Finding Flow: Reflections from the 2026 Confluence Philanthropy Conference

This year we had the privilege of attending the Confluence Philanthropy Conference, titled Flow, in Asheville, North Carolina. We returned home energized, challenged, and deeply grateful to be part of a community that is redefining what it means for foundations to show up fully for their missions.

Confluence brings together foundations and investors who believe that aligning capital with values is not optional but essential. The conference gathered philanthropic leaders committed to the idea that every dollar a foundation holds, not just the dollars it gives away, should be working toward a more just and sustainable world. In a moment when that conviction matters more than ever, being in the room felt both urgent and affirming.

Raising the Bar on What Foundations Can Do

We participated in the education series and intensives, and the depth of programming exceeded our expectations. Sessions explored how foundations of all sizes can move beyond traditional grantmaking to align their endowments with their missions through impact investing, mission related investments, and values driven portfolio strategies.

What resonated most was the honesty and generosity of the presenters and participants alike. Funders spoke openly about their journeys, including the uncertainties, the learning curves, and the breakthroughs. The conversations were grounded in real world experience and designed to be actionable, regardless of where a foundation stands on the spectrum of mission alignment.

We left with a clearer understanding of the tools available to us and a stronger conviction that this work is both achievable and necessary.

From Inspiration to Action

The most meaningful outcome of this conference is what happened after we came home. Inspired by what we learned at Flow, we pitched to our board and received authorization to begin our own impact investing journey. We are now exploring how to align a portion of our endowment with the values and programmatic pillars that guide everything we do: Education, Environmental Science, and Human Services.

This has been a long time coming. The Confluence experience gave us the confidence, the framework, and the community of support to move forward. We do not have all the answers yet, and we know the road ahead will require patience, humility, and continued learning. But that is exactly the kind of work that drives us.

Gratitude and Forward Momentum

We are deeply grateful to Confluence Philanthropy for creating a space that challenges foundations to do more and be more mission aligned. Thank you for raising the bar. Thank you for building a community where bold ideas are met with practical wisdom and genuine encouragement. The relationships and insights we gained will continue to shape our work for years to come.

We look forward to sharing more as our impact investing journey unfolds. For now, we carry the momentum of Flow forward with renewed clarity, energy, and a deep sense of responsibility to put all of our resources to work in service of the change we believe in.