The 2026 National Small Nonprofit Summit

April 14-15, 2026 | In-Person at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC
Designed by small nonprofit professionals, for small nonprofit professionals.

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Making Progress, Choosing Action

The nonprofit sector continues to be asked to respond faster and do more with less. How do we build the plan, people power, financial resources, and community to meet this current moment and move beyond it? Spur Local's annual National Small Nonprofit Summit creates space for nonprofit professionals to explore this question together.Over two days, connect with other professionals and dive deeper into organizational planning, management, fundraising, and community building. Across interactive panels, small-group breakouts, and plenary presentations, we’ll focus on actionable takeaways that are accessible and effective for organizations with small teams or limited budgets.As a result of these practical sessions and honest conversations, you will leave with deeper relationships and ways to turn urgency into clarity and ideas into action. Register to join us today.

Expert Speakers

Hear from the Spur Local team and guest speakers in keynote sessions, panels, and presentations.

Peer Connections

Meet other small nonprofit professionals in peer sessions and networking happy hours.

Actionable Insights

Participate in hands-on workshops and leave with takeaways you can implement immediately.

Effective Ideas

100% focused on realistic solutions that fit small nonprofits with lean budgets and nimble teams.

Presenting Sponsor

Nonprofit Champion

Ticket

$20

Early bird tickets are available till March 31, 2026 at 11:59pm.Each ticket provides access to both days of the in-person conference.Existing Spur Local nonprofit partners can access the conference for free.

+ Membership

$100

Tickets are available till April 3, 2026 at 5pm.This ticket adds a membership to Spur Local's digital resource library.Existing Spur Local nonprofit partners already receive this membership benefit.

+ Consulting

$250

Tickets are available till April 3, 2026 at 5pm.This ticket adds an hour-long one-on-one consulting session with a Spur Local team member.Existing Spur Local nonprofit partners do not currently receive this consulting benefit.

Keynote Speaker

Deepa Iyer

Deepa Iyer is a movement strategist and writer with over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is currently Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Building Movement Project where she works on solidarity narratives and practices. Deepa’s books include We Too Sing America, Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection, and We Are The Builders!

Day 1 Schedule

10:00 am Welcome and Introduction to Making Progress, Choosing Action
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Nonprofits are a defining pillar of strong communities. Now more than ever, our communities rely on us to meet urgent needs, and it is critical that we continue moving our work forward with purpose and action. This opening session will set the stage for the two-day conference as we come together to focus on making progress, building momentum, and strengthening our organizations and the people we serve.
Keynote Reflection
Deepa Iyer, Building Movement Project10:55am Strategy: Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Breakout A: Growing with Intention: Knowing When to Invest in Your Work
Chiara Frechette, Spur Local
As nonprofit leaders, we are often encouraged to grow our organizations, but growth isn’t always the right move. This strategy-focused session will help nonprofit leaders assess when to invest in new staff, programs, systems, or fundraising capacity, and when to pause. Through frameworks and examples, we will discuss how to align expansion with mission, financial health, and team capacity so your next move strengthens, rather than stretches, your organization.Breakout B: Facing Limited Resources: How to Cutback Purposefully and Successfully
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Over the last year, many of us have faced funding cuts or considered the possibility of losing a portion of our typical funding. In these scenarios, we often have to make difficult decisions quickly. In this session, we will explore how to approach limited resources strategically, ensuring our decisions are values-aligned and that we can continue delivering on our mission.Breakout C: Deciding What is Ahead: Scenario Planning in 2026
Amanda Liaw, Spur Local
Nonprofits are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape where funding, policy, and community needs can change quickly. Scenario planning offers a practical way to prepare for multiple possible futures in a values- and mission-aligned way, before you are confronted with an urgent decision. This session will explore what to consider when scenario planning for your organization and will give participants space to share how their organizations have approached this important strategic task.12:00pm Lunch Break
Lunchtime Topics: CRMS, HR/Benefits, Staffing Models, Tech/Ops
If you’re interested in connecting with others during your lunch break, please meet outside the conference rooms on the 4th floor to join informal lunchtime peer conversation groups. We will have question prompts set up for the following topics and invite you to eat your lunch with others interested in the same topics. These conversations are meant as time to connect with fellow nonprofits and will not be formally facilitated.1:05pm Panel: Leading Through Difficult Decisions
Panelists: Daniela Grigioni- After-School All-Stars, Kathy Doan- Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Sarah Cady-REACT DC
Over the last year or so, leaders have had to navigate a new funding reality and, as a result, make some tough choices – from cutting or redesigning programs to laying off staff, among other organizational challenges. In this panel, executive directors will share their experience navigating pivotal moments. They’ll discuss how they made decisions, communicated with their teams, and led with compassion during times of uncertainty.2:00pm Plenary: 2026 Nonprofit Funding Trends
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
It’s no surprise that funding remains one of the most pressing challenges facing nonprofit organizations this year. In this plenary session, we will explore the key trends shaping nonprofit funding, outline the current funding landscape, and share what these trends mean for your fundraising strategy moving forward.2:45pm Funding: Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Breakout A: Engaging and Cultivating Your Major Donors
Sarah Hall Aguila, Spur Local
Strong relationships with major donors play an important part in sustaining and growing a nonprofit’s work. This session will explore strategies for identifying, engaging, and cultivating major donors to build lasting relationships and sustain their support over time.Breakout B: Strengthening Grassroots Support
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Grassroots donors are often among our most engaged supporters, yet are sometimes overlooked in fundraising strategies due to the size of their contributions and our limited capacity. This session will explore how to better understand and engage lower-level donors beyond their financial gifts, recognizing the identities and motivations they bring to your mission.Breakout C: When to Use Events to Deepen Donor Relationships
Loree Lipstein, Thread Strategies
Events are more than just fundraisers—they are opportunities to showcase your mission and impact while strengthening relationships with supporters. In this session, we’ll review the strategic questions to consider when making a decision to host an event, and key components of a successful event including strategies to engage donors and create meaningful experiences that deepen commitment and keep supporters invested in your mission.

