2026 Nonprofit Summit

Alabama nonprofit leaders, we know you are feeling the pressure. A March 2025 study from the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that 85% of nonprofit leaders nationwide are already experiencing negative impacts from the political climate — and 94% expect those challenges to grow. While Alabama’s numbers may differ, the outlook is familiar: nonprofits are seeking legal guidance, new funding strategies, and ways to respond to unexpected federal challenges. Besides federal funding cuts, local foundations and donors are stretched thin, and many organizations are looking for new paths forward.

Join us for the 2026 Alabama Nonprofit Summit to help us reimagine and redefine our nonprofit sector. By collaborating, we can support one another during these uncertain times and help lessen the impact of future policies that may affect nonprofit organizations in our state.

Like AAN’s first statewide conference in 1997, and last year’s energizing gathering, this Summit is designed to build resilience, spark new ideas, and—this year—strengthen our collective voice into collective power, the conference theme.

Join us to:

• Dive into breakout sessions led by subject matter experts
• Clarify the difference between lobbying and advocacy
• Learn how to build and sustain coalitions
• Meet with legislators and elevate not just your voice but our voice
• Join or reconnect with your subsector affinity group
• Be inspired by keynote speaker Nick Valencia, a veteran independent journalist who will share his journey and remind us: Things happen for us, not to us.
  

Award-winning, independent journalist Nick Valencia will deliver our keynote address. With more than two decades of boots-on-the-ground reporting, Nick is known for leading with empathy and delivering impact. He is an award-winning storyteller and Founder of Nick Valencia News, an independent media project launched in June 2025. His journalism has earned him three Peabody Awards, an Emmy, and recognition as "TV Reporter of the Year" by the Atlanta Press Club. Most recently, he received the Bob and Jean Graetz Media Award for his civil rights and social justice journalism.

Don't miss Nick's keynote address, Things Happen For Us, Not To Us, where he will reflect on his journey of 19 years at CNN and how this chapter of his life closed unexpectedly. He will share why he believes things happen for us not to us and encourage nonprofit leaders to step up and lean in.

PBS PEO

LUCA

Alabama Self-Insured Worker's Comp Fund

BMSS

Interested in a sponsor exhibit space at our event? We have business and nonprofit rates. Please GO HERE to learn more or contact Danielle Dunbar, 205.963.7969, for more information.

The Nonprofit Summit offers the opportunity to interact with and get exposure to over 250 local, regional, and statewide nonprofit leaders. Various sponsorship levels are available to meet your organization’s goals.