Digital Strategy Summit
Week #1: June 17th and 18th
Week #2: June 23rd, 24th, and 25th
5 BIG DAYS giving you the latest digital strategy for nonprofits, advocacy, and social impact organizations.
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The Digital Strategy Summit is the place to connect with others and learn to create a bigger impact with digital strategy, innovation, and AI.
We build summits that focus on equipping you with real strategies that you can implement. Tactics that can impact your goals and tools that deliver tangible results for nonprofits and advocacy organizations.
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Training, strategy, & insights to expand your Digital Strategy.
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Streaming Live and Fully Interactive Online Summit.
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Sessions are recorded and available to stream on demand with Summit+ Pass
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Summit+ Pass attendees get access to a private group with Summit Resources, Recordings, and Resources.
Join solo or bring your team!
Teams get an automatic discount. 10% for 2, 20% for 3-4, and 30% off 5+
Everyone gets access to all of the live sessions, resources, on-demand recordings, and community group.
Sessions
Daily sessions:
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Week #1 Sessions June 17th, 18th, 19th
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Week #1 Sessions June 24th, 25th, 26th
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Sessions occur between 12 ET / 9 am PT and 6 ET / 3 PT
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Sessions include panels, case studies, strategy sessions, training, and workshops. — All to help your organization make a bigger impact on your goals.
Here is a list of tentative sessions
Daily Schedules updated June 5th and on rolling basis.
Daily sessions:
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State of Digital Strategy 2026
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From Inbox to Impact: Powering a Full-Funnel Strategy with CRM
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Fixing Your Website, Your Most Powerful Digital Channel
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Managing digital content-- a community discussion
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Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value
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How AI Agents Will Make Data Analysis Easier for Social Media Teams
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The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility
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Influencer 101 For Non-Profits
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Social Media Amplification Using AI
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What NOT to do after the First Gift: Insights from 100 Nonprofit Donations
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Relational Systems Strategy: How to Build Digital Infrastructure That Actually Moves People
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The Mistakes We Keep Making: Why digital transformation kept disappointing us, why we can’t afford to repeat the mistakes with AI, and what to do about it
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The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility
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Authentic Storytelling at Scale: How Mission-Driven Organizations Can Create Human-Centered Video Content Without Burning Out Their Teams
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Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value
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Beyond Translation: Meaning, Culture, and Human-Centered
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Communication in the Age of AI
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Claude Code everything! Setup, introduction, and liftoff of your everything-AI rocketship
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Everywhere at Once: How Nonprofits Can Thrive in the New Digital Media Landscape
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Building from Two Places: How to Run a Boutique Comms Practice Across Continents
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Fighting climate misinformation with an army of online volunteers
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How people with disabilities navigate the web, and how you can make your site more accessible.
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Maximize Your Fundraising Impact: Website Strategies to Drive Donations
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Human Behavior: Email Marketing Optimization through a Behavioral Science Lens
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Small changes, big impact: Simple website updates to boost engagement and drive action today
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Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Nonprofits and Campaigns
Meet People Where They're At - In the Digital Landscape
What to expect from a 6 Day Online Digital Strategy Summit?
Purposely designed for Nonprofits, Civic and Advocacy Organizations, Social Impact Organizations, Political Campaigns, Charities, Labor Unions, Foundations and their Grantees, Educational Institutions, Governmental Agencies, and International Organizations
Winning strategies, immediately applicable tactics, and case studies from organizations leading in social impact.
A digital-first experience — not stream a half-hearted stream from an in-person event.
Designed for busy professionals and teams. Easy access, access to resources, and watch on-demand for the sessions you can’t make.
Access to every speaker in Q&A and extensive options to follow up and connect.
What to expect from a 6 Day Online Digital Strategy Summit?
Purposely designed for Nonprofits, Civic and Advocacy Organizations, Social Impact Organizations, Political Campaigns, Charities, Labor Unions, Foundations and their Grantees, Educational Institutions, Governmental Agencies, and International Organizations
Sessions
Daily sessions:
-
Week #1 Sessions June 17th, 18th, 19th
-
Week #1 Sessions June 24th, 25th, 26th
-
Sessions occur between 12 ET / 9 am PT and 6 ET / 3 PT
-
Sessions include panels, case studies, strategy sessions, training, and workshops. — All to help your organization make a bigger impact on your goals.
