The registration table will open all day for conference attendees to check in upon arrival.

Join the Regional Community Philanthropy Group (RCPG) for this special pre-conference gathering with community philanthropy leaders from across the region to build meaningful connections and explore new ways to deepen impact.

This group is for professionals working at community philanthropy organizations (organizations that are place- or identity-based that raise funds to grant out to community).

Advance registration is required and breakfast will be available for pre-conference session participants.

Join us for a special pre-conference breakfast and fireside chat with Diane Kaplan, senior fellow at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, former CEO of the Rasmuson Foundation and a longtime leader in Alaska philanthropy. In this reflective conversation, Diane will share insights from her life and career — explored in her book “Doing Good Well: Fishing, Philanthropy, and Finding a Way” — including lessons on leadership, partnership and purpose learned over decades of public service.

In dialogue with Roy Agloinga, President and CEO of First Alaskans Institute and former Rasmuson Foundation colleague, the conversation will explore leadership, donor intent, power, rural and Indigenous philanthropy, public policy and the value of trust based relationships. Grounded in Alaska stories but relevant far beyond, this session offers candid reflection and practical insight for those seeking to build institutions, steward legacy, and ultimately, do good well.

Advance registration is required and breakfast will be available for pre-conference session participants.

The local marketplace with Alaska Native artisans and Title Wave Books, as well as our exhibitor hall will be available starting at 11 am.

Our conference will open with lunch and a warm welcome from local Alaskan leaders, including Senator Murkowski, President Leggett of the Native Village of Eklutna, Mayor of Anchorage La France, and Philanthropy Northwest's CEO Jill Nishi, who will ground us in a shared sense of place — both as a regional network and in our host city. We will explore our unique opportunity as a community of committed funders in this moment and and dive into local culture including a special performance from the Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim (Our Own Dance in Our Hearts) Tsimshian Dancers.

Connect with colleagues after lunch and make your way to our peer networks.

This session is an opportunity to connect with role-alike peers to build relationships, explore the future of philanthropy from your unique role within the sector, connect around areas for collaboration and more. See our peer networks below:

Grantmakers: This session is for grantmaker roles including program officers, program staff, grants managers, etc.

Finance and Operations: This session is for operations staff including administration, finance, HR, grant logistics, etc.

Fundraising and Communications: This session is for external-facing roles including fundraising and development, communications and marketing.

Senior Leaders: This session is for staff who are senior leaders in their organization such as VPs and directors.

CEOs: This session is for CEOs and executive directors of foundations or other grantmaking organizations.

Board and Trustees: This session is for board members and trustees of foundations or other grantmaking organizations.

Other: The other peer network categories don't feel like a fit? Join us in this peer network! This session includes but is not limited to measurement and evaluation staff, community nonprofits and consultants.

Increasingly, philanthropy leaders are asking whether the long-standing separation between grantmaking (mission) and endowment management (returns) still serves their values and communities.

However, foundations that anchor their endowment towards social and/or racial equity are characterized as “woke.” Markets continue to reward high-growth tech stocks over social impact investments. And investment committees are working through fiduciary pressures, regulatory interpretations and varying levels of board investment fluency.

Join us in exploring the future of philanthropy and how foundations will reexamine the purpose and potential of their endowments, while centering social impact. We will discuss how foundations can navigate these tensions while unlocking the strategic, reputational and financial opportunities of mission-aligned investing and banking — all without compromising fiduciary integrity or long-term sustainability.

It's a complicated time. Organizations, programs and protections that Oregon communities depend on are facing real uncertainty — in some cases, direct attack. The scope of these challenges makes it hard for funders and nonprofits alike to know where to focus. Business as usual is not an option.

This session is an entry point into that conversation, wherever you're starting from. We'll hear from three statewide efforts working in distinct but complementary ways: Oregon Freedom Funders who are helping funders align resources for nonprofits navigating attacks on DEI; Protect Oregon who are bringing civic leaders, community groups and funders together to uphold democracy in the face of rising authoritarianism; and Oregon Civic Infrastructure Funders who are building durable supports for community-based advocacy in a multiracial democracy.

