2026 Annual Convening
Registration is Open!
This fall, October 7-9, we invite you to join us in Maine for our 2026 annual funder gathering to experience firsthand how strong networks create healthier people, stronger communities, and more equitable access to nature.
Rather than a traditional conference, this convening is designed as an encounter—one that helps participants build relationships, experience Maine as a living laboratory, and explore how philanthropy can invest in the trust, collaboration, and shared leadership that enable lasting systems change.
The theme, Nurturing Networks, reflects our belief that the solutions to our greatest challenges already exist within communities. Our opportunity is to strengthen the connections among people, organizations, and ideas so those solutions can spread, adapt, and thrive.
Throughout the gathering, participants will explore how networked approaches can advance land justice, nature and health, nature-based early childhood education, outdoor equity, policy, and narrative change, while developing new partnerships and concrete commitments that continue long after the convening ends.
Register
Registration Deadline
To ensure we have an accurate headcount, registration will close on October 2. Register today to save your spot!
Questions
- Contact Onika Abraham Lee for any questions related to programming
- Contact Berkeley Bryant for questions related to logistics and registration
Design Team
Our design team members are local to Maine and working closely with Blue Sky staff to shape the convening, bringing deep knowledge of the region and its outdoor access community.
- Amie Hutchison, Sewall Foundation
- Lynne Seeley, Ferguson Family Foundation
- Rosalind Erwin, Onion Foundation
- Tyler Kidder, Maine Philanthropy Center
- Hannah Quimby, Quimby Family Foundation
- Olivia Griset, Maine Environmental Education Association
- Moon Machar, Maine Association for New Americans
- Pame Chevez, Palmar Collective
- Cameron Brewer
- Kaya Lolar, Maine Environmental Education Association
Venue
We’re excited to partner with the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment to host most of our Convening events! Wolfe’s Neck is a farm-based education, research, and visitor center set amidst more than 600 acres of conserved open space along Casco Bay in Freeport, Maine. We look forward to utilizing their beautiful outdoor gathering spaces, trails, and experiential learning opportunities.
While Wolfe’s Neck has operated an organic coastal farm for more than sixty years, this land has been stewarded since time immemorial, and continues to be cared for, by Indigenous and Tribal communities, including the Dawnland Confederacy of the Wabanaki Nation and the Abenaki / Abénaquis peoples of the N’dakina Nation. Blue Sky is actively building relationships with local Wabanaki leaders and will ensure their inclusion at the Convening. To learn more, visit the Wabanaki Alliance, formed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Penobscot Nation, to “educate people of Maine about the need for securing sovereignty of the tribes in Maine.”
Featured Speakers
In 2025, Hali Lee was named to the inaugural Time100 Philanthropy in recognition of her work building collective giving. Her work has been covered by the Washington Post, New York Times, and Good Housekeeping, who called her “The Mindful Giver” and one of “10 Women Over 50 Who Prove It’s Never Too Late to Change the World.” Her first book, The Big We, was published by Sweet July/ Zando in 2025.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and writer. She is co-founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, a distinguished scholar at Bowdoin College, and author of The New York Times bestseller What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures. She is in love with climate solutions.
Agenda
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 – Meet the Network
Optional, local afternoon activities and evening welcome conversations and reception
Participants begin their experience with optional Learning Journeys in coastal Maine, exploring topics such as regenerative agriculture, Indigenous stewardship, coastal resilience, nature-based early childhood education, forest ecology, outdoor belonging, and watershed conservation. The evening opens with a conversation with Hali Lee, author of The Big We: How Giving Circles Unlock Generosity, Strengthen Community, and Make Change, exploring how philanthropy shifts from individual action toward collective stewardship and abundance.
Thursday, October 8, 2026 – Learn From the Network
Full-Day Programming at Wolfe’s Neck from 9 am – 5 pm (lunch included)
Through conversations, panels and interactive workshops, participants will explore how networks drive systems change through culture and narrative, community and relationships, policy and collective action. Highlights include:
- A fireside conversation with New York Times bestselling author, marine biologist, and climate strategist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, PhD—co-editor of All We Can Save and author of What If We Get It Right? — exploring how we already have the knowledge, relationships, and solutions needed for systemic change, and how philanthropy can help weave the networks and lift the narratives that bring those solutions to scale.