Here is a list of tentative sessions
Daily Schedules updated June 5th and on rolling basis.
Daily sessions:
-
State of Digital Strategy 2026
-
From Inbox to Impact: Powering a Full-Funnel Strategy with CRM
-
Fixing Your Website, Your Most Powerful Digital Channel
-
Managing digital content-- a community discussion
-
Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value
-
How AI Agents Will Make Data Analysis Easier for Social Media Teams
-
The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility
-
Influencer 101 For Non-Profits
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Social Media Amplification Using AI
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What NOT to do after the First Gift: Insights from 100 Nonprofit Donations
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Relational Systems Strategy: How to Build Digital Infrastructure That Actually Moves People
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The Mistakes We Keep Making: Why digital transformation kept disappointing us, why we can’t afford to repeat the mistakes with AI, and what to do about it
-
The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility
-
Authentic Storytelling at Scale: How Mission-Driven Organizations Can Create Human-Centered Video Content Without Burning Out Their Teams
-
Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value
-
Beyond Translation: Meaning, Culture, and Human-Centered
-
Communication in the Age of AI
-
Claude Code everything! Setup, introduction, and liftoff of your everything-AI rocketship
-
Everywhere at Once: How Nonprofits Can Thrive in the New Digital Media Landscape
-
Building from Two Places: How to Run a Boutique Comms Practice Across Continents
-
Fighting climate misinformation with an army of online volunteers
-
How people with disabilities navigate the web, and how you can make your site more accessible.
-
Maximize Your Fundraising Impact: Website Strategies to Drive Donations
-
Human Behavior: Email Marketing Optimization through a Behavioral Science Lens
-
Small changes, big impact: Simple website updates to boost engagement and drive action today
-
Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Nonprofits and Campaigns
Meet People Where They're At - In the Digital Landscape
Winning strategies, immediately applicable tactics, and case studies from organizations leading in social impact.
A digital-first experience — not stream a half-hearted stream from an in-person event.
Designed for busy professionals and teams. Easy access, access to resources, and watch on-demand for the sessions you can’t make.
Access to every speaker in Q&A and extensive options to follow up and connect.
Sessions
Daily sessions:
-
Week #1 Sessions June 17th and 18th
-
Week #1 Sessions June 23rd, 24th, and 25th
-
Sessions occur between 12 ET / 9 am PT and 6 ET / 3 PT
-
Sessions include panels, case studies, strategy sessions, training, and workshops. — All to help your organization make a bigger impact on your goals.
Here is the latest daily schedule we are currently adding all session details.
Wednesday June 17th
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The State of Digital Strategy for Nonprofits and Advocacy @ 1 ET / 10 am PT
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Human Behavior: Email Marketing Optimization through a Behavioral Science Lens @ 2 ET / 11 am PT
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Everywhere at Once: How Nonprofits Can Thrive in the New Digital Media Landscape @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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Claude Code everything! Setup, introduction, and liftoff of your everything-AI rocketship @ 4 ET / 1 PT
Thursday June 18th
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How to pivot your writing to appear in AI Answers @ 12 ET / 9 am PT
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How AI Agents Will Make Data Analysis Easier for Social Media Teams @ 1 ET / 10 am PT
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Influencer 101 For Non-Profits @ 2 ET / 11 am PT
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How people with disabilities navigate the web, and how you can make your site more accessible. @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Nonprofits and Campaigns @ 4 ET / 1 PT
Tuesday June 23rd
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The Mistakes We Keep Making: Why digital transformation kept disappointing us, why we can’t afford to repeat the mistakes with AI, and what to do about it @ 12 ET / 9 am PT
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Analyzing your Organizational Digital Strategy with the 3 Pillars @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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Digital Ads Strategy in 2026 @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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Creator Campaign Impact Measurement: Moving Beyond Vanity Metrics @ 4 ET / 1 PT
Wednesday June 24th
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Small changes, big impact: Simple website updates to boost engagement and drive action today @ 12 ET / 9 am PT
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Social Media Amplification Using AI @ 1 ET / 10 am PT
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The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility @ 2 ET / 11 am PT
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Building from Two Places: How to Run a Boutique Comms Practice Across Continents @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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Relational Systems Strategy: How to Build Digital Infrastructure That Actually Moves People @ 4 ET / 1 PT
Thursday June 25th
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Authentic Storytelling at Scale: How Mission-Driven Organizations Can Create Human-Centered Video Content Without Burning Out Their Teams @ 12 ET / 9 am PT
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Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value @ 1 ET / 10 am PT
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Meet People Where They're At @ 2 ET / 11 am PT
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Beyond Translation: Meaning, Culture, and Human-Centered Communication in the Age of AI @ 3 ET / 12 PT
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From Inbox to Impact: Powering a Full-Funnel Strategy with CRM @ 4 ET / 1 PT
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What NOT to do after the First Gift: Insights from 100 Nonprofit Donations @ 5 ET / 2 PT
Winning strategies, immediately applicable tactics, and case studies from organizations leading in social impact.