None of these efforts is a complete answer — but together, they represent Oregon funders and communities choosing to work with greater intention in a time that calls for it.

In this session, we will examine the unique challenges immigrant families face within today’s rapidly evolving legal and social landscape. We will identify how a lack of legal status creates critical barriers to family permanency and explore the vital links between immigration stability, child safety and overall community well-being. Participants will discover innovative system changes and specific legal remedies designed to support immigrant families long-term. We will discuss actionable strategies for funding community-based legal services and building robust referral networks between child welfare agencies and local providers to ensure better outcomes for vulnerable households. Finally, we will examine what the data tells about the population of children and families vulnerable to immigration enforcement.

Land acknowledgment statements are becoming standard as organizations grapple with the reality that the lands of this continent have been stripped from Indigenous nations that predate the United States. But moving from words to actions takes deeper commitment. This session shares how organization-wide learning, and an explicit commitment to Native communities, produced tangible actions for the Northwest Area Foundation, which funds from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Northwest. You will hear from staff and board members, including a member of the founding family, about how NWAF has: funded Native-led organizations at significant scale for more than a decade; developed a public statement acknowledging the origin of its wealth in Native lands; and committed to paying the Mni Sota Makoce Honor Tax (also known as a land tax) established by the Lower Sioux Indian Community. This session is designed to inspire reflection and action by funders across the Northwest region.

What if your foundation's commitment to community isn't a strategy — it's a brand. Trust-based grantmaking, participatory processes, centering lived experience — these words now appear in virtually every foundation's annual report. But fluency in the language isn't the same as doing the work. This session offers live, unresolved stories from a foundation that sued its county government, bet on a community health levy and won, and is mid-handoff on infrastructure it spent three years building. The next iteration of philanthropy isn't a framework. It's proximity. Proximity isn't a program. It costs something real — politically, reputationally and structurally. Come find out what.

Philanthropy is being asked to do more than ever in a moment of shrinking public resources, but traditional grantmaking alone cannot meet the scale of today’s environmental challenges. This session explores a growing frontier: how philanthropic capital can be strategically deployed with state governments to unlock far greater public investment and long-term impact. Drawing from real-world examples across states and issue areas, participants will examine practical approaches such as meeting match requirements, funding in-government capacity, structuring pooled funds and reducing risk to catalyze additional capital.

Designed for funders, this session will move beyond theory into application. Participants will hear from and discuss with state leaders how philanthropic portfolios could leverage state systems more effectively – shifting from isolated grants to coordinated, high-impact strategies. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to align philanthropic resources with public policy opportunities and a set of actionable models they can begin applying immediately.

One of Rasmuson Foundation's core values is celebration. This is done by elevating our partners and their work. In this session, we will hear directly from our partners (panelists) about how community-driven solutions have uplifted their housing work serving Alaska's underserved populations. We will also share how the Rasmuson Foundation was invited to support and celebrate their efforts.

We’ll wrap up the day by gathering on site for a reception celebrating Philanthropy Northwest’s 50th anniversary. There will be a photo booth on-site, 50th anniversary themed food and drinks, and an opportunity to meet retired sled dogs from the Alaska Dog Center and learn about dog sledding and racing culture in Alaska.

Registration, the local marketplace with Alaska Native artisans and Title Wave Books, and our exhibitor hall will open and remain available all day for conference attendees.

Join us over breakfast as we celebrate the Philanthropy Northwest community and the connections that power our work. During this session, we will have a unique opportunity to celebrate Philanthropy Northwest’s 50th anniversary with a PNW story hour, featuring stories of collaboration and impact for Northwest communities, and voices from across our network including members of the FutureMakers Cohort. We will also hear from Board President Alex McKay and dive into our annual Membership Meeting.

Connect with colleagues after breakfast and make your way to breakout sessions or learning tours.

