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 (formerly UMFS), 3900 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230
Event Schedule
12:00 PM — Registration Opens & Service Project 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 Central Virginia and VAFRE members receive special registration pricing. Members should use the discount code provided by their organization at checkout.
What to expect at NPD 2026
Service Project 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 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 focused sessions with community partners from across Central Virginia, followed by our keynote address with Evangeline Weiss. Additional session details and speakers will be announced soon.
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.
The National Philanthropy Day Awards Mixer will feature award recognition, networking, and a catered reception as we honor this year’s recipients of the:
- Emerging Philanthropic Leader Award
- Enduring Spirit of Philanthropy Award
- Outstanding Organizational Partner Award
- Volunteer Impact Award
Our 2026 National Philanthropy Day honorees will be announced soon!
Event venue & nearby stays
Shineforth (formerly UMFS), 3900 West Broad Street, Richmond, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.