With session blocks and more than 30 presenters, the 2026 National Summit on Volunteer Engagement offers a powerful mix of emerging trends, leadership development, community engagement strategies, and the evolving role of technology—including AI—in volunteerism.
Agenda At-a-Glance
Tuesday, March 17
| 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm | Attendee Check-In Open |
Wednesday, March 18
| 8:00 am – 5:00 pm | Attendee Check-In Open |
| 9:00 am | Opening Session |
| 10:00 am – 4:30 pm | Workshops and Content |
| 5:00 pm | Networking Reception |
Thursday, March 19
| 9:00 am – 10:30 am | Workshops |
| 10:30 am – Noon | Exhibit Hall |
| 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm | Workshops and Content |
| TBD | Dinner will be served |
Friday, March 20
| 9:00 am – 2:00 pm | Content and Closing Session |
**Lunch will be served each day.
*All times are listed in local time (Pacific)
Day 1 Speakers – Wednesday, March 18
Session 1
- Beyond the Volunteer Day: Reimagining Corporate Partnerships for Real Impact
Sarah Middleton - Is AI Good or Bad? What You Think You Know Is Not the Reality!
Dana Litwin - From Scratch to Sustainable: Building Volunteer Committees that Reflect and Empower Diverse Communities
Hollis Sweet & Colin Lourenco - Interactive Training: Making Adult Learning Fun!
Harriett Edwards - Communicating Volunteer Impact – Telling the Whole Story
Tony Goodrow & Beth Steinhorn
Session 2
- Leadership Lab: Addressing Root Causes to Challenges in the Overall Volunteer Engagement Strategy
Megan Vixie - Rewriting the Rules: Volunteerism in a Changing World
Faiza Venzant, Niila Hebert & Becky Blumer - Building Community Remotely: How Little Free Library Leverages Digital Tools to Keep Over 200,000 Volunteers Engaged
Brianna Stapleton Welch & Marshall Kruger - Future-Proofing Organizational Volunteer Engagement
Wendy Johnson - Huddle Up! Inspire Your Volunteer Groups Through Simple Team Building
Gina Edwards
Session 3
- Evaluating Creatively: Tips and Strategies for Richer Feedback
Harriett Edwards & Ken Culp III - Change Starts with You: Driving Volunteer Engagement Through Leadership
Beth Steinhorn - Letting Go: Empower Your Team Through Delegation
Becky Lunders - Grace Under Pressure: Diffusing Challenges
Jennifer Weichel - From Drift to Devotion: Re-Engaging Lapsed Volunteers and Keeping Them
Mark Hopwood
Day 2 Speakers – Thursday, March 19
Session 1
- Accessible Volunteerism: Creating Inclusive Volunteer Opportunities for the Blind/Visually Impaired Community
Jennifer Bernstein - Building a Public Policy Agenda for Volunteerism
Jan Masaoka - 6C: A Contemporary Framework for Servant Leadership
Tray T.S. Deadwyler - You're Not Alone: Support, Resources & Real Talk for Volunteer Leaders
Wendy Johnson, Kristin Kraemer & Becky Blumer - Leading with Impact: Creating a Positive and Rewarding Volunteer Environment, Even in Challenging Times
Tyler Davis
Session 2
- Lifelong Purpose: Unlocking the Power of Older Adult Volunteers
Rebecca Nofi - Making the Case When the Case Keeps Changing: Advocating for Strategic Volunteer Engagement in a Shifting Sector
Beth Steinhorn, Betsy McFarland & Sue Carter Kahl - Bring Out the Best in Your Volunteers by Creating Supportive Environments for Effectiveness
Traci Lato-Smith - Lead the Change: Practical Strategies for Navigating Organizational Transitions in Volunteer Engagement
Amy Pinger - Mastering Recruitment and Retention in Diverse Populations
Niila Hebert
Session 3
- Volunteering and Culture: Understanding Global Perspectives Through Cultural Dimensions
Vladyslav Hryhorenko - Nice vs. Nerve: A Courageous Conversation on Leadership and Volunteer Engagement
Amira Barger - Actionable Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Volunteer Data
Tony Goodrow - The Power of Hope: A Catalyst for Action in Nonprofit Work
Amy Pinger - Neurodiversity and Volunteerism
Sarah Phillippe
Day 3 Speakers – Friday, March 20
You're not going to want to miss our special Day 3 on Friday! All presentations will be for all attendees in the main ballroom. There will be no breakout sessions.
Event Overview
2026 National Summit on Volunteer Engagement | March 18–20, 2026 | Sacramento Marriott Rancho Cordova
Join hundreds of volunteer engagement professionals from across the country for three days of connection, learning, and inspiration. The 2026 National Summit on Volunteer Engagement brings together practitioners, thought leaders, and partners who are shaping the future of volunteerism.
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Selection Process
Every speaker featured at the National Summit was selected through a rigorous proposal process led by the Summit Committee. Proposals were evaluated for their relevance to Summit outcomes, applicability to volunteer engagement professionals, presenter expertise, and budget considerations. The Committee sought a diverse slate of session formats—including workshops, panels, learning labs, debates, communities of practice, and experiential site visits—that take full advantage of the in-person experience in Sacramento. Presenters were encouraged from all levels of experience, and selected sessions reflect strong alignment with the Summit goals: fostering peer connection, advancing best practices, building skills and tools, and discussing issues of importance to the volunteer engagement field.
Read the Call for Proposals
