Annual Conference

Our field is rapidly evolving, transforming faster than ever. What remains the same is how Grantmakers for Education and our members are dedicated to helping every learner receive the best education possible. Every single one. We produce conferences to come together to make this happen.

Join us for the Grantmakers for Education 2026 annual conference, October 13-15, in New York, New York. Preconference activities will take place October 12. Registration will open in summer of 2026. Watch this space for more information.

2026 Annual Conference Theme

Designing Systems of Abundance and Shared Well-being: Education at the Center

This is a pivotal moment in our living history. Against an ever-changing social, economic and political backdrop, childcare centers, classrooms, campuses and local communities have become spaces of both adaptation and persistent conflict and crisis. We gather this year to reclaim education as a true public good that affirms civil rights, ensures all learners have what they need and delivers broad societal benefit.

This year’s conference explores what it means to position education as the core infrastructure within a broader ecosystem. We will engage a mindset of abundance and examine what it takes to adopt a strategy grounded in well-being both in education systems and from the philanthropic beliefs and behaviors that support them.

Image of woman speaking at conference

Realizing this vision requires more than isolated initiatives. From cross-sector collaboration to policy alignment, and from coordinated strategy to shared responsibility, this year’s theme focuses on strengthening connection and coherence across the full education continuum – starting at birth and through the lifetime, at all times of day and year, and occurring in classrooms, on campuses and within homes, communities and workplaces.

These questions sit at the heart of the 2026 Grantmakers for Education annual conference:  

  • What do systems of abundance and shared well-being look like with education at the center?   
  • With the reality of fragmentation, how do we foster coherence across early learning and development, K-12, postsecondary education, workforce development, adult learning and community programs?   
  • How is a human-centered focus maintained through rapid technological advances?  
  • What are the operating structures that are misaligned with the outcomes we are working toward? And to what end must they be repaired, reimagined or replaced?   

Throughout this national gathering, we’ll surface bold ideas, raise urgent questions for generative dialogue, and consider practical pathways forward. Together, we will reflect on this moment and help shape what comes next.   

Become a Conference Sponsor

Five reasons to become a sponsor of the 2026 annual conference:

  • Proudly show your support for visionary learning and leadership in education philanthropy.
  • Further important conversations that dig deep, generate new ideas and grapple with longstanding challenges.
  • Foster tools and learning that enable grantmakers to boost their impact on education.
  • Enable networking and collaborations that collectively address challenges not approachable on our own.
  • Enjoy a large array of conference benefits.

Learn more about sponsoring the annual conference here.

Submit a Conference Session Proposal

The conference session proposal is open!

Contact conference@edfunders.org with questions.

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