A digital-first experience — not stream a half-hearted stream from an in-person event.
Designed for busy professionals and teams. Easy access, access to resources, and watch on-demand for the sessions you can’t make.
Access to every speaker in Q&A and extensive options to follow up and connect.
What to expect from a 5 Day Online Digital Strategy Summit?
Purposely designed for Nonprofits, Civic and Advocacy Organizations, Social Impact Organizations, Political Campaigns, Charities, Labor Unions, Foundations and their Grantees, Educational Institutions, Governmental Agencies, and International Organizations
The State of Digital Strategy for Nonprofits and Advocacy
2 ET / 11 am PT
Brad Caldana
Founder @ Center for Digital Strategy
Garima Verma
Sr Organizational Strategist
Salim Shariff
Founder & Partner Radicle Digital
Key Takeaways:
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Real takes from strategists on the state of Digital Strategy for Nonprofits and Advocacy Organizations
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Making sense of all of the noise and daily updates.
Human Behavior: Email Marketing Optimization through a Behavioral Science Lens
2 ET / 11 am PT
Nyaka Mwanza
Founder and Principal Creative Strategist @ En Em Communications
Key Takeaways:
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Design elements to influence behavior and decision-making
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Ways to reduce friction and move people along your engagement pipeline
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How to leverage every email as a fundraising email
If you ever get close to a human and human behavior...you'll notice patterns and predictable ways of being that we all share. Behavioral science is an interdisciplinary field of study comprising psychology, anthropology, behavioral economics, and sociology. It examines human actions, decision-making, and social interactions to understand, predict, and influence behavior ideally for good, e.g. improving public policy, healthcare, and organizational effectiveness. In this session, we'll discuss a few behavioral science principles that can be applied to nonprofit digital marketing communications to drive cause-related mission success.
1. All Neon Like: Impactful Design From color theory and color psychology to accessibility and emotionality -- learn how design plays into successful email strategy and improved outcomes.
2. Possibly Maybe: Persuasion Persuade action and opinion by crafting clear, compelling copy with distinct points that speak to the person who's reading it
3. You'll Be Given Love: Gratitude and Greetings for Fundraising Storytelling, advocacy, content marketing -- every email to your audience is an opportunity to generate donations. Glean actionable ways to fundraise through marketing communiqués.
Everywhere at Once: How Nonprofits Can Thrive in the New Digital Media Landscape
3 ET / 12 PT
Erika Gulija Senior Vice President @ New Heights Communications
Key Takeaways:
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2026 media shifts — what fragmentation means for nonprofit communications.
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A channel‑prioritization model — how to decide where your organization actually needs to be.
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A content‑repurposing system — create once, distribute everywhere with intention.
The 2026 digital media ecosystem is more fractured than ever—audiences now bounce between short‑form video, online community forums, creator‑driven platforms, and curated feeds that shift by the month. For nonprofits, this explosion of platforms can feel overwhelming, especially when your team is small and your mission is big. This session breaks down what’s changed, why attention is harder to earn, and how organizations can adapt without chasing every trend or burning out their staff.
You’ll learn a practical, resource‑smart approach to showing up consistently across today’s scattered media environment. We’ll cover how to prioritize platforms, repurpose content intelligently, and use lightweight systems and AI‑powered workflows to extend your reach. Attendees will leave with a clear roadmap for authentically reaching your target audiences—no matter where they spend their time.
Claude Code everything! Setup, introduction, and liftoff of your everything-AI rocketship
4 ET / 1 PT
Jordan Krueger
Founder & CEO @ CampaignHelp
Key Takeaways:
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How to set up Claude Code and starting using it – anyone can do it!
