Pre-Conference Opportunities
In 2026, the Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations will offer optional pre-conference workshops and user groups with partner organizations joining us in advance of the main conference.
These workshops and user groups take place prior to the main conference and may require an additional registration fee. Additional details, including agendas and participation information are available below.
Community Impact Investor Convening
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | 8 am - 5 pm
Facilitated by the Community Investment Project
Registration fee $125
Over 100 community foundations are place-based impact investors and scores more are looking for ways to get started. Why? Community foundations hold a unique position from which they can support the impact investing field; their deep community roots, their diverse and representative community governance, and their multi-stakeholder asset structures allow for strategic and catalytic investing that reaches partners and places not accessible to most investors. This Pre-Conference is an opportunity for community foundations to gather, share, and learn about their unique take on impact investing. The Pre-Conference will feature sessions on community impact, sources of funds within a foundation, staffing and resourcing impact investment programs, and strategies for engaging and collaborating in local investment ecosystems. By the end, participants will walk away with workplans for implementing or improving their own impact investment programs in service of their communities and their institutions. Registration begins in June.
Looking to support or sponsor the event? Want to coordinate a conference session? Contact [email protected]. Thank you to our pre-conference sponsors Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Kansas Health Foundation and our conference host the Kansas Association of Community Foundations.
CEONet Peer Forum: Connection with Purpose
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 8:00 am - 11:45 am
Hosted by CEONet
Registration fee $100
Leading a community foundation can often feel like a solo journey, but it doesn't have to be. Join us for open conversations and unscripted dialogue with a group of your fellow CEOs. Our goal is simple: to create a space for the kind of candid sharing that leads to real growth. No fluff, no rigid presentations, just practical strategies from the front lines and an opportunity to cultivate relationships that go beyond a business card exchange.
Come for the insights, stay for the community.
Details:
Open to all community foundation CEOs and Executive Directors.
Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm Welcome reception at River City Brewing
Wednesday, October 14, 8:00am-11:45am Hyatt Hotel Wichita
Open to all Community Foundation CEOs and EDs who register for the conference.
(CEONet membership not required to register and attend.)
User Groups and Workshops
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
No registration or fee required
Pull up a chair and spend some time with the akoyaGO team and fellow akoyaGO users at the National Conference for Growing Community Foundations! We'll walk you through the platform, share how foundations like yours are putting it to work, and leave plenty of room for your questions. Whether you're a small shop looking to grow or a large foundation managing complex grantmaking, akoyaGO scales with you — and this is a great place to see how. Come for the conversations, leave with a plan.
Foundant CSuite Workshop: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | 11:30 am - 5 pm
Registration fee: $500 (separate registration required)
If you'll be at the 2026 Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations or are in the Wichita area on October 13, we invite you to connect with fellow Foundant CommunitySuite users at a special Workshop Training session. This event will focus on overview of new functionality including reporting, peer networking opportunities, and dedicated afternoon workshop time where you can work directly on your site with a Foundant expert.
User Group Meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
No registration or fee required
Join us for an informative session exploring our Foundant solutions. We'll discuss the latest enhancements, solution roadmap, and give you the chance to ask questions and network with Foundant users to broaden your connections.