Take a short walk through downtown Anchorage from the Dena’ina Center to the Anchorage Museum, a hub dedicated to people, place, and a sustainable, equitable North. Participants will enjoy guided, place-based learning through exhibits like the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center’s “Living Our Cultures,” which has brought more than 600 Alaska Native cultural heritage pieces back to their homelands and features insights from Alaska Native experts, and “Sikuliaq to Shore,” an immersive Arctic marine science exhibit featuring the University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel Sikuliaq.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the morning learning tours will miss the breakout sessions occurring at the same time, as well as lunch. Lunch will be provided for tour participants.

Grants and sponsorships can start relationships — but lasting impact comes from creative, reciprocal partnerships. In this learning tour, participants will hear from Boeing, Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) on practical approaches for moving beyond check writing to meaningful engagement. Participants will tour the ANSEP facility at the University of Alaska Anchorage, hear directly from ANSEP staff and students, and learn how the program supports thousands of students from kindergarten through Ph.D. across more than 100 communities statewide, especially in rural Alaska.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the morning learning tours will miss the breakout sessions occurring at the same time, as well as lunch. Lunch will be provided for tour participants.

Step into the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC), a living cultural center with life-sized Village Sites, dynamic exhibits in the Hall of Cultures, and cultural demonstrations and performances on their “Gathering Place” stage. On this tour, participants will learn about the diversity of Alaska Native cultures and experience the unique, interactive environment at ANHC.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the morning learning tours will miss the breakout sessions occurring at the same time, as well as lunch. Lunch will be provided for tour participants.

Drawing on Grantmakers for Effective Organizations' recent "Toward Meaningful, Valuable, Equitable Governance" publication, this conversation offers localized, actionable perspectives on transforming foundation governance to meet the demands of this moment and beyond. The discussion will center on how innovative governance structures can more effectively deploy philanthropic resources and power, with a dedicated focus on intersectionality across race, gender, geography and underinvested communities. In the spirit that mistakes are our best teachers, philanthropic leaders will share honest reflections on the challenges, failures and works in progress inherent in shifting traditional governance models.

Through the winter of 2025-2026, teams from the statewide nonprofit associations of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana interviewed over 120 nonprofit leaders to study the capacity of nonprofits for evaluating impact. The insights emerging from the study hold fascinating insights for the philanthropic sector that go beyond providing more money, time and people for evaluation. In this session, we will explore the primary findings about mental mindsets, areas of positive momentum, surprising inhibitors and clues to what it will take to democratize evaluation throughout nonprofits in the five states as well as potential role of funders.

This interactive session will feature the Youth Leadership Council (YLC), a youth-led program creating a positive impact through philanthropy and leadership. Participants will learn how high school students lead a grantmaking process that contributes between $50,000 to $100,000 to support local initiatives including after school programs, park improvements and youth mental health services. Presenters will share an inside look into the programs structure, the student-led grant round and the impact of investing in youth leadership, particularly within under representative communities. Through discussion and hands-on activities, attendees will gain practical strategies to authentically engage youth, build strong youth-adult partnerships and implement models that center young people in shaping community-driven solutions.

Join this session to learn about the state of disability in philanthropy and how the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) supports disability inclusion through collaboration, capacity building and the work of the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District in Alaska. The conversation will highlight philanthropic partnerships and showcase the successful ways the school district is employing young adults with disabilities through local partnerships and programs like Project SEARCH and Project LIFE. Participants will also reflect on their own paths to fostering inclusion and gain tools and resources to better support people with disabilities in their communities.

In conference sessions, board rooms and other conversations with funders, we’re seeing how the social sector is wresting with AI. Questions like “what is your AI strategy” and “how do we stay up to date on AI?” are often raised. While these are a worthwhile questions, ORS Impact believes that in social impact initiatives, where lives and livelihoods are at stake, organizations are better served by exploring “what is our strategy, and how can AI help us achieve strengthen impact for the communities at the heart of our work?”