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How to use Claude Code to build a website, tool, presentation, and more
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Best practices for data security, setup, ongoing management, and tool integration with Claude Code
"Claude Code" sound scary. It looks scary. It's in the terminal! 👻 But it's way easier than you think, and of all the AI tools, it's the most extensible, the most flexible, and the most capable. In this session, I'll take you from installation to orientation and way beyond, showing you how you can use Claude Code for everything, whether you want to actually code software or not.
Websites? Yes. Presentations? Yes. Proposals? Yes. Research projects, single-page explainers, essays? YES YES YES.
Get ready to make Claude Code your everyday ride-or-die, all while making sure you're safely managing your data, setting up useful memory, and so much more.
How to pivot your writing to appear in AI Answers
12 ET / 9 am PT
Katherine Ong
Founder @ WO Strategies
Key Takeaways:
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How Google and Bing's AI Overviews Work
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How LLMs generate their answers and why they link to some brands and not others
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How LLMs generate their answers and why they link to some brands and not others
The organic traffic arena has radically changed with the integration of LLMs and AI. Whether or not your nonprofit has pivoted to appear in these places or not, this session will cover what we know about what it takes to appear in organic search and social, and will give you direction about where you should focus when it comes to AI Answers in search and social media.
This session will walk through how AI integration into the platforms works and conclude with key steps you can take to assess how well your brand appears and what you can do from technical, outreach, and writing standpoints to increase your visibility on these AI surfaces.
How AI Agents Will Make Data Analysis Easier for Social Media Teams
1 ET / 10 am PT
Thomas Kramer
Thomas Kramer, Co-Founder & CEO @ Measure Studio
Key Takeaways:
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Learn how AI agents differ from traditional analytics and automation tools
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See real-world applications for social media reporting, trend detection, and performance analysis
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Know which skills and workflows social teams need to thrive
Social media teams are drowning in data, but insight remains elusive. Between dashboards, metrics, and campaign reporting, the gap between raw numbers and actionable strategy has never been wider.
This session explores how the next generation of AI agents is set to close that gap. Unlike traditional analytics tools that require analysts to ask the right questions, AI agents proactively surface trends, flag anomalies, generate reports, and recommend actions in plain language. For social media teams, this means less time wrestling with spreadsheets and more time doing the creative, strategic work that actually moves the needle.
Attendees will leave with a clear picture of where AI-assisted analysis is today, where it is heading, and how forward-thinking social teams can start building workflows that turn data overload into competitive advantage.
Influencer 101 For Non-Profits
2 ET / 11 am PT
VP of Influencer @ People First
Ryan Davis
Founder & CEO @ People First
Key Takeaways:
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How traditional influencer marketing works.
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The type of content successful social impact groups are making with creators.
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How your creator content can power your paid and organic social media
Influencer marketing allows nonprofits to reach audiences through trusted voices rather than traditional advertising. Since 2019, People First has run more social impact creator campaigns than any agency in the field. In this session, we will cover the fundamentals of running successful campaigns, including how to choose the right creators, structure partnerships, and develop content that resonates with online audiences. Participants will leave with practical best practices they can apply to their own campaigns.
How people with disabilities navigate the web, and how you can make your site more accessible.
3 ET / 12 PT
Marcy Rye
Founder & CEO @ Wired Media
Key Takeaways:
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Understand how people with disabilities navigate the web
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Know how to write Alt text correctly
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Understand the basics of making accessible PDFs and where to get more details
Approximately 20% o the population lives with some sort of disability. And according to WebAIM (https://webaim.org/projects/million/) testing of 1 million home pages shows an average of 51 accessibility errors per page.
This workshop will show how people with different types of disabilities navigate the web and some of the challenges they encounter with inaccessible websites. And it will provide training and resources for how to create more accessible content on the web. Not only is making your website accessible to all the right thing to do, it offers other benefits such as increased audience reach, GEO/AEO/SEO improvements, and avoidance of potential lawsuits. And overall, an accessible website generally provides a better experience for everyone — making it easier to convey your mission, why it matters, and why people should help.
Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Nonprofits and Campaigns
4 ET / 1 PT
Janedra Sykes
Principal @ Core Clarity Coaching
Cat Shieh
Chief of Staff @ Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
Mira Weinstein
Principal @ Organizing to Win
Key Takeaways:
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Recognize hidden characteristics of white supremacy culture
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Tools to disrupt white supremacy culture in your workplace
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New relationships with leaders and activists who are disrupting white supremacy culture in their workplaces and campaigns
With 600 years of learned oppression in our history, white supremacy culture shows up when we least expect it. We learn early on that certain ways to do things are always right. That conditioning shows up in our content, campaigns, projects, organizations, and even our mission statements. We might even say "everyone knows. . . "
In this interactive session, we'll:
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Review the characteristics of white supremacy culture (as outlined by Tema Okun)
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Discuss when they show up and we didn’t even know it
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Review and discuss examples that are all too common but often misunderstood
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Brainstorm alternatives that disrupt white supremacy culture instead of perpetuating it
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Build relationships with other leaders and activists committed to an anti-racist future
There will also be opportunities to apply the learning in your context and ask questions.
To truly live out our values, we must examine what we think is right and take action when it’s not. This session will help identify characteristics of white supremacy culture in real life and online and provide opportunities to disrupt them.
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The Mistakes We Keep Making: Why digital transformation kept disappointing us, why we can’t afford to repeat the mistakes with AI, and what to do about it
12 ET / 9 am PT
Ryann Miller
Founder @ Spark and Signal
Key Takeaways:
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Understand why many digital transformation efforts created burnout, resistance and poor adoption instead of lasting organizational change
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Recognize the patterns nonprofits are beginning to repeat with AI and learn how to identify signs of “human debt” inside teams, workflows and decision-making
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Leave with practical approaches for building greater alignment, clearer decision-making and healthier, more sustainable AI adoption practices across their organization
AI is moving faster than most nonprofits’ ability to navigate change. Many organizations are repeating the same patterns that weakened past digital transformation efforts: tool-first thinking, unclear purpose, low alignment, burnout and underestimating the human impact of technology change.
For years, nonprofits treated transformation as a technical upgrade instead of an organizational and cultural shift. The result was frustration, poor adoption, mistrust and exhausted teams carrying the hidden costs of constant change. Now AI is raising the stakes.
This session explores the recurring mistakes nonprofits make when approaching technology change and what leaders and teams need to do differently before AI amplifies the same organizational problems at greater speed and scale. Participants will explore the idea of “human debt” and learn practical ways to build stronger alignment, healthier decision-making and more sustainable approaches to AI adoption across teams and organizations.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach AI not just as a tool decision, but as an organizational, leadership and operational challenge that requires new ways of working together.
Analyzing your Organizational Digital Strategy with the 3 Pillars
2 ET / 11 am PT
Founder @ Center for Digital Strategy
Digital Ads Strategy in 2026
3 ET / 12 PT
Myles Bugbee
Founder & Principal @ Persuasion & Pixels
Key Takeaways:
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More details coming
Lori Oppusom
Creator Campaign Impact Measurement: Moving Beyond Vanity Metrics
4 ET / 1 PT
Ashwath Narayanan
CEO & Co-Founder @ Social Currant
Key Takeaways:
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Shares, saves, and comment analysis tell you far more about whether content is actually resonating than just likes and views
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When it comes to politics & advocacy, viewers trust the message because they trust the messenger
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Beyond audience reach, it's worth tracking whether this work makes creators themselves more engaged and vocal on these issue areas.
Creators are effective political messengers because of the parasocial relationships they build with audiences over time, something no ad can replicate. With 2 in 5 Gen Z-ers getting news from creators, political organizations have a real opportunity to reach people through that existing trust. The problem is that most campaigns are still measuring this work with outdated frameworks, optimizing for likes and views rather than metrics that actually signal impact.
Better measurement starts with prioritizing shares and saves over passive engagement like views. Shares signal that someone is putting their personal stamp on content or sparking a conversation, while saves indicate intent to return. Comment sections are another underutilized resource, and going beyond basic sentiment analysis into topic modeling reveals whether a message is actually landing the way a campaign intended.
Finally, measuring how creator campaigns affect the creators themselves matters too. Are they becoming more confident, vocal, and politically active as a result of this work? That's a harder question to answer, but it points to whether the work is building something durable. The bottom line: audiences trust the message because they trust the messenger, and it's time campaigns started measuring that relationship.
Small changes, big impact: Simple website updates to boost engagement and drive action today
12 ET / 9 am PT
Ouassim Sadellah
CIO/Founder @ IndieTech Solutions
Director of Digital Strategy @ IndieTech Solutions
Key Takeaways:
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Identify and implement five specific website updates that improve usability, accessibility, and calls-to-action.
