ANA Nonprofit Forum

The ANA Nonprofit Forum is available in-person only. Select the ANA Nonprofit Forum among the available menu options when registering for the ANA's Advertising Day on Hill to attend.  

As part of the ANA’s Advertising Day on the Hill, the ANA Nonprofit Federation and the ANA Nonprofit Organizations Committee are gathering nonprofit marketers and fundraisers committed to advancing the future of nonprofit organizations for an intensive and rewarding day of knowledge sharing and networking. 

ANA Nonprofit Forum and Advertising Day on the Hill attendees will network with one another, hear from industry thought leaders, meet with policymakers, and participate in in-depth discussions on the issues impacting fundraising, donor support, and the future of philanthropic marketing.

May 12, 2026

9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. – Executive Roundtable 

The discussion will be moderated by the ANA Nonprofit Education Committee Chairs, Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry’s Karen Barr and ABD Direct’s Amy Bobrick. 

11:45 a.m.-11:55 a.m. – Welcome and Introductions

ANA Nonprofit Advisory Council Chair Dan Clasgens of DAV welcomes attendees. 

11:55 a.m.-12:10 p.m. – Nonprofit Policy Update 

12:15-12:45 – Lunch

12:45-1:30 – Influencer Marketing: The Time is Now

Imagine harnessing the full potential of the booming nearly $30 billion influencer marketing industry to catapult your engagement and digital acquisition success. For-profits have used this dynamic strategy for years; now you can see how nonprofits have unlocked its potential. It’s not if you should use influencer marketing, it’s when – and the time is now! 

Join Moore's Anna Anderson and Defenders of Wildlife's Laura Sheehan as we explore the potential of the market and how to execute a safe, effective influencer marketing strategy. 

Anna Anderson, Director of Communications Innovation, Moore
Laura Sheehan, SVP of External Affairs, Defenders of Wildlife

1:30-2:15 – The Empty Chair: Why Direct Response Belongs at the Major Gift Table (Download the Presentation)

There’s a seat at the major gift table that’s been empty for too long — and it belongs to direct response.

Major gift officers are stretched thin. Donors are busy. And in the space between personal touchpoints, too many programs go quiet when they should be cultivating. Meanwhile, direct response has evolved — particularly at the mid-level, where communications have become more sophisticated, more layered, and more emotionally resonant than ever. That sophistication doesn’t have to stop at an arbitrary gift threshold.

This session makes the case that direct response is the natural air cover for major gift cultivation — the strategic layer that keeps your organization present in a donor’s life without requiring a meeting, a phone call, or a calendar hold. We’ll share real examples of how integrating direct response into major gift strategy has deepened relationships and driven revenue, how to design campaigns that complement rather than compete with gift officer touchpoints, and how to navigate the practical realities that make collaboration tricky — revenue credit, team dynamics, and measuring what “worked” when two strategies are working together.

You’ll leave with:
• A framework for using direct response as intentional cultivation between major gift touchpoints.
• Real campaign examples where direct response has been effectively deployed in partnership with major gift teams.
• Practical strategies for navigating revenue credit, team collaboration, and cross-channel measurement.

Whether you live in the major gift world, the direct response world, or somewhere in between, you’ll leave with a new way of thinking about how these two disciplines can stop operating in silos and start making each other stronger.

Lindsay Marino Long, VP, Faircom NY 
Ishmam Raidah Rahman, Director, Audience and Donor Strategy, International Rescue Committee 

2:15-3:00 – Federal Grant Compliance in 2025 and 2026 (Download the Presentation)

With a new presidential administration in 2025 there have been a number of significant developments in the federal grants system. In this presentation, Venable LLP attorney Scott S. Sheffler will address the various changes and challenges from 2025 and early 2026, including key federal court cases reflecting important legal trends, certain executive orders impacting permissible grant-funded activities, Department of Justice guidance impacting nondiscrimination compliance and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities, evolving compliance frameworks for disadvantaged business enterprise preferences, and pending changes to the Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Mr. Sheffler will take questions throughout the session with a goal of making the presentation both informative and interactive.

Scott S. Sheffler, Esq., Venable LLP  

3:00-3:15 – Wrap Up with Karen Barr and Amy Bobrick

3:15-3:30 – Break 

3:30-4:15 – Self-Regulation and Ethics Panel 

4:15-5:00 – Keynote Speaker

Chris Mufarrige
Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission 

5:00-7:00 – Networking Reception

Join us to toast the 2026 ANA Nonprofit Excellence Awards winners — Consumer Reports’ Talib Nichiren, Faircom New York’s Corinne Servily, and Operation Warm. You’ll also meet your Advertising Day on the Hill group, pick up your informational packet with background on your Hill meetings, and receive the talking points to cover with Hill staff.