The 2027 True Charity Summit
April 21–23, 2027
Great Lakes, West Michigan
The True Charity Summit is an annual conference of charity practitioners from nonprofits and churches seeking best practices for effective charity.
We believe that every person is created with purpose, with dignity, with worth… by design.
This three-day event will equip leaders, staff, and volunteers in poverty alleviation ministry with the tools and training for more impactful charity that honors the image of God in each person.
2026 Recap: Keynote Speakers
Michael Matheson Miller
About Michael
Michael Matheson Miller has spent more than two decades questioning conventional assumptions about poverty and advocating for approaches grounded in human dignity, local capacity, and lasting flourishing. As Senior Research Fellow and Chief of Strategic Initiatives at the Acton Institute, he brings a unique lens that combines economics, ethics, and human development — helping nonprofits, churches, and communities rethink what it really means to help.
He is best known for directing and producing the award-winning Poverty, Inc., a powerful documentary exposing how well-intentioned aid can inflict long-term harm by fostering dependency — and making the case instead for aid shaped by enterprise, dignity, and local initiative. He also created influential video series such as PovertyCure, The Good Society, and The Gospel of Work, all of which explore how social capital, local institutions, and economic opportunity can help communities flourish.
Rachel Ferguson
About Rachel
Rachel Ferguson advocates for community-driven, highly relational solutions to poverty, combining deep philosophical insight with years of hands-on work in her hometown of St. Louis, MO. Through her leadership with LOVEtheLOU and Gateway to Flourishing, she advances locally rooted, entrepreneurial approaches that strengthen social connectedness and equip neighborhoods to flourish from within.
She is the Director of the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University Chicago, Assistant Dean of the College of Business, and Professor of Business Ethics. Rachel is also an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute and co-author of Black Liberation Through the Marketplace. As a dedicated True Charity Network member and ambassador, she is committed to poverty solutions that honor human dignity, emphasize personal capacity, and foster long-term, community-led transformation.
James Whitford
About James
James Whitford draws on more than 25 years of direct work with individuals in poverty to advocate for privately funded, challenge-oriented, outcomes-driven charity. In 2000, he and his wife, Marsha, co-founded Watered Gardens Ministries in Joplin, MO, where they shifted from a traditional handout model to a more relational, dignifying approach to poverty alleviation. That transformation ultimately led to the formation of True Charity.
As CEO of True Charity, James leads a national effort to equip nonprofits and churches with poverty solutions rooted in personal connection, empowerment, and local responsibility—rather than distant, government-driven aid. He has testified before the US House and Senate on issues of welfare reform and is also the author of The Crisis of Dependency, which explores how well-intended interventions can deepen poverty and outlines an empowering, freeing alternative.
2026 Abbreviated Schedule
Schedule may change as details are finalized. See the full and current schedule here.
Location:
2026 at the Beach!
The 2026 Summit will take place at Beach Church:
325 7th Ave N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Located just three blocks from the beach and surrounded by plenty of dining options within walking distance, Beach Church provides the perfect setting for Summit attendees to unwind and connect with others in a fun environment.
Hotel Options
We have discounted blocks of rooms at three hotels within one mile of Beach Church:
SpringHill Suites Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront
$239-249/night, 0.4 miles from venue
Holiday Inn Express Jacksonville Beach
$135/night, 0.9 miles from the venue
Make the Most of Your Time in Town
Registration
Join us in Jacksonville Beach to connect with like-minded leaders, discover innovative approaches to poverty alleviation, and be renewed for the work ahead.
Sponsors and exhibitor registration info is here:
Major Sponsors
Sponsors
Interested in learning more about Summit sponsorship and exhibition?
Explore Partnership Opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the True Charity Summit for?
The Summit is best suited for anyone involved in poverty alleviation efforts through a nonprofit or a church.
Most of our attendees are staff members from nonprofits or churches with poverty alleviation programs, but we also welcome charity volunteers, donors and philanthropists, policy leaders, think tank leaders, and anyone else with a general interest in the topic of effective charity. If you’re looking for ways to empower those in need to leave behind poverty for good, this conference is for you!
Organizations with these types of programs are typically represented at the Summit:
- Homeless shelters
- Food pantries and co-ops
- Church benevolence
- Addiction recovery
- Thrift stores and clothing closets
- Adult education
- Transitional housing
- Foster care prevention and support
- Residential life transformation programs
- Transportation access
- Christmas and Thanksgiving drives
What kind of content can I expect?
The content of our conference is designed to equip (not just inform) you to practice effective charity. We accomplish this through inspiring mainstage speakers, practical and relevant breakout sessions, and plenty of networking opportunities to help you meet the right people.
This is the kind of content we regularly include in breakout sessions and deep-dive workshops and intensives:
- Foundational effective charity education to introduce newcomers to the effective charity movement
- Innovative charity models to discover empowering, high impact alternatives to toxic charity models
- Program design to learn how to take your charity programs to the next level through solid outcomes measurement, relational case management, and more
- Fundraising and volunteerism to uncover strategies to retain donors, find new donors, and equip your volunteers for effective charity, so you can power your ministry for years to come
- Infrastructure and leadership development to build a strong foundation for your organization with strategic infrastructure planning, while elevating your leadership skills to drive lasting change
- Training on trauma-informed care, mental illness, effective adult education, and more to help you better meet each individual’s unique needs
What is the ticket price?
True Charity Network members and Resource Partners receive our lowest Summit ticket prices! Learn more about the Network here.
Members / Resource Partners:
- Early Bird: $225
- Late Registration: $270
- Walk-in: $324
General Admission:
- Early Bird: $276
- Late Registration: $331
- Walk-in: $397
Do network members get discounted group rates on tickets?
Yes, True Charity Network members can access up to 10 discounted tickets (20% off)! Won’t use up those 10 tickets between staff and volunteers at your organization? You can bring a buddy from outside your organization. Those 10 tickets are yours to use how you see fit.
Are scholarships available?
Yes, thanks to the generosity of donors who understand the value of the Summit, a limited number of scholarships are available. You can find more information and apply here (application does not guarantee selection): Summit Scholarship Application
Is there a block of hotel rooms near the conference venue?
Yes! We have a special group rate at three nearby hotels: The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott ($159/night, 0.8 miles away), the Springhill Suites by Marriott ($239/night, 0.4 miles away), or the Holiday Inn Express ($135/night, 0.9 miles away).
You can book your room at the Fairfield Inn and Suites or the Springhill Suites at this link: Marriott hotels booking link
You can book your room at the Holiday Inn Express at this link: Holiday Inn Express booking link
Are there opportunities to teach breakout sessions?
Absolutely! If you are a Resource Partner of the True Charity Network, please submit your proposal using this form: Resource Partner Summit breakout proposal form
True Charity Network members, along with anyone else interested in presenting at the Summit, may submit a breakout proposal using this form: True Charity Summit general breakout session proposal form
Are there sponsorship and exhibition opportunities?
Absolutely! You can explore and apply for sponsorship and exhibition opportunities here.