In this session, ORS Impact will present a case study showcasing a strategy development effort to help an organization discern its role in supporting field-wide integration of AI to achieve greater impact. Participants will use this example to explore common roles foundations play in their ecosystems, and how they can leverage those roles to drive mission-aligned AI integration.

Join us at lunch for a special live cross-over episode recording of Can we talk about…?, Philanthropy Northwest’s podcast on leading for racial equity in philanthropy, and Break Fake Rules, Stupski Foundation’s podcast on changing Big Giving for good.

Philanthropy Northwest’s Mares Asfaha and Stupski Foundation CEO and author of the national bestseller, “CONTROL, Why Big Giving Falls Short,” Glen Galaich, will get into good trouble with two surprise guests from our network to interrogate foundation governance cultures and practices, and how they shape – or limit – community impact. Be part of the conversation that uncovers the fake board rules that hold our sector back, the new ones that center community and equity, and what it takes to shift and share power for lasting change.

Together, we’ll practice stepping into our own power to support innovative and equitable shifts in foundation governance. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to be part of this season’s podcast!

It’s not only who we fund, but how we fund that matters. Step into an immersive learning experience with the Full Cost Game, navigating the complex, inequitable nonprofit landscape – encountering hurdles and celebrating victories along the way. Our deep dive workshop will demystify nonprofit finance, an inequitable system shaped by institutional racism, and challenge common misconceptions as we explore the holistic strengths of organizations. We will also focus on worker well-being – which is the engine of any nonprofit – as well as understanding financial statements and NFF's Full Cost framework. You'll learn a wide variety of strategies and practices that support nonprofits in achieving both short-term mission objectives and long-term sustainability. We share concrete, actionable strategies fit for funders of all types and sizes, that can be adapted to your own organization’s journey and help bring others along the way with you.

This interactive workshop guides participants through Decolonizing Wealth Project’s Reparative Philanthropy Framework and the 7 Seven Steps to Healing outlined in Edgar Villanueva’s New York Times Bestselling book, “Decolonizing Wealth: Grieve, Apologize, Listen, Relate, Represent, Invest, and Repair.” Carlos Rojas Alvarez and Dr. Dana Arviso from Decolonizing Wealth Project will use guided reflection, case studies and group dialogue to help participants apply these steps to their institution or individual philanthropy. The session focuses practical actions for transforming internal culture and practices to shift resources and decision-making power to Black, Indigenous and systemically marginalized communities. Participants will leave with frameworks, tools and language to advance reparative giving in their work.

The heart of every successful advocacy campaign and social movement is the act of persuasion — the ability to influence another person or group of people to change their beliefs or behaviors. By leveraging elements of what the social sciences know about persuasion, we can move people to consider new ideas about an issue, change their minds and take action. This deep-dive session will provide a close look at the brain science behind persuasion, show how persuasion is taking hold in philanthropic communication, and give participants the chance to think critically about how persuasion shows up in their own work.

Are you committed to centering the voices of those closest to the issues your foundation seeks to address? This workshop explores how foundations can bring community members into governance as meaningful decision-makers. Through stories, case studies and peer learning, participants will examine how to define “community,” navigate power dynamics, and avoid tokenism and extraction. Speakers Carly Hare from Headwaters Foundation and Kevin Walker from Northwest Area Foundation will share practical lessons on recruitment, onboarding and supporting community board members. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to share power, advance equity, and build more accountable governance and grantmaking practices.

The environmental and social challenges we face today are complex and systemic. Discovering pathways forward requires diverse combinations of people and organizations across sectors working together – especially when the way forward is unclear. Yet many collaborative efforts fail because traditional approaches, like strategic planning and project management, are insufficient to navigate complexity and, therefore, drive systems transformation.

Impact Networks are the organizing structure for navigating complexity and shifting systems. It starts with the question: what can we do together that we can’t do alone? Embracing a living-systems approach to organizing, Impact Networks bring people and organizations together around a shared purpose to build relationships across boundaries, leverage ongoing work and motivations, and drive progress amid unpredictable and ever-changing conditions.

