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 2024

February

9 February 2024: The Charity Times Leaders’ Forum is an online event with the opportunity to learn more about the recent challenges that have emerged for nonprofits in the last few years. Speakers will talk on such issues as job sharing, social media, remote leadership, building media relationships, and more.

28 February – 1 March 2024: The NAIS Annual Conference is for administrators, trustees, and teachers at independent schools. This year, the event will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, where attendees will network and learn about professional development.

March

4 – 8 March 2024: The CMAA 2024 World Conference and Club Business Expo is a specialized event and business expo for club leaders and club managers. This year’s expo will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees can attend educational sessions, special speaker sessions, an expo and network with peers.

6 – 7 March 2024: Held in England, the two-day Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Conference will focus on best practices for equality, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.

13 – 15 March 2024: The 24NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference) N10 is designed to bring people involved with nonprofits together so they can learn best practices for nonprofit technology. This year’s hybrid conference will take place in Portland, Oregon.

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April

24 April 2024: This year’s Trustee Exchange 2024 will be held in London, England. The one-day event will focus on technology, regulatory updates, governance, and leadership for trustees. This year, trustees will be able to attend small groups where they can continue discussing topics from forum sessions.

May

May 2024: Taking place this year in London, Ontario, the three-day CUBA/ACCAU Annual Conference 2024 offers sessions to help university boards carry out their fiduciary duties in an accountable way. Board Chairs, Vice Chairs, and other university board members also have an opportunity to attend the annual general meeting at the conference. Watch the website for registration dates.

8 May 2024: This year’s Charity Times Annual Conference will be held in London and this year the event will focus on strategies for long-term survival. Learn more about charity strategies, culture, climate change, economic markets, fundraising trends, and new technologies.

July

21 – 24 July 2024: Hosted by the World Council of Credit Unions the World Credit Union Conference is the largest global credit union event. Credit union professionals from small and large credit unions come from around the world to attend over 25 sessions and workshops.

August

10 – 13 August 2024: The ASAE Annual Meeting 2024 will be in Cleveland, Ohio this year, bringing together leaders of associations. The event offers the chance for association professionals to network, learn and make connectio. Request information about the 2024 event and register online here.

October

27 – 29 October 2024: Senior care professionals will gather in Nashville, Tennessee for the Leading Age Annual Meeting: an ideal opportunity to learn more about trends, innovations, and connections in aging services. Visit their website for registration details when they become available.

November

1 – 4 November 2024: The 2024 Institute for Chief Academic Officers event is hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges, and this year it will take place in Tampa, Florida. It’s a chance for higher education leaders of independent colleges to share innovative approaches in academia and explore innovative strategies.

6 – 8 November 2024: The annual AHP International Conference event is open to philanthropy professionals. Attendees can learn more about ways to raise funds and better serve communities this year in San Diego, California.

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.