The best nonprofit events board members should know about this year

Industry events give your leadership and board members opportunities to share resources and network, as well as learn about best practices, industry trends and innovations. They also offer opportunities to connect with peers and identify potential collaborators.

This year brings a variety of interesting and useful events for charities and nonprofits. We have put together this handy list of key events we think board members of mission-driven organizations should know about this year.

Why it’s important for mission-driven organizations to attend events

Your board may decide to send one board member to an event and ask them to report what they learned to the rest of the board. Or, it may be beneficial for the entire board to attend certain events. Either way, attendees can learn and develop by attending a conference or industry event.

Here are some of the specific benefits board members can enjoy by attending events for nonprofits:

• Networking: Board members will have formal and informal encounters with other organizations, potential donors, and other influential individuals that may help your cause.
• Professional development: Sessions, workshops, seminars, and panel discussions can help board members expand on their knowledge of the sector through best practices and tips for effectively overseeing their organizations.
• Fundraising knowledge: Events provide opportunities where mission-driven organizations can share fundraising tips and bring new ideas back to the board. Fresh ideas and innovative approaches can contribute to the financial sustainability of the nonprofit.
• Sector trends: Sector events often feature keynote speakers and other valued professionals who can speak to emerging trends, regulatory issues, and societal shifts that mission-driven organizations need to be aware of.
• Collaboration and partnerships: Events bring people from various sectors together and they may provide opportunities for board members to explore partnerships with other organizations, government agencies, or businesses that align with their mission and goals. Collaboration may ultimately amplify impact.
• Celebration of achievements: Conferences and other events commonly award organizations and celebrate their achievements. Success stories inspire and empower board members to succeed.
• Donor engagement strategies: At events, board members may learn about innovative strategies for engaging donors, cultivating relationships with donors, and learning the best ways to thank donors.
• Policy and advocacy insights: Certain events include sessions that focus on policy issues or advocacy efforts which may help board members navigate regulator challenges or improve advocacy engagement. Attendees may also have a chance to contribute to policy discussions to make their voices heard.
• Community engagement ideas: Board members are always looking for ways to engage with their communities, mobilize volunteers, and address their community’s unique needs. Events are a good place to learn more about community engagement initiatives.
• Inspiration and motivation: Board members often return from events feeling inspired and motivated. Enthusiasm is welcome and refreshing.

Month-by-month calendar of events for 2025

February

5 – 9 February 2025: The CMAA 2025 World Conference and Club Business Expo  event and business expo is for club leaders, club managers and hospitality students. Held in Tampa, Florida, this year’s expo will include educational sessions, special speaker sessions, an expo and network opportunities with peers.

26- 28 February 2025: The NAIS Annual Conference is for administrators, trustees, and teachers at independent schools. This year, the event will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, where attendees will network and learn about professional development.

You might also like reading Don’t miss celebrating these seasonal events for mission-driven organizations

April

2 – 3 April 2025: Held in Newcastle, UK, Advance HE’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Conference 2025 will address the multiple and intersecting dimensions in higher education of identity, such as gender, race, class, sexuality, disability and more in policymaking, education and innovation, whilst engaging with the reality of those challenges.

16 – 18 April 2025: The 25NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference) is for people who want to make the world a better place through the skillful and equitable use of technology. Attendees learn essential nonprofit technology best practices while connecting with a community that shares a commitment to social change. This year’s hybrid conference will take place in Baltimore, Maryland.

27 – 29 April 2025: The Association of Fundraising Professionals will hold its AFP ICON conference in Seattle, Washington. The meeting brings together thousands of fundraising professionals from around the world for training and networking.

29 April 2025: The theme of the Trustee Exchange 2025, organized by Governance & Leadership magazine, is “Exploding the boundaries: Changing charities for a changing world.” The one-day event held in London, will focus on new models of governance, new ways of operating, and new approaches to risk new ways for the charity sector.

May

21 May 2025:  Charity Times Leadership Conference, held in London, will look at the issues around navigating the funding crisis while meeting a surge in demand. Charity CEOs, experts and thought leaders will share strategies, resources, and insights on diversifying funding streams.

28 – 29 May 2025: The Future Health Summit is an international gathering of the brightest minds in the healthcare industry featuring renowned speakers from Ireland, USA, UK, Europe, and further afar to share best practices, innovations and future thinking to the advancement of the healthcare of patients. The theme of the summit, which will take place in Dublin, is “Global Perspectives Delivering for Irish Patients.”

June

9 – 11 June 2025: Canadian Association of University Business Officers will hold its annual conference in Edmonton. The conference brings together Canadian university administrators working in a variety of functional areas including finance, human resources, treasury, procurement, facilities, internal audit, risk management and IT. 

9 – 12 June 2025: Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is holding its annual leadership meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. More than 100 organizational leaders from the RMHC chapters throughout the United States and Canada will be in attendance.  

JULY

14 – 16 July 2025: Hosted by the World Council of Credit Unions, the World Credit Union Conference is the largest global credit union event. Held in Stockholm, Sweden, the conference theme this year is “The Future Is Cooperative.” Credit union professionals from small and large credit unions will gather from around the world to attend sessions and workshops.

August

9 – 12 August 2025: The American Society of Association Executives’ Annual Meeting & Exposition will be held in Los Angeles. The event offers the chance for association professionals to network, learn and make connections. Request information about the event and register online here.

October

22 – 24 October 2025: The annual AHP International Conference is open to healthcare philanthropy professionals from around the world. This year’s conference will be held in Aurora, Colorado. Attendees will gain insights and practical tips to elevate their performance quickly.

November

1 – 5 November 2025: The LeadingAge and the Global Ageing Network are uniting for their 2025 conferences, bringing together more than 6,500 global experts to Boston, Massachusetts. Leading researchers on aging will unveil studies addressing the most pressing challenges in the field, from sustainable care models and workforce development to person-centered approaches and technological integration. Attendees include nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-driven organizations serving older adults.

Whether your volunteer board members attend a local or distant event, they can store documents and materials from the event on their board management solution to share what they learned with fellow trustees. Board members can also receive notifications on when to register for events and share documents from events in real time.

Leverage technology for conference and event attendance

BoardEffect is designed to allow your board to work collaboratively in workrooms and share documents easily. Look through the events listed above and decide which ones will benefit your organization, then set notifications for registration dates in your calendar so you can be sure your board doesn’t miss out.

Once your board member has attended, encourage them to share what they learned at the next board or committee meeting and store key documents and notes they brought back in your resource library.