About this Event
National Philanthropy Day® is an annual celebration presented nationwide by the Association of Fundraising Professionals to recognize and pay tribute to the contributions that philanthropy—and the people who make it possible—have made to our lives, communities, and world.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Central Virginia Chapter has proudly hosted National Philanthropy Day for more than 25 years, celebrating our region’s philanthropic spirit and recognizing the philanthropists, volunteers, businesses, organizations, and community leaders whose generosity and service strengthen Central Virginia and beyond.
This year, we’re expanding that tradition with a reimagined National Philanthropy Day experience centered on service, learning, connection, and celebration.
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Time: 12:00–7:00 PM
Location: Shineforth
Event Schedule
11:30 AM — Registration Opens
12:00–1:25 PM — Service & Learning with Sylvia’s Sisters
1:30–3:05 PM — Community-Focused Learning Sessions
3:15–4:20 PM — Keynote Address with Evangeline Weiss
4:30 PM — Awards Mixer Registration Opens
5:00–6:30 PM — Awards Recognition & Networking
7:00 PM — Event Concludes
Choose Your NPD Experience
Whether you spend the entire day with us or join us for one portion of the experience, there are three ways to participate:
Full NPD Experience
Includes the service project, boxed lunch, two community-focused learning sessions, keynote address with Evangeline Weiss, and National Philanthropy Day Awards Mixer.
NPD Conference
Includes the service project, boxed lunch, two community-focused learning sessions, and keynote address with Evangeline Weiss.
NPD Awards Mixer
Includes National Philanthropy Day award recognition, networking, and a catered reception.
AFP & VAFRE Members Save $20!
Registration is open to everyone, regardless of membership status. AFP Central Virginia and Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives (VAFRE) members receive $20 off any ticket option using the following promotional codes:
- AFP Member Code: AFPMember26
- VAFRE Member Code: VAFREMember26
Enter your applicable promotional code when registering to receive your discount.
Please note: Member discounts cannot be combined. If you belong to both organizations, please use one promotional code.
What to expect at NPD 2026
Service & Learning: Volunteer Engagement and Community Impact with Sylvia's Sisters
We will begin the day by putting service into action through a hands-on product packing project with Sylvia's Sisters, a Richmond-based nonprofit working to advance menstrual equity. Attendees will learn about the organization's grassroots approach to volunteer engagement, community partnerships, and advocacy, gaining insight into how these efforts support its mission and strengthen community impact.
Participants will then help pack period products for distribution through Sylvia's Sisters' network of schools, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and other community partners serving women and girls across Virginia.
Learning & Conversation
Following the service project and boxed lunch, we’ll gather for an afternoon of learning and conversation focused on fundraising, philanthropy, and our relationships with the communities we serve.
The afternoon will feature two sessions exploring community-centered philanthropy and organizational collaboration, followed by our keynote address with Evangeline Weiss.
Rethinking Philanthropic Partnerships
Daniel Fairley II, M.Ed.
Community Endowment Fund Program Manager, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
What does it take to build stronger relationships between funders, nonprofit organizations, and the communities they serve?
Daniel Fairley will lead a conversation exploring community-centered philanthropy and how trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility can shape more effective philanthropic partnerships.
The Power of Shared Resources
Nancy Toscano
Chief Executive Officer, Shineforth
What becomes possible when nonprofit organizations think beyond their individual walls?
Nancy Toscano will share insights from Shineforth's Generosity Collective, exploring how organizations can share resources, strengthen partnerships, and build capacity to better serve their communities.
What If We’re All in This?
Fundraising, Solidarity, and the Work of Building a More Just Future
Keynote with Evangeline Weiss
What if fundraising begins not with “How can we help?” but with “How are we in this together?”
Drawing on Lilla Watson’s reminder that “if your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together,” Evangeline Weiss invites us to look at fundraising through a lens of solidarity. What happens when we move beyond charity and toward relationships rooted in shared stakes, shared power, and mutual accountability?
Building on the day’s exploration of community-centric fundraising and service, this keynote invites fundraisers to consider not only how we raise money, but how we understand our relationship to the people, communities, and movements we ask others to invest in.
National Philanthropy Day Awards Mixer
We’ll end the day in celebration of the people and organizations making a difference throughout our region with the 2026 National Philanthropy Day Awards Mixer
Please join us in congratulating this year's honorees!
Emerging Philanthropic Leader: Sarah Arenstein Levy
Nominated by Community Foundation for a greater Richmond & Weinstein JCC
Enduring Spirit of Philanthropy: Terrell and Elliott Harrigan
Nominated by Virginia Commonwealth University
Outstanding Organizational Partner: SisterFund and Ujima Legacy Fund
Nominated by Community Foundation for a greater Richmond
Volunteer Impact: Judy Pahren
Nominated by YWCA Richmond
Volunteer Impact: Tim Ireland
Nominated by Children’s Hospital Foundation
Event venue & nearby stays
Shineforth (formerly UMFS), 3900 West Broad Street, Richmond, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.