Join the Blue Sky Funders Forum for our 2023 Annual Convening from May 9-11 in Washington, D.C. We are thrilled to collaborate on several events and activities throughout with the Sierra Club’s Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), as they host their OAK Week in parallel with Blue Sky’s Convening.

This year, the Blue Sky community will deepen trust and relationships, reconfirm the short-term and long-term landscape of opportunities and needs in our work, recognize the intersectionality of aligned fields, and map our collective and individual next steps.

Book Your Hotel
Reserve your hotel room at the Yours Truly DC Hotel with our special discounted rate of $299/night + taxes. To take advantage of the complete convening programming, we recommend staying from May 8 – 11. Book your room today!

Funders, grantmakers, and invited guests can register for the Blue Sky Convening here. For any additional questions or concerns, please contact Berkeley Bryant (berkeley@blueskyfundersforum.org).

Non-funders are welcome to join the OAK Week events and programs. Please register separately here and contact Julia Hurwit, OAK Campaign Manager, with questions (julia.hurwit@sierraclub.org).

Sponsorship Opportunities:
Blue Sky’s flexible sponsorship tiers allow you to support attendees with a range of opportunities from commemorative items (totes, reusable water bottles, etc.) to travel stipends for nonprofit partners and youth to attend OAK Week. Not only will you be supporting both conferences, but you will be afforded high-visibility access to Blue Sky’s network. If you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, please see the “Support Blue Sky & OAK” section during registration.

Sponsors will reach our network’s 2,000 funders, 1,500+ social media followers, and all convening attendees. Join previous Blue Sky Convening sponsors like the Pisces Foundation, Morrison Family Foundation, and the George B. Storer Foundation.

We welcome sponsorships from member and non-member funders, grantmakers, peer affinity groups, and philanthropic serving organizations. To explore custom sponsorship opportunities, please contact Berkeley Bryant.

Agenda Overview:
Tuesday, May 9: Join OAK and Blue Sky to engage with lawmakers and hear from youth leaders in the outdoor access and equity space. Programming will be held outside (barring inclement weather) and will begin in the morning. That evening, we’re pleased to co-host a reception on the rooftop of the Wilderness Society building.

Wednesday, May 10: The Blue Sky community will connect, align, learn, and make advancements to ensure equitable access to nature and meaningful experiences outside. Funders and invited guests will convene at The Aspen Institute from early morning to mid-afternoon, before joining an evening reception on the rooftop of the Department of the Interior building.

Thursday, May 11: Join optional field trips to explore the diverse work happening in D.C. to ensure outdoor access. Field trips will conclude by mid-afternoon, though the schedule is subject to change.

Meet the Design Team
Hannah Abuzaineh, The North Face
Julia Hurwit, OAK
Jackie Ostfeld, OAK
Jason Morris, The Pisces Foundation
Sarah Shimazaki, Resource Media
Berkeley Bryant, Blue Sky
Joya Banerjee, Blue Sky
Melissa Darnell & Luzette Jaimes, CoCreative partners

More information will be shared soon. If you have questions, please reach out to Berkeley Bryant.