HEFN 2026 Annual Meeting - April 20 - 22, 2026
K Bar S Lodge, Keystone, South Dakota
Join the Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN) in Rapid City, South Dakota, for our 2026 Annual Meeting. We’ll be gathering at the base of the Black Hills – a region shaped by deep histories of resistance, cultural resilience, and ongoing organizing for environmental health and justice, and one at the heart of intergenerational movement-building toward a just, healthy future for all. South Dakota offers a powerful context for these conversations. From uranium mining in the Black Hills to the fight against pipelines and eminent domain, the region highlights how land, democracy, community, and environmental health are deeply intertwined. Local communities are defending sovereignty, protecting sacred lands, and leading on renewable energy solutions.
This year’s theme invites attendees to examine the legacies we carry and the futures we are helping to shape. Through site visits, plenaries, and interactive sessions, we will explore how philanthropy can support environmental health and justice efforts that are rooted in place, grounded by history, and led by community, particularly those who have long resisted environmental violence and political exclusion, to realize a more just, healthy, and regenerative future.
Why South Dakota?
HEFN’s decision to hold our meeting in South Dakota stems directly from the opportunities - and challenges - inherent to the region. Though it is one of the least populous states in the country, almost 10% of its 900,000 residents are Native American, proportionally one of the highest nationally. K Bar S Lodge, the venue for this year’s Annual Meeting, is nestled in the Black Hills, the unceded land of the Lakota, known in their language as “He Sapa” - “the hills that are black.” These lands have been home to indigenous native Americans for centuries - Wind Cave in particular holds an important role in the creation stories of the Lakota people.
South Dakota is a place of contrasts - in its landscapes, its people, and its political views. The lush greenery of the black hills contrasts with the wide open plains, which in turn contrast with the rugged beauty of the Badlands. Rich tribal culture and history co-exists alongside rural farming communities - this dynamic offers as many challenges as it does opportunities. It is for this very reason that South Dakota is such a powerful place for the HEFN community to come together, to bring these contrasts to the forefront of our minds in a time when it seems that the United States is more divided than ever - this meeting offers a broader look at these same divides, and opportunities to build coalitions, movement, and power, whether that’s related to health outcomes, carbon pipelines, racial injustice, or entrenched poverty. We invite attendees to join us in this space of action and energy, and be fully present to the multifaceted realities of this rich setting.
Agenda
See the most up-to-date working agenda here
Lodging
This year’s Annual Meeting will be held at K Bar S Lodge in Keystone, SD, which is about a 25-minute drive from Rapid City, South Dakota (nearest airport). HEFN will be coordinating shuttle buses to the venue on Monday, April 20, and departing on Thursday, April 23, as it is sometimes challenging to get ride shares to travel there - we will be reaching out to attendees to sign up for shuttle buses closer to the meeting date. Should you wish to arrange alternate transportation, car rentals are available at the Rapid City airport. If you prefer a taxi service, the venue has recommended pre-booking - we will update this page with suggestions as we get closer to the meeting date.
K Bar S Lodge is fully booked - our overflow hotel is the nearby Comfort Inn and Suites.
AMPC Members
Maryan Abdinur, Mortenson Family Foundation
Kate Barnes, MacArthur Foundation
Eva Hernandez, Mosaic
Sunni Hutton, Sow Joy Peoples' Fund
Angelo Logan, Liberty Hill Foundation
Sierra Martinez, Clif Family Foundation
Bakeyah Nelson, Rockefeller Family Fund
Stephan Oak, Neighborhood Funders Group
Sacha-Rose Phillips, McKnight Foundation
Jen Sokolov, Water Foundation
Reyna Villalobos, Sierra Health Foundation
Liz Welch, NDN Collective
COVID Policy
We look forward to seeing you all in person and are committed to the health and safety of all. In the spirit of mutual care and collective safety, we request that attendees please adhere to the following COVID safety protocols:
If you test positive, or display symptoms including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, we ask that you please not attend the conference. If you’ve recently been sick or exposed we ask you not to come to the meeting unless it has been at least 10 days after a COVID infection or close contact.
We ask that you are mindful and respectful of our colleagues and their loved ones who are more vulnerable to infection. Masks will not be required, but participants are welcome to wear them.
