Held in the Inland Empire, the conference took place in a region with deep Native history and ongoing leadership. From plenary discussions to evening receptions, and across shared spaces like the Marketplace and Wellness Room, the gathering balanced structured sessions with time to connect, reflect, and build relationships.
Workshops covered topics including Tribal co-stewardship, Native education, communications strategy, and the role of media and storytelling. Sessions like Shared Soil, Different Roots: Navigating Indigenous Rights and Immigration & Tribal Funding Registry and Tribal Co-Stewardship Workshop focused on how legal, educational, and philanthropic systems intersect with Native communities, and where they fall short.
By the evening Welcome Reception and Marketplace, attendees had begun connecting across organizations, geographies, and roles. Those early conversations, informal but direct, set the tone for the days ahead.
From there, breakout sessions ran across multiple tracks, covering philanthropy, sovereignty, civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and education. While the topics varied, several themes came up repeatedly: the need for long-term relationships over short-term grants, the importance of trust and accountability, and the limits of funding models that don’t reflect community priorities.
Outside of sessions, the Members Lounge, cultural workshops, and youth-led spaces offered time to step back. Whether through hands-on practices, conversation, or simply a quieter environment, these spaces played a role in sustaining the pace of the gathering. Our Wellness Room hosted several offerings meant to allow attendees to recharge mentally and physically through lomilomi healing massages, lauhala weaving workshops, or stress reducing activities like puzzles or Lego building.
The final day focused more directly on follow-through and what it takes to move from discussion to action.
The morning plenary, Beyond Hesitation: Can Philanthropy Step Up for Tribal Economic Development?, centered on the gap between intention and investment. Speakers pointed to the need for sustained funding, fewer restrictions, and a clearer commitment to Native-led priorities, not just in principle, but in practice.
Vicky Stott (Ho-Chunk) was awarded the Louis T. Delgado Distinguished Grantmaker Award for her decades of work in Indigenous grantmaking, communications, and community development. The Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa Flying Eagle Woman Award was awarded to The Honorable Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), Minnesota's 50th Lieutenant Governor for her lifelong commitment to children, working families, and historically underserved communities.
Native Americans in Philanthropy CEO Erik Stegman delivered closing remarks where he thanked all of the many collaborators who came together to produce NAPCON26 including sponsors, support teams, vendors, and of course, the NAP Staff. Erik made it a point to recognize Autumn Romero (Sicangu Lakota & Chippewa Cree), NAP’s Event Administrator. Autumn, who recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with the organization, coordinated the planning, logistics, and on-site operations of the entire conference while simultaneously facilitating the multitude of NAP’s other virtual and in-person events and gatherings.
Across three days, the conference brought together a wide range of perspectives, but a consistent throughline emerged: Native communities are already doing the work. The question is whether systems, especially philanthropy, can meet that work with the same level of commitment.
The conversations that started here will continue in funding decisions, partnerships, and community-led efforts that extend well beyond the conference itself.
We also invite you to register for our next Member Education Session: Alaska Natives 101 on May 20, 2026. This session is open to the public and will focus on our Alaska Native relatives, uplifting the incredible community initiatives that these communities continue to grow.