Foundations and grantmaking organizations have the capacity to unleash their investments in ways that can have a direct impact in improving the communities they operate in. This session will focus on unleashing creative thinking and is accessible for finance and non-financial professionals. Presenters will lead a discussion and work session on envisioning how assets can be deployed, share lessons learned, and discuss the glide path from concept through policy and actual projects. Participants will leave with a plan to take their next steps in developing an impact investing fund.

As we begin looking toward the 2030 Census, this is an opportunity to step back and consider a more fundamental question: Why does data matter for a healthy, inclusive democracy? With the nation marking its 250th anniversary, we are reflecting on the promise of "We the People" and the importance of ensuring every community is visible in the data that shapes our collective future. The census is more than a constitutionally mandated population count — it is a cornerstone of the nation's civic data infrastructure, shaping representation, public investment and decisions that affect communities for years to come.

This session explores the power of community-centered data and why it matters that communities are not only counted, but equipped with trusted data to understand their needs, advocate for resources, influence policy and drive change. Through the lens of community leadership and partnership, participants will gain a shared foundation for understanding why the census matters across issue areas and how philanthropy can help ensure data serves as a tool for equity, accountability and lasting community impact.

Take a short walk through downtown Anchorage from the Dena’ina Center to the Anchorage Museum, a hub dedicated to people, place, and a sustainable, equitable North. Participants will enjoy guided, place-based learning through exhibits like the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center’s “Living Our Cultures,” which has brought more than 600 Alaska Native cultural heritage pieces back to their homelands and features insights from Alaska Native experts, and “Sikuliaq to Shore,” an immersive Arctic marine science exhibit featuring the University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel Sikuliaq.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the afternoon learning tours will miss the deep dive workshops occurring at the same time.

This learning tour takes participants to Mountain View — one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country — to explore how Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT) has driven neighborhood well-being and transformation for more than 20 years. The tour visits key ACLT sites along Mountain View Drive and examines how $16 million in strategic real estate investment has leveraged $45 million in partner funding. Participants will see neighborhood infrastructure and programs in action, including a Set Up Shop for local entrepreneurs, Grow North Farm and a new industrial kitchen opening in the fall of 2026.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the afternoon learning tours will miss the deep dive workshops occurring at the same time.

Step into the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC), a living cultural center with life-sized Village Sites, dynamic exhibits in the Hall of Cultures, and cultural demonstrations and performances on their “Gathering Place” stage. On this tour, participants will learn about the diversity of Alaska Native cultures and experience the unique, interactive environment at ANHC.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please note that participants in the afternoon learning tours will miss the deep dive workshops occurring at the same time.

Join Pride Foundation and Funders for LGBTQ Issues for a LGBTQ+ Folks in Philanthropy (+Allies!) Happy Hour in Anchorage. Advance registration is required.

Attending the Philanthropy Northwest Conference for the first time? Connect with fellow newcomers over a shared meal and start building relationships throughout the Philanthropy Northwest network. Advance registration is required.

We invite BIPOC professionals in philanthropy to join us for community and good food! Join this dinner gathering to share space, build community and deepen relationships with other individuals who work in philanthropy and identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a person of color. Advance registration is required.

This is an opportunity for attendees working in corporate philanthropy to hang out and share a meal with fellow corporate funders. Advance registration is required.

Open to all conference attendees, this dine around offers a chance to connect across roles, funder types and experiences over dinner. Advance registration is required.

Registration, the local marketplace with Alaska Native artisans and Title Wave Books, and our exhibitor hall will open and remain available all day for conference attendees.

The conference will close with a breakfast session featuring Philanthropy Northwest member the Alaska Humanities Forum (AKHF).