Day 2 Schedule

10:00am Plenary: Data Debrief and Morning Intro
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Nonprofit leaders are making important decisions every day about programs, funding, and organizational sustainability. Join this plenary session as we share findings from our annual ED Engagement Survey reflecting on our nonprofits’ current priorities and challenges, and reflect on what this means about the state of the local nonprofit sector and the path forward.10:55am People: Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Breakout A: From Doer to Manager: Supporting New Organizational Leaders
Chiara Frechette, Spur Local
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager and organizational leader can be a challenging shift. This session will explore how organizations can support new managers and highlight tools for new managers to be successful - focusing on delegation, feedback, team development, and sustainable leadership. Participants will leave with practical tools to lead with confidence.Breakout B: Sustaining Leadership: For Both You and Your Organization
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Nonprofit leadership is rewarding and demanding. This breakout session will build on the data shared from the Executive Director Engagement survey and explore how to sustain yourself while leading others and how your organization can effectively prepare succession plans Participants will examine strategies for addressing and preventing burnout, setting boundaries, and developing leaders to create a culture of shared leadership that can thrive over time.Breakout C: Executive Narrative: The Leadership Factor Behind Growth and Funder Relationships
Gabriella Cray, Beyond The Logo Brand Marketing Agency
As organizations grow, so does the complexity of communicating with funders, staff, and community. This session explores how executive narrative shapes how leaders are understood — and how that directly impacts funding, trust, and strategic relationships. Participants will assess their current approach and learn a simple structure for strengthening clarity, alignment, and consistency across audiences.12:00pm Lunch Break1:05pm Panel: Managing Engagement: Staff Wellbeing in Challenging Times
Panelists: Erin Pollitt- DC Forensic Nurse Examiners, Reesie Sims- Volare Empowers, Paula Fitzgerald- Ayuda
In periods of uncertainty and heightened demand, staff wellbeing doesn’t just rely on individuals but requires intentional leadership. Join us for a panel that brings together nonprofit leaders to explore how management practices shape staff engagement and organizational health. This panel will explore practical approaches to supporting staff through change, from setting realistic expectations to fostering trust and psychological safety. You’ll leave with insights on how to sustain your team, especially in challenging times.2:05pm Plenary: State of the Local Nonprofit Sector
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
From shifting funding landscapes to evolving community needs, this plenary session that leads into our afternoon, will cover the current state of the nonprofit sector in the DMV and what it means for the future of our work.2:40pm Community: Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Breakout A: We Can't Move Forward Alone: Building Impactful Partnerships
Amanda Liaw, Spur Local
Lasting impact rarely happens in isolation. This session will explore how nonprofits can build and sustain meaningful partnerships that expand reach, deepen community trust, and advance shared goals. Participants will learn strategies for identifying the right collaborators, aligning around purpose, and maintaining strong, mutually beneficial relationships. You’ll walk away with tools to move from transactional partnerships to true collaboration that strengthens your mission and your impact.Breakout B: Centering Our People: Exploring Feedback Models
Matt Gayer, Spur Local
Community voice is essential to meaningful impact. This breakout session will explore approaches to gathering, interpreting, and acting on feedback from the people and communities you serve. We will examine models that build trust and ensure feedback loops are authentic rather than performative. You’ll leave with strategies to center community perspectives in decision-making and strengthen programs through listening and accountability.Breakout C: Community Organizing: Developing Leadership Among Community
Elyssa Feder and Aaron Booe, Rising Organizers
Nonprofits are even more impactful when leadership extends beyond the organization to the broader community they serve. This session will explore how organizations can cultivate collective leadership by empowering staff, volunteers, and community members to take active roles in decision-making, program development, and advocacy. Participants will learn strategies for building networks of shared responsibility, fostering engagement, and sustaining impact through more distributed community leadership.4:15pm Happy Hour (Optional)
Join us for a casual happy hour at Penn Social to close out the National Small Nonprofit Summit.

About Spur Local

Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy) is a small nonprofit based in the Greater Washington region. Since 2003, we have been dedicated to raising awareness for, and capacity of, small and local nonprofits. We have raised more than $65 million for our network of 500 small, local nonprofit partners and trained over 25,000 nonprofit staff.