GiveCon 2026: A Celebration of Purpose, People, and What's Possible
GiveCon 2026 is a wrap, and what a three days it was.
Nearly 700 nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and for-purpose champions came together to learn, connect, and celebrate the work that drives them. The energy was electric from the moment doors opened. The conversations were real. The ideas were big. And the community that showed up proved, once again, that when people who care about impact get in the same room, something extraordinary happens.
Here's a look back at the moments, ideas, and energy that made GiveCon 2026 worth every minute.
The day one keynote: the nonprofit of 2030 is already here
Bloomerang CEO Dennis Fois opened day one alongside Evan DaSilva, SVP of Payments, Tommy Vacek, CTO, Dave Stevens, Head of Bloomerang Innovation Labs, and Tim Paris, CEO of Dataro, with a vision for what fundraising looks like when the platform does more of the work. The headline announcement was a new strategic partnership with Dataro, bringing predictive donor intelligence directly into the Bloomerang Giving Platform.
Dataro's models surface signals on every donor record so fundraisers can see which donors are at risk of lapsing, which are ready to give again, and where upgrades and major gift opportunities exist. ProspectAI adds on-demand research context for higher-touch conversations, all without leaving Bloomerang. Paired with Penny, Bloomerang's AI fundraising partner, fundraisers now have a platform that doesn't just store donor data but tells them what to do with it. Paired with Penny, Bloomerang's AI fundraising partner, fundraisers now have a platform that doesn't just store donor data but tells them what to do with it.
The bigger ambition Dennis and Dave put on the table was a "buttonless" platform. The goal: stop making fundraisers hunt for insight and start delivering the most relevant information directly to them, before they think to ask. Technology does the work. Fundraisers own the relationships. He closed with a line that lingered long after the lights went up. "The distance to 2030 is not measured in dollars. It is measured in decisions." You're going to need a bigger goal. GiveCon 2026 just made that feel possible.
Keynotes that made you think differently
The "Radical Collaboration" panel was one of the most powerful conversations at GiveCon 2026. Moderated by Rachel D'Souza of Gladiator Consulting, with panelists Meloney Jones-White, Dr. LJ Punch, Michelle Miller, and Tamyka Perine, the session reflected on the year since a devastating tornado tore through Greater St. Louis. The tornado left five people dead, 38 injured, $1.6 billion in damages, and 5,000 homes destroyed.
The panel tackled the things that mattered: which communities got help quickly, which waited, and why. Lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color faced the most severe damage and the slowest recovery. The barriers shaping who gets resources and who waits had been formed years before the tornadoes ever hit St. Louis. The storm put them in front of an audience that couldn't look away. The challenge to the room was clear: radical collaboration means centering the communities most affected, not just the organizations most organized.
Journalist and Goodable founder Muhammad Lila closed the conference with a keynote that was part pep talk, part proof of concept. He told the story of #ThankYouJake, a single act of public kindness that set off a chain reaction no one could have predicted, eventually reaching more than 100 million people per month worldwide. For a room full of people who pour themselves into their missions every day, the reminder landed: the work you're doing matters more than you can see. Kindness compounds. Generosity spreads.
60+ sessions, one community, and CFRE credits too
If the keynotes gave attendees vision, the breakout sessions gave them tools.
GiveCon 2026 featured more than 60 sessions spanning everything from recurring giving strategy and major gifts to AI-powered fundraising, donor psychology, and appeals that actually convert. Attendees could earn CFRE credits by attending, making this conference a genuine professional development opportunity on top of everything else.
For Bloomerang customers who wanted to go even deeper, PreCon offered a full day of hands-on workshops before the main stage lit up.
The five most-attended sessions tell the story of what this community is hungry for:
- Building a Recurring Donation Program
- The Courage to Ask (Again): Why Repetition Builds Trust, Not Annoyance
- Transform High Pressure into High Performance: 3 Proven AI Fundraising Moves You Can Use Now
- Anatomy of an Ask: Proven Expert Tips to Get More Yesses and Dollars
- Eight Appeals to Avoid and the One You Should Send
Fundraisers want to master the ask. They want to understand recurring giving. They want to use AI without losing the relationship. They want practical moves they can bring back to their organizations on Monday morning.
GiveCon delivered. With speakers and practitioners who've been in the trenches, sessions felt less like lectures and more like the best professional conversation you've had all year, one that leaves you scribbling notes and already thinking about what you're going to try first.
Night two at City Museum: the party that matched the energy
If day one filled your head with ideas, night two at City Museum filled your heart with joy.
The GiveCon party at St. Louis's iconic City Museum was exactly the kind of night you hope for and rarely get. The live DJ and dance floor actually delivered, with people dancing rather than just standing near the music. Games, interactive exhibits, and a venue unlike anywhere else rounded out a night that matched every bit of the energy from the day.
City Museum has tunnels, towers, and passages that require a little courage and a lot of help from strangers. All night, you could hear voices calling out across levels: "Where did you come from? How did you get here? You can do it!" People who'd spent the day in breakout sessions were now guiding each other through an eight-story jungle gym.
That impulse to connect, to encourage, and to bring someone along is what fundraisers carry into their work every day. Conversations that started in sessions continued over drinks. New connections formed. Friendships deepened. The changemakers in attendance had earned a night of fun and connection, and they made the most of every inch of it.
Until next time
GiveCon 2026 sent people home with more than notes. They left with a clearer picture of what's possible, a sharper set of tools, a renewed sense of why this work matters, and at least a few new people in their corner.
The mission doesn't stop. But for three days, the community that powers it got to come together, push each other higher, and remember they're not in this alone.
We'll see you at GiveCon 2027. Next year's conference heads to Atlanta. Keep an eye on the GiveCon website for updates.
Ready to put what you learned at GiveCon to work? See what the Bloomerang Giving Platform can do for your fundraising. Book a demo at bloomerang.com.
