Recapping Elevate 2026, the Year’s Hottest Fundraising Events Conference

May 7, 2026

Recapping Elevate 2026, the Year’s Hottest Fundraising Events Conference

Over two incredible days in Portland, Oregon, we were privileged to experience a truly special gathering of fundraisers, event planners, and nonprofit leaders: Elevate 2026. Now that a couple of months have gone by, we’re looking back at what was a transformative conference, shaped by passionate people who care deeply about fundraising events that build movements and set aside their time and energy to help us make Elevate 2026 a smashing success.

We want to thank each and every one of you for joining us in Portland and virtually from home in March. We know that your schedules are already packed, and we are so grateful for all the new conversations, ideas, and connections you brought to the room.

We’re already thinking about next year’s event, so if you’re interested in attending Elevate 2027 or in being a speaker at the show, please reach out. We would be honored to have you.

Elevate Conference 2026, Day One

Even before the conference officially began, the space at Avenue Portland was electric, full of sponsors, vendors, and volunteers helping make it happen. DJ Avelanche was in the house keeping the vibe high with fun tunes. Benefit auctioneer Kelly Russell was our host and emcee, and at 9:00AM sharp, she was on stage to welcome guests and kick off the show in style.

Highlights from the first day included:

Swaim Strategies co-founders Samantha Swaim and Kristin Steele taking the stage with an opening keynote that explored the why behind fundraising events, diving into the science and art of gathering for a cause
Derria Ford asked us to be brave telling her story of how her organization used a creative approach to deal with an unexpected financial shortfall for their 50th anniversary gala
T. Clay Buck walking the audience through the latest research shaping the world of philanthropy now, from giving patterns and emerging trends to the strategies proven to work, emphasizing how fundraisers must view their donors as people living their values and identities through giving. His key takeaway: Stop asking and start inviting.

Ryan Goodwin and Mary Elizabeth sharing a powerful formula for event planning timelines, focusing on using your time as a key resource and planning with intentionality
Matthew Kerrigan, and the AV Department going behind the scenes to examine how event design creates a feeling that inspires generosity
A virtual session with Sarah Andrews focused on practical paths toward expanding event revenue through volunteer committees
A live recording session of The Fundraising Elevator podcast with hosts Kristin Steele and Samantha Swaim with guests T. Clay Buck and Cherian Koshy, which explored the neuroscience of giving

A day-one keynote by Kristin Steele that revealed the emotional architecture of successful nonprofit fundraising events, delving into how organizations can use storytelling design to craft an emotional arc for guests that leads to generosity
A panel with Jenna Watanabe, Kristin Steele, Frank Velásquez, Jr., and Derria Ford discussing how nonprofits can build on the trust offered by those who share their stories and honor their humanity while fundraising
A panel featuring Michelle Holman, Siri Lippy, Kim Bauman, and Beth Sandefur sponsored by our friends at Greater Giving, a conversation that explored the psychology and strategy behind benefit auctions
A series rapid-fire roundtable session that allowed guests to speak directly with vendors and event experts, getting answers to real, practical questions

The day closed with a special reception hosted by Greater Giving, where guests could talk person-to-person over food, drinks, and giveaways in a space that fostered new ideas and inspiring connections.

Elevate Conference 2026, Day Two

The second day of Elevate 2026 continued the show with another stellar lineup of speakers, panels, and workshop sessions that delivered even more insights and powerful stories.

Highlights included:

Mallory Erickson opening the day with a talk based in neuroscience, executive coaching, and behavior design, proving that fundraisers must learn to balance their own energy with their work so that they can bring their best, most authentic selves to the mission
An emotional event story from Beth McGorry, a veteran fundraiser who showed us how grounding events in joy and relationships leads to transformative results
A talk from Bradley Martin sponsored by Feathr that spanned the gap between digital strategy and human connection, exploring how technical concepts like cart abandonment, retargeting, geofencing, and others can pair with personal touches and direct, human-to-human connection to seal the deal
Mariah Monique joining via Zoom to share her insights into building sponsor relationships well in advance of your event so that the foundation of generosity is present when the moment of truth arrives
A panel discussion with Sama Shagaga, Beth McGorry, Erica Soto, and Brittini Lasseigne that shared perspectives from both sides of the sponsor relationship to reveal what partners really want and how fundraisers can turn one-time sponsorships into years-long partnerships
Pooya Pourak, CEO of MatchNice, bringing a prescient vision of donation matching that expanded beyond corporate employer benefits to achieve community-driven generosity
A highly interactive, audience-driven lunch keynote session from Frank Velásquez, Jr., that didn’t shy away from the difficult moments that inevitably come from essential conversations, showing how inclusiveness in the planning process leads to more powerful events

A talk from Samantha Swaim on the philosophy and science of the paddle raise, an essential element in the fundraiser’s toolkit that, when executed well, can make every guest feel important and make their gifts feel truly impactful
A live paddle raise demo by Kelly Russell, who showed the audience what a well-crafted special appeal looks like in terms of language, pacing, energy, and responding to the room
Steven Screen bringing the data in his quintessential warm, authentic style, revealing the strategies that are working today and exploring how pre-event mail, post-even email, and other tactics can strengthen relationships and lead to long-term fundraising success
A closing keynote from author Cherian Koshy (Neurogiving), whose extraordinary speech took us inside the donor brain to explore the science of attention, the feeling of belonging, how emotion shapes memory, and how what you do after an event can define donor relationships

Finally, Elevate 2026 closed with a highly entertaining auctioneer showdown hosted by Kelly Russell, the perfect high-energy encore to a riveting conference.

More from Elevate Conference 2026

Following the conference, we invited some of our partners and guests to participate in panel discussions for The Fundraising Elevator podcast.

The Planner Roundtable

Six talented event planners joined us to share their experiences in the world of fundraising events, discussing what’s working in a rapidly changing giving landscape.

The Auctioneer Roundtable

Ready to raise more money at your next event? This discussion features an exceptional crew of benefit auctioneers who explore trends and effective strategies that you can incorporate into your fundraising right away.

Thank You—and See You at Elevate Conference 2027!

We at Swaim Strategies are so grateful to everyone who helped make Elevate 2026 happen, from our vendor partners to our speakers, panel members, caterers, volunteers, and of course, our guests. You made this a truly special, unforgettable experience, and we hope you left feeling as inspired, educated, and motivated as we did. We know that traveling for a conference is a significant investment of time, money, and energy, and we do not take that for granted.

Thank you.

Special thanks to Artisan Auctions, The AV Department, AVENUE, Feathr, Greater Giving, OnPoint Community Credit Union, NW Natural, Arpeggio Digital, The Fundraising Event Co, The Cause Catalyst, Next Day Animation, Sojourn Ventures, Stephen Kilbreath Events, OneCause, Better Unite, Life Event Staffing, Streamline, Bloomerang, Amico Pr, Auction Packages, Gala Toolbox, GISI, Devil’s Food Catering, Arden, Balloon Gam, Andie Petkus Photography, Tom Cook Photo and DJ Avelanche. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Remember: Elevate 2027 takes place March 2-3, 2027 in Portland, Oregon. If you’re interested in joining us as guest, speaker, vendor, or sponsor, please get in touch with us.