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Evaluate their own website’s navigation, links, and metadata to uncover opportunities for quick, meaningful improvements.
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Better understand concepts behind user experience and accessibility to think more critically about their website and audiences.
Nonprofit websites often need to serve many purposes with limited time and resources. The good news is that your website doesn’t need a total overhaul to make a stronger impact; small, practical improvements can make a big difference. In this session, we’ll share five low-effort, high-impact updates you can make to improve usability, increase accessibility, and strengthen calls-to-action on your website today. These easy wins help nonprofits get more out of their websites while avoiding the cost and challenges of a full redesign.
This session is ideal for small nonprofit leaders, web content managers, communications staff, and anyone responsible for maintaining or improving a website without extensive technical resources. Encore Session Presented at Netroots Nation 2026 as well!
Social Media Amplification Using AI
1 ET / 10 am PT
Nora Brathol
Founder & CEO @ Arka Pana Consulting
Key Takeaways:
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Turn supporters into multipliers (not just audience members)
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Streamline coalition/partner communications
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Demonstrations of AI tools SoSha, Lovable, and Change Agent
After this session, you'll be able to build a social media amplification system that scales authentic voice, protects your organization's brand, and makes it easier for your audience to take action. This session showcases practical workflows that turn supporters into messengers, ease the manual burden of coalition amplification on social, and leverage purpose-built AI that understands your mission, not just generic prompts.
You'll see live demonstrations of SoSha's supporter mobilization toolkits, a custom-built daily social media digest that curates relevant content automatically, and a purpose-driven LLM. Leave with replicable strategies that balance speed with authenticity—because in 2026, winning on social media goes far beyond content volume.
The Hidden Brand Problem: Why Tone Inconsistencies Are Costing You Credibility
2 ET / 11 am PT
Principal/Editorial Director @ Right Touch Editing
Key Takeaways:
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The difference between voice and tone—and why both matter
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How to map your organization's tone across three dimensions
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How to adjust tone for different audiences, message, contexts, and platforms
Most first-time donors never give again. Not because they don't believe in your mission, but because something feels off. That something is often tone inconsistency. When your social media screams urgency, your newsletter is breezy, and your thank-you letter reads like a receipt, donors sense the disconnect even if they can't name it. The result? Eroded trust, disengaged supporters, and lost donations.
In this session, you'll learn how to identify and fix the tone inconsistencies that are quietly undermining your credibility. You'll discover how to perform a tone audit to pinpoint your biggest problem areas and leave with practical strategies for scaling consistency across your team and across every communications channel, helping your organization sound less robotic and more human
Building from Two Places: How to Run a Boutique Comms Practice Across Continents
3 ET / 12 PT
Founder & CEO @ AKP Alliance
Key Takeaways:
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A reframe of slow travel as a business strategy: how longer stays in one place sharpen client work, deepen audience instinct, and build a more durable
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An operational framework for designing client trust across time zones, including which communications stay synchronous, which go async, and how to position the model to clients as a strength rather than a constraint.
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An infrastructure checklist for running a US-based comms practice from outside the US, covering banking, international health insurance, contractor management, visa logistics, and the financial planning most consultants don't account for until it's urgent.
Most advice for location-independent work comes from the digital nomad lane: short stays, light client loads, lifestyle-first. That model doesn't hold for comms practitioners running serious work for serious clients. This session is for solo operators, boutique agency leads, and small in-house teams designing a practice that can hold two cities without dropping the standard of work that built it.
Drawing on a live case study of running a strategic comms consultancy between the DMV and Cape Town, this session walks through the operational systems that make a bi-continental practice actually work:
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Designing client trust across time zones (when async deepens the work and when it breaks it)
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The infrastructure checklist most consultants skip until it costs them (banking, insurance, contracts, tax positioning, residency)
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Building a contractor team across geographies without losing editorial discipline
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Choosing slow travel over constant motion, and why that choice strengthens client work instead of fragmenting it
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Communicating the model to clients so it reads as strength, not absence
This is not a session about leaving the US to work from a beach. It is a session about treating place as a strategic decision and designing the operational systems that let a small comms practice scale without sacrificing depth.