- A plenary exploring and informing ROOT Hub, an idea seeded at a past Blue Sky Convening and grown through collective action among a group of Blue Sky members. This initiative aims to accelerate and expand movement-wide federal advocacy to secure the benefits of environmental learning and equitable access to the outdoors as a human right for all young people — especially for youth and children of color.
- Interactive Encounters – facilitated workshops designed to build collective knowledge and inform collective action on topics including land justice, youth leadership, nature and health, and community prosperity. Throughout the convening, participants will also connect in small groups called base camps to deepen relationships, reflect on their learning, and connect ideas across topics.
Friday, October 9, 2026 – Collective Learning & Emergent Strategy
Full-Day Programming at Wolfe’s Neck from 9 am – 5 pm (lunch included)
The final day moves from inspiration toward implementation. Building on Thursday’s encounters, participants will organize around shared priorities through action sessions and collaborative planning, identifying new partnerships, funding opportunities, and collective commitments. Drawing inspiration from the People’s Agroecology Process, the convening concludes with participants leaving not only with new knowledge, but with one new collaborator, one commitment, one invitation, and one concrete next step to strengthen the networks they steward in their own communities.
Hotel
Harraseeket Inn
162 Main Street, Freeport, ME 04032
Hotel Highlights
- Complimentary Breakfast & daily afternoon tea
- Free WiFi & parking
- Fitness center
- Quick walk to downtown Freeport (restaurants + bars, shopping, and more)
- 10-minute drive to the Convening venue, Wolfe’s Neck
Book Your Room
We have secured a discount of 15% off the best available rate for Convening attendees. Once you click the link and select your dates, click “+ More Rates” to view the Wolfe’s Neck discounted rate plan.
Rooms are limited — Book here ASAP.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors for powering our 2026 Convening and investing in the future of outdoor access and environmental education!
Please join the leaders above in investing in this event and the future of our movement by donating to Blue Sky Funders Forum’s Convening Fund.
Learn more about sponsorship levels and benefits here, and reach out to Onika Abraham Lee, Blue Sky’s Executive Director, at onika@blueskyfundersforum.org to pledge your support as a sponsor.
FAQ
I’m not a funder. Can I attend?
Blue Sky’s work thrives on the deep relationships and collaboration we share with movement leaders, nonprofits, legislators, and community leaders. However, Blue Sky is a funder network, and grantmakers often need space to gather with their peers. To foster meaningful connections among our funder members and network, we’ve extended special invitations to key movement leaders on our Design Team, and will compensate them for their time and expertise in co-creating this event with us.
Are non-Blue Sky members able to join?
Yes! We welcome all funders and grantmakers interested in or already funding environmental education, outdoor access, and meaningful experiences in nature. You do not need to be a Blue Sky member to join the celebration.
Will this event be accessible?
Blue Sky Funders Forum strives to make every event accessible and inclusive for all participants. During registration, you’ll be asked about any accessibility needs. Please let us know if you require additional accommodations or have specific requests. Your wellbeing is our top priority, and we want to ensure a comfortable and supportive experience for everyone.
What is the attire?
There is no formal dress code, but we recommend business casual. Please prioritize your comfort and check the weather.
What hotel should I stay at?
We recommend taking advantage of the 15% discount by booking at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. Book through this link. Once you click the link and select your dates, click “+ More Rates” and select the Wolfe’s Neck discounted rate plan.
If there are no more rooms available at the Inn, there are many B&B’s, inns, and hotels nearby. We recommend staying in Freeport to be close to the Convening venue, Wolfe’s Neck.
What airport should I fly into?
The closest airport is the Portland International Jetport (PWM). It’s about a 30-minute drive from the Jetport to downtown Freeport, where we recommend folks stay.
Boston Logan International Airport is the closest major airport, about 2.5 hours from Freeport.
When should I arrive / depart?
To take full advantage of Blue Sky’s Convening gatherings, we recommend arriving by 12 pm ET on Wednesday, October 7. We will conclude our gathering around 5 pm ET on Friday, October 9, and recommend looking for evening or next-day flights home.
What are the transportation options?
There are no public transportation options between Freeport and our venue, Wolfe’s Neck, and there are very limited options between the Portland International Jetport and Freeport. Blue Sky will facilitate a ride-share signup system to help connect visitors with locals and those who have access to cars (more info soon).