2026 NCG Annual Conference: Rooted in Courage

When communities, institutions, and values are under attack, philanthropy must root to our purpose. We hold the privilege and responsibility to invest in the courageous leadership of those transforming systems in escalating crises. In Northern California, philanthropy must not concede our power to usher in transformation. We must build our muscle to practice courage. Which individual risks can we take in service of the collective? What can emerge from us acting in alignment?

We must act despite our own fears and move through the trembles of these times. Only then can individual acts of courage reverberate through the field, making courage as a collective practice contagious. For philanthropy, practicing collective courage highlights our key purpose – supporting and resourcing those defending and building more equitable futures.

We invite you to become more rooted in courage together. Join NCG for our 2026 Annual Conference to strategize, learn, and ground ourselves in the courage that emboldens us to invest abundantly in just and equitable futures.

Target Audience

NCG conferences are open to current NCG members; all staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions; staff of philanthropy-supporting infrastructure groups, such as regional associations of grantmakers and affinity groups; and staff of academic institutions and programs focused primarily on the study of philanthropy and the practice of giving.