AKHF believes that stories have the power to bridge difference and spark connection by deepening our understanding of others, ourselves and our communities. During this session, AKHF will share clips from their "Magnetic North" film series, which explores stories that have shaped Alaska's history, spirit and values. These films reflect AKHF's ongoing commitment to funding and supporting projects that contribute to a deeper picture of Alaska's past, present and future.

Arts and culture are increasingly recognized as essential tools for building social cohesion, strengthening belonging and improving community well-being. Across the Pacific Northwest, artists, culture bearers and cultural organizations are creating spaces where people connect, heal, organize and imagine new possibilities together. In this session, three regional funders will share how they are supporting community-led creative placemaking and cultural infrastructure as part of broader strategies related to health, youth and family well-being, civic engagement, and stronger communities.

The discussion will provide practical insights for arts funders, non-arts funders and arts-curious funders who want to advance creative community outcomes. Speakers will share examples and explore what funders should consider when structuring support, including flexible funding, community leadership, intermediary roles, capacity building, evaluation, and how to avoid treating arts and culture as isolated projects and more like core community infrastructure.

What happens when funders don’t just support community voice — but stay in the room as it reshapes systems in real time?

This session shares lessons from The Ford Family Foundation’s partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Services and a county Parent Advisory Council. While many funders invest in community engagement, few experience the ongoing, relational work of listening alongside public systems and families with lived experience — and allowing those conversations to influence their broader strategies.

Rather than focusing on grantmaking outcomes alone, this session will explore a “parallel process” – as parents and ODHS leaders work together to improve child welfare systems, funders are also changed by what they hear, how they listen and the decisions they make beyond a single initiative.

Participants will engage with real stories, reflect on what it means to be present and consider how insights from lived experience can ripple across philanthropic portfolios.

During this session, Avery Dennison Foundation and IDEO.org will share the story behind Thrive Zones, a place-based sustainability and community impact program. Speakers will highlight how a human-centered design approach prioritizes the voices and lived experiences of those closest to the challenges, and how to translate those insights into impact strategies and programs. Attendees will walk away with methods and tools on how to practice community co-design, including a live demonstration of “Creative Tensions,” an interactive dialogue method that helps to practice deep listening and surface different perspectives. Join to discover how co-designing with communities and employees can lead to more impactful and locally relevant social impact strategies.

Philanthropy often speaks about belonging, bridging and pluralism, yet practicing these values in real communities requires patience, humility and a willingness to shift power, not just language.

This session draws on the lived experience of the Camas Foundation, a Tribally incorporated 501(c)(3) established by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians in one of Washington state’s most rural counties.

Working alongside Tribal leadership, local communities, and regional and national donors, the foundation supports cultural revitalization, education, language preservation, environmental stewardship, and community wellness while navigating histories of displacement and underinvestment.

Using real-world examples, participants will explore how place-based philanthropy can build trust, honor sovereignty, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful bridges between donors and communities.

What would you design if you could wipe the slate clean of traditional grantmaking practices (No applications! No reports!) and completely redesign the process with the values at the center? The Collins Foundation, a place-based family foundation committed to a just and equitable Oregon, has answered this question, shifting its focus from serving trustees to serving communities.

Through centering relationships, shifting internal roles and culture, and building the necessary organizational structures, the foundation worked with a local software company, Grouptrail, to rebuild their grantmaking system and processes to reflect and capture what was most important: values alignment, ongoing relationships and reduced burden on nonprofits.

Moving beyond theory into practical application, attendees will walk away with an honest, real-world example of what it really takes to forge a new pathway in grantmaking.

Washington state isn’t stumbling into a response to its housing crisis. It is building one: deliberately, sequentially and with equity at the center. The session offers insights into the Black Home Initiative (BHI), a multi-year, multi-partner effort to address housing and open pathways to Black homeownership in Puget Sound. BHI mapped the systemic barriers — financing gaps, policy constraints, absent supply — and those lessons became the blueprint for what came next: the Washington’s Starter Home Plan. This plan addresses supply across four pillars: land and development, policy, financing and workforce.

