person 3

Scott Holthaus
Director of Brand + Content
at Virtuous
 
 

This is s a practical, immersive, work-through-your-own-prompts workshop.

In this deep-dive session, you’ll work directly with a nonprofit AI practitioner who has spent years in the sector building tools and training that make AI accessible and actionable. You’ll learn how to craft high-impact prompts that get consistently useful, context-aware results, tailored to your data, your donors, and your fundraising workflows.

We’ll cover:

How to write prompts that deliver better, more accurate outputs from tools like ChatGPT

Techniques for shaping donor communications, analysis, segmentation, and task generation

Ways to iterate and refine prompts to save time and reduce noise

Real-world examples and practice exercises you’ll actually use back at work

Expect hands-on exercises, live feedback, and tactics you can use immediately whether you’re new to AI or ready to level up your skills.

Person 3

Tim Lockie
CEO
at The Human Stack

Person 3

Scott Holthaus
Director of Brand + Content
at Virtuous
 
 
Times are listed in Central Daylight Time.

Kick off the morning by getting to know our sponsors and engaging with fellow attendees during our networking session.

Welcome back to Day 2 of the Responsive Nonprofit Summit!

Person 3

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Person 3

Scott Holthaus

Director of Brand + Content

at Virtuous

 
 

In this Innovation Showcase, Gabe Cooper reveals what’s coming next across Virtuous products and how these innovations will shape the future of fundraising. From new AI capabilities to deeper insights and automation, you’ll get a firsthand look at what the Virtuous team is building to help nonprofits grow giving faster and with less friction.

This is an exclusive preview of where the platform is headed and a rare opportunity to understand how upcoming innovation maps directly to the future of fundraising.

Person 3

Gabe Cooper
Founder & CEO
at Virtuous

Donor behavior isn’t just changing it’s being rewired.

In this session, Cherian Koshy, a leading expert in the neuroscience and behavioral science of generosity, breaks down what’s actually driving donor decisions today. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, and real-world fundraising, Cherian reveals why traditional assumptions about donor motivation no longer hold and what leaders must do differently to earn trust and loyalty.

You’ll learn how donors actually make giving decisions, what increases long-term generosity, and how to design donor experiences that align with how people are wired to give.

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Cherian Koshy
Vice President at Kindsight

AI is changing fundraising but how you use it matters just as much as what you use.

This session brings a practical, real-world perspective from leaders working at the intersection of AI, ethics, and nonprofit impact. You’ll explore how to apply clear ethical judgment to AI-supported fundraising protecting donor trust, maintaining transparency, and aligning technology decisions with your mission and values.

Rather than abstract philosophy, this conversation focuses on the real questions nonprofits are facing right now: where to draw boundaries, how to build guardrails, and how ethical AI use can actually strengthen relationships and long-term generosity.

Person 3

Kaz McGrath

Founder & CEO

at PLAI – Purpose led AI

This session is a live teardown of real donation forms, including submissions from you and other attendees!

Watch as we break down what’s helping or hurting conversion in real time: layout, copy, friction points, gift arrays, recurring prompts, and missed opportunities that quietly cost revenue. You’ll see exactly what to fix, what to simplify, and what actually moves donors to complete their gift.

Some forms may be reviewed live. Everyone walks away with proven patterns, best practices, and templates you can apply immediately.

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Ben Smithee

Chief Growth Officer

at Next After

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Will Schiffelbein

GM of Virtuous Raise

at Virtuous

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Thom Morris

GM of Payments

at Virtuous

Missed follow-ups quietly cost major gifts. This session is a live demo of Virtuous Momentum, showing how the platform ensures no donor relationship stalls.

You’ll see how Momentum uses AI to track touchpoints, automates reminders, support donor plans, and give fundraisers confidence that the right action happens at the right time without relying on memory or spreadsheets.

Most nonprofit tech stacks didn’t evolve; they accumulated.

In this session, you’ll hear from leaders who have seen nonprofit tech stacks up close and had to make the buying decisions, helping organizations untangle complexity, eliminate tools that don’t deliver value, and design systems that actually support modern fundraising.

We’ll break down what belongs in a future-ready nonprofit tech stack, what’s quietly slowing teams down, and how to evaluate new tools—especially AI—without falling for hype or creating more fragmentation. You’ll learn how to ask better questions, spot red flags, and make technology decisions that support donors, staff, and long-term growth.

Person 3

Dan Kershaw

Executive Director

at Furniture Bank

Recurring revenue is becoming one of the most important indicators of long-term health for nonprofits but growth in 2026 will require more than isolated tactics.

In this session, Dave Raley, author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving, explores how nonprofits can grow recurring revenue by building for a new era of sustainability in fundraising. Drawing from real-world examples and emerging patterns across high-performing organizations, Dave will unpack the mindset shifts, program design choices, and practical strategies that are shaping the future of recurring giving.

You will gain timely insight you can apply in 2026, while engaging a bigger vision for building recurring revenue that is resilient, responsive, and rooted in generosity that lasts.

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Dave Raley

Founder at Imago Consulting

Responsive Fundraising isn’t a concept, it’s built into the Virtuous platform.

In this live walkthrough, you’ll see how Virtuous listens to donor behavior, personalizes outreach across channels, and automates next steps using real donor signals. This session connects the philosophy of Responsive Fundraising to the actual workflows teams use every day.

If you’ve heard the term but want to see it in practice, this is the session.

AI isn’t just changing how fundraising works; it’s redefining what’s possible.

In this keynote, Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer, takes the stage with fellow AI leaders shaping the future of philanthropy to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming donor engagement, fundraising strategy, and nonprofit operations.

This is a big-picture look at what’s coming next: how AI will reshape roles and workflows, where leaders should lean in (and where caution matters), and what nonprofits must understand now to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Person 3

Nathan Chappell

Chief AI Officer

t Virtuous

Person 3

Devi Thomas
Global Head, Community Development & Engagement at Google

Meet us at the Main Stage for the Day 2 Closing, where we’ll unearth the biggest takeaways from the day and give you a sneak peek into the agenda for the final day of the Responsive Nonprofit Summit.

Person 3

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Person 3

Scott Holthaus

Director of Brand + Content

at Virtuous

 
 

This interactive 2-hour workshop dives deep into the true value of mid-level donors; why they matter, where most programs fall short, and how to intentionally grow this segment into a reliable pipeline for major gifts and long-term retention.

You’ll hear from Jaclyn Jones, bringing the perspective on what works across many organizations, alongside Carly Berna, who has actually built and scaled mid-level donor programs inside a nonprofit. Together, they’ll break down the strategies, structures, and day-to-day practices that turn overlooked donors into deeply engaged supporters.

Expect a highly practical session covering:

How to define and segment mid-level donors based on value, not just dollar amount

What mid-level donors actually need (and why generic comms fail)

How to design a scalable engagement model that doesn’t overwhelm your team

The metrics that matter and how mid-level fuels major giving growth

Person 3

Carly Berna
VP of Marketing & Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous

Person 3

Jaclyn Jones
Chief Philanthropic Economist
at Masterworks
 
 

Sponsors

We thank our generous speakers and sponsors for joining us on the mission to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver.

Presented by

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