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Relational Systems Strategy: How to Build Digital Infrastructure That Actually Moves People
4 ET / 1 PT
Founder & Principal @ TERSHA
Key Takeaways:
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Understand why digital strategy breaks down in real organizations
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Narrative alignment tools that help teams communicate clearly across programs, campaigns, and digital channels.
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A systems based method for diagnosing digital strategy breakdowns and designing people centered workflows.
Most digital strategies fail not because of weak tools, but because the systems around them—workflows, decision‑making, narrative alignment, and team culture—aren’t built for real people. This session introduces Relational Systems Strategy, a practical, equity‑centered approach that blends digital strategy, narrative design, and organizational learning to help nonprofits and advocacy teams build infrastructure that is humane, scalable, and effective.
Participants will learn how to design people‑centered workflows and use narrative as connective tissue across campaigns, programs, and digital channels.
What we’ll cover:
- Why digital strategy breaks down in real organizations
- How to build workflows that reduce friction and increase agency
- How narrative clarity accelerates digital engagement and team alignment
This session is designed for digital strategists, nonprofit leaders, advocacy teams, and anyone responsible for turning ideas into action across complex systems.
Authentic Storytelling at Scale: How Mission-Driven Organizations Can Create Human-Centered Video Content Without Burning Out Their Teams
12 ET / 9 am PT
Benjamin Ryan Nathan
Founder & Director / Producer @ ALL OF US FILMS
Key Takeaways:
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How to identify stories that create emotional connection and audience trust
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How to use authentic storytelling for fundraising and inspiring action
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Common mistakes that weaken nonprofit storytelling impact
Most nonprofits and social impact organizations know they need consistent video storytelling, but many teams are overwhelmed by the cost, time, and production demands required to create meaningful content regularly.
At the same time, audiences are increasingly tuning out overly polished marketing and AI-generated messaging that feels generic or emotionally disconnected.
In this session, filmmaker and ALL OF US FILMS founder Benjamin Ryan Nathan shares practical documentary storytelling strategies that help organizations create authentic, emotionally resonant video content sustainably – even with limited budgets and small teams.
Drawing from work produced with organizations including the United Nations Environment Programme, NRDC, Sesame Workshop, Human Rights First, National Dance Institute, educational institutions, arts organizations, and grassroots nonprofits, this session explores how mission-driven organizations can:
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uncover stronger human stories inside their own communities
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create video systems that are sustainable instead of exhausting
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use remote and low-lift production workflows effectively
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avoid common mistakes that make nonprofit videos feel performative or generic
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maintain authenticity while incorporating AI and new digital tools responsibly
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produce content that supports fundraising, donor trust, advocacy, and audience engagement
Attendees will leave with practical ideas they can implement immediately, regardless of organization size or production experience.
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Secure the Whole Mission: Cyber Security is an Organizational Value
1 ET / 10 am PT
Steve Sharer
Co-Founder & CEO @ RipRap Security
Key Takeaways:
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Understand the overlooked security risks across nonprofit departments
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Gain technical recommendations to secure internal processes
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Leave with an actionable framework to build internal trust, secure sensitive data, and turn robust security practices into mission resilience
*Everyone* across a nonprofit is making security decisions daily, whether they know it or not. Join Steve Sharer from RipRap Security, a cyber security partner for progressive nonprofits and B Corps, to challenge the notion that cyber security is strictly an issue for your organization’s IT team.
Attendees will explore a specialized framework for engaging three critical departments – Communications, Finance, and Development – to mitigate high-impact risks that often fly under the radar. From leveraging email authentication to boost newsletter deliverability to implementing tiered financial controls that stop payment fraud, this session will be a practical playbook for transforming security into a shared organizational value.
Meet People Where They're At
2 ET / 11 am PT
Tania Roa
Social Media & Content Strategist
Key Takeaways:
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Learn how to choose which platforms work best for your audience.
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See how to create a digital strategy that inspires people to take action.
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Identify when to use AI and when not to.
General digital strategy for nonprofits, that feeds into community building, organizing, and fundraising, relies on your organization showing up where it matters. If your target audience is on a different platform, where you aren't active, you're both missing out. Potential donors and action-takers miss out on supporting a cause they care about, and your organization misses out on potential clients.
Learn how to create a basic template for your digital strategy, rooted in people and the planet. (Spoiler alert: that might mean using less AI).