Featuring candid conversations from corporate partners about this effort, this session offers a concrete and replicable model for what transformative corporate philanthropy can look like across the Northwest. Participants will come away with ways to apply these lessons housing and economic opportunity challenges in their own communities.

Connect with colleagues and make your way to the next round of breakout sessions.

This session highlights how Alaska, Washington and Oregon are forging a new future through innovative public–private partnerships that have driven some of the most significant reductions in youth homelessness in the nation. Participants will explore how data-driven and equity-centered approaches, cross sector governance, and shared decision making have enabled states to build durable proof points and inspire multi-state replication. This session offers funders a roadmap for shifting from transactional grantmaking to long term systems change — advancing a more inclusive, democratic and impactful future for philanthropy.

Philanthropy often speaks about collaboration, yet evaluation practices can still feel extractive, compliance-driven and distant from the communities they aim to serve. Grounded in Indigenous evaluation practices and Waters Meet’s partnership with Roanhorse Consulting, this session explores how to shift power in evaluation, examining who defines success, who benefits from data and how traditional evaluation can reinforce harm even in equity-driven work. Participants will engage in real scenarios to reimagine evaluation as a shared process of learning, reflection and accountability. This session is an invitation to move beyond performative inclusion and toward practices that nurture trust, belonging and shared responsibility for change.

The form-based application process is broken in the age of Generative AI. What are the new approaches to distributing precious resources to the best placed people, places and organizations?

This workshop will focus on reimagining the grant application process to ensure it centers individual organizations’ unique local context, community impact and data.

Participants will identify common pitfalls and inequities in the grant applications process, explore technology and data tools that support and enhance organizational discoverability, and prepare new ways of reviewing applications for mission fitness in the age of AI.

Come hear how a ten-year grantmaking strategy shifted grantee and funder processes, and is shaping the next iteration of grantmaking and sub-granting to support educators in Alaska. This session will share examples of what community-centered practice can look like and how funders and intermediary organizations can enable this approach to grantmaking.

Nonprofit organizations advancing equity and supporting historically marginalized communities are navigating an increasingly volatile environment. In moments like these, they need partners who invest in their leadership and long-term capacity.

Participants will be introduced to a framework from Community Wealth Partners’ Making Capacity Building More Equitable guide and see the framework in practice through Headwaters Foundation’s Equity Grants program, an initiative supporting rural-led and serving organizations in advancing equity, through multi-year grants, consultant support, and peer learning opportunities all shaped by grantees.

Participants will learn what’s driving impact, key challenges, and how to deliver meaningful support during times of crisis.

Our conference will close with a lunch and powerful plenary considering what it looks like to create institutions, structures and legacies that advance our communities toward a more equitable and just future. We will hear from leaders who have done it – from the architect of the unique Alaska Native Claims and Settlement Act (ANCSA) Native Corporations which have informed decades of community work and policy, to leaders on the front lines today of issues like immigration and housing who are building movements across both rural and urban communities and building models of sustainable change.

Located about an hour outside of Anchorage, the Matanuska–Susitna (Mat Su) Borough is an agricultural hub supported by a network of stakeholders working together to create a unique, locally produced food system. On this tour, participants will hear from the Mat Su Health Foundation, along with their grantees and partners, to explore how the borough’s food system functions in practice. Participants will hear about how the foundation’s recent food assessment is shaping funding strategies and partnerships to strengthen food access and security, as well as insights from local leaders who will showcase how Mat Su’s food systems work up close.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. This session occurs after the conference ends, and participants will return to Anchorage in the evening. To attend, please plan your travel accordingly.

Ride along the scenic Turnagain Arm to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC), a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife. AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals and provides them with spacious enclosures, quality care and, often, a permanent home. Participants will have a chance to learn about this unique 200-acre habitat and visit resident animals including moose, bear, elk, wolves, muskox and more.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. This session occurs after the conference ends, and participants will return to Anchorage in the evening. To attend, please plan your travel accordingly.