National Philanthropy Day 2026 Speaker Line-Up
Keynote:
"Discovering the Joy of Fundraising"
Jeff Schreifels
Jeff Schreifels is the Principal and Owner of Veritus Group, a global consulting agency specializing in major gifts and mid-level fundraising strategy. With over 37 years in the nonprofit sector, Jeff is a pioneer of relationship-centered fundraising. Under his leadership, since 2009 Veritus has helped increase mid and major gift revenue and decrease donor value attrition for hundreds of non-profits worldwide that have adopted the “Veritus Way” of mid and major gifts.
Jeff is co-author of the award-winning Passionate Giving Blog, a regular contributor to NonProfit Pro, and author of two bestselling books, It’s Not JUST About the Money and It’s Not JUST About the Donors. A sought- after speaker, Jeff has delivered keynotes at top conferences like the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy International Conference and London’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising Convention.
Breakout Sessions:
Workshop Session 1:
Bryan Cayabyab, Build With You AI & LinkLocally
"The Solo Fundraiser's AI Co-Worker: A Retention Workflow You Can Run in 90 Minutes a Week"
Donor dollars are up. Donor counts are not. AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project shows it: roughly four out of five first-time donors never give a second gift. How many of last year’s new donors came back? The work that fixes that almost always sits on one person’s desk, and that person is already at capacity.
This workshop is for solo and small-shop fundraisers who can’t add headcount. You can’t hire another person, but you can add a co-worker who doesn’t need a salary or a desk. Together we’ll build a working retention loop: the outreach, the first thank-you, the 30-day check-in, the annual ask. We’ll use Claude, an AI assistant you direct in plain language. You stay in control and never hand it the wheel. I won’t give you an AI overview. We’ll write real prompts, generate real drafts, and edit them on the spot. Attendees will leave with usable artifacts they can send Monday, not a list of tools to evaluate next quarter.
Llahoma Jackson, JXN Strategies
"Fundraising Isn’t a Department: Building a Culture of Philanthropy Across Your Organization"
Fundraising is most successful when everyone understands they have a role in philanthropy. This session explores how managers and leaders can create the expectations, accountability, and support needed to build a culture of philanthropy. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen engagement and increase fundraising capacity.
Workshop Session 2:
Sarah Mueller, Granting Wishes Consulting
"How to Win Grants in a Changing Landscape"
The grant landscape has never been more competitive. Federal cuts, rising AI use, and surging application volume are changing the rules. This session offers an honest look at what is driving these shifts and practical strategies to help your organization stay competitive, build stronger funder relationships, and pursue grants more strategically.
Jeff Schreifels, Veritus Group
"7 Pillars of Fundraising"
After over a decade of partnering with thousands of non-profit organizations, there are certain, proven strategies that consistently make an impact on the organization’s ability to raise more major gifts and develop transformational relationships with donors. When fundraisers are able to be focused on working with the right donors and are developing strategic plans that align with the donor’s passions and interests, something magical happens. From this place, fundraisers are able to partner with their donors to work together to make an impact on one of the world’s greatest needs. In this session, participants will learn a data-proven system used by organizations around the world to create a relational major gifts program.