Beyond Translation: Meaning, Culture, and Human-Centered Communication in the Age of AI
3 ET / 12 PT
Erika Gaitán
Senior Account Executive @ Vanguard Communications
Key Takeaways:
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Understand the benefits and limitations of AI in multilingual communication
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Recognize the importance of cultural context in translation
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Distinguish between literal translation and culturally appropriate messaging
Explore how AI is transforming multilingual communication and translation while highlighting the importance of cultural nuance, context, and human connection. This session will discuss opportunities, challenges, and best practices for communicating meaningfully across languages in an increasingly AI-driven world.
From Inbox to Impact: Powering a Full-Funnel Strategy with CRM
4 ET / 1 PT
Maïca Bhatt
Sr Director of Digital Strategy @ Teal Media
Key Takeaways:
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Why CRM & email still matter in the rapidly changing digital channel ecosystem
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Data management & hygiene fundamentals
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Deliverability best practices & smart segmentation
In this practical session, we will explore why a strong CRM and email program is the foundation of a successful digital strategy. We’ll focus on what it takes to build and manage that foundation well, from clean data and smart segmentation to sustainable email practices that drive results. You’ll walk away with clear, actionable strategies to strengthen your core program and set every channel up for success.
What NOT to do after the First Gift: Insights from 100 Nonprofit Donations
5 ET / 2 PT
Patty Breech
Founder and CEO @ The Purpose Collective
Key Takeaways:
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Timely donor follow-up helps build stronger supporter relationships.
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A smooth donation process is essential for donor trust.
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Personalized thank-yous help nonprofits stand out.
We made 100 donations to 100 different nonprofits, and then recorded what happened next. The results will surprise you. How many organizations sent us a thoughtful thank-you message? How many ignored us completely until December, when they wanted money again? How many couldn’t even take our donation in the first place, because their online giving form wasn’t working? Which ones sent us tasteful postcards that stood out from the pile of paper mail that suddenly filled our mailbox?
This session will give you a real world view of what donors are experiencing from the nonprofit world, and teach you how to make sure your organization stands out from the rest. Drawing on our study of giving to 100 organizations across 11 causes areas, with budgets ranging from under $500k to over $100M, we’ll tell you what responses we loved, which ones we hated, and how you can make sure your donors will feel loved and appreciated after every gift, no matter how small.
We’ll share free and low-cost ways to shine in the world of donor communications. Take it from us: it’s not hard to do, and nobody’s doing it well! You can easily provide an amazing donor experience that will create a lasting impression in your donor’s hearts and minds.
Summit FAQ
Yes, to make the event as accessible as possible we offer our summits completely online so people can join from anywhere in the world.
Yes, all sessions will be recorded and available to Summit+ Pass holders.
With your Summit+ Pass you can access all All Live Sessions + Access to On-Demand Recordings, Speaker Resources & Toolkits, Private Peer Networking Group, Slides & Chat Notes All available for 4 months.Yes! This event will give attendees, sponsors, and speakers the chance to connect. Live session attendees can join and connect in the session chat.
Summit+ Pass attendees also have the opportunity to connect in a private online group.
You can pay with a credit card using the register link.
If you need to pay with an online check or invoice please email: support@centerfordigitalstrategy.com
Yes, we offer scholarships for individuals and organizations who need them for Summit+ Passes
.Please complete the form here.
Like any live event, the content and schedules are subject to change because the speakers are humans, and technology will always be complicated.
Summit+ Pass
On-Demand Access: All sessions are recorded and available for on-demand streaming, so your entire team can learn at their own pace.
Resources: Get access to speaker resources, chat info, and links.
Private Group: Join the AI for Nonprofits and Advocacy Summit private group to connect with attendees and speakers during and after the event.
Recordings and resources remain available for 4 months, barring any recordings or hosting issues.1 Week prior to the event you will be added to a Zoom Event
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You can use your normal Zoom login
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Come and go on your own schedule.
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Only one person can use the Zoom link.
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If someone else wants to join live, have them register separately.
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Updates from support@centerfordigitalstrategy.com
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You'll receive an invite to Google Calendar events for each session.
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We'll send daily updates from support@centerfordigitalstrategy.com
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Make sure to add the Center for Digital Strategy to Contacts
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Summit+ Access
You'll receive a group invite 1 week prior to the event
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Plus an on-demand page where all of the recordings and resources will be hosted.
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Still have questions?
Email to support@centerfordigitalstrategy.com