25th Anniversary
Together for Hope Annual Meeting
October 21–23, 2026 · Fondren, Jackson, Mississippi
Together for Hope has spent 25 years organizing grassroots communities across the Delta, the Black Belt, Appalachia, and Tribal Nations, Texas, and the Four Corners, working alongside more than 150 member organizations to abolish persistent rural poverty. This October we gather in Jackson to learn together, celebrate what has been built, and plan the work ahead. The good people are already there. Come be part of it.
Who Should Come
Two days of workshops, shared meals, and time with people who do this work
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Coalition Members and Nonprofit Leaders If you lead or serve a community organization in a place of persistent rural poverty, this gathering is built for you. Meet peers from across the country who work in the same kinds of communities you do, hear from practitioners in your priority area, and spend face-to-face time with your regional vice president, director, or state manager. Sessions cover the practical side of running a small organization, including administration, launching a new program, marketing, and fundraising, along with how to engage city, county, and state leaders on the issues your community faces. Take home resources you can put to work the week you get back. |
Pastors, Church Leaders, and Laypeople New this year: a dedicated track for congregations that want to understand what is happening in rural communities and what a church can do about it, whether in its own county or through mission partnerships. Sessions cover asset-based community development best practices for congregations, how to engage city, county, and state leaders on behalf of your neighbors, and how a church becomes a steady public voice for people in places of persistent rural poverty. Learn from the people doing the work and leave with ideas your church can use. |
Program
What you will find at the Annual Meeting
Workshops follow Together for Hope’s four Priorities of Hope, with sessions led by coalition members and partners who are doing the work now. Workshop leaders and full descriptions will be posted here as they are confirmed.
- Education Early literacy, after-school and summer programs, and pathways from high school to work and college in counties where those options are thin [session titles and leaders to come]
- Health and Nutrition Food access, maternal and child health, and partnerships with clinics, grocers, and growers in places far from a hospital [session titles and leaders to come]
- Housing and Environment Building and repairing homes, financing that works for rural families, and caring for the land and water communities depend on [session titles and leaders to come]
- Social Enterprise Businesses that create local jobs and keep dollars in the community, from farm and food ventures to credit unions and cooperatives [session titles and leaders to come]
- Pastor and Church Leader Track Asset-based community development for congregations, engaging civic leaders on behalf of your neighbors, and how churches partner well with rural communities [session titles and leaders to come]
- Nonprofit Practice Administration, launching a program, marketing, fundraising, and engaging civic leaders in your community [session titles and leaders to come]
- Grantmaker Panel Foundation leaders share what they look for in a proposal and where their priorities are headed next year
- AI for Nonprofit Leaders Practical ways to use AI tools in a small organization
- Keynotes Two plenary sessions, Thursday lunch and Friday closing, from voices who know rural America and can speak to what is possible in it. Come away encouraged in your own work and with fresh ideas for making change where you live. [speakers to be announced]
Continuing education credit for social workers is being explored. Check back for updates.
Schedule
At a glance
Wednesday, Oct. 21 · Arrival
| Afternoon | Arrive and check in at your hotel |
| 5:30 p.m. | Welcome reception at Together for Hope headquarters, 2906 North State Street, Fondren. Light appetizers, wine, and beer. All registrants welcome. |
Thursday, Oct. 22 · Conference Day and Gala
| 8:30 a.m. | Coffee at the workshop venues in Fondren. Breakfast on your own. |
| 9:00 a.m. | Opening general session |
| 10:00 a.m. | Morning workshops (concurrent sessions, plus the pastor and church leader track) |
| 12:00 p.m. | Seated lunch with keynote |
| 1:30 p.m. | Afternoon workshops |
| 3:30 p.m. | Conference day ends |
| 6:30 p.m. | 25th Anniversary Gala at the Westin Jackson Add-on · Open to all Not included in conference registration. Individual tickets are $100, or choose a conference-plus-Gala bundle at checkout. |
Friday, Oct. 23 · Conference and Closing Keynote
| 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast on your own |
| 9:00 a.m. | Morning general session and workshops |
| 11:30 a.m. | Boxed lunch for conference attendees |
| 12:00 p.m. | Closing keynote |
| 1:30 p.m. | Conference concludes |
While You Are in Jackson
Add-on events
25th Anniversary Gala. Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin Jackson. Cocktail hour with live music, dinner, and comedy from Emmy winner Rita Brent, followed by dancing. We will mark 25 years and share news about the next chapter of Together for Hope. The Gala is open to everyone, whether or not you attend the conference. Tables of eight are available.
Wednesday welcome reception. Included with registration for anyone arriving Wednesday.
Rising Hope film screening. Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at a local theater. The documentary on Together for Hope directed by Theo Avgerinos. Open to the public and offered at the same time as the afternoon workshops.
Registration
Pricing
| Registration | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Coalition Member Registration | $85 | Full conference, Wednesday reception, Thursday and Friday lunches. Scholarships and travel help available for members with a signed MOU. |
| Coalition Member Bundle | $100 | Full conference plus one seat at the 25th Anniversary Gala. |
| General Attendee Registration | $100 | Full conference, including the pastor and church leader track, Wednesday reception, and Thursday and Friday lunches. |
| General Attendee Bundle | $185 | Full conference plus one seat at the 25th Anniversary Gala. |
| Gala Ticket | $100 | One add-on seat at the Gala at full price. Purchase on its own or add to a registration. |
Scholarship requests: contact your regional vice president or director.
Travel
Getting to Jackson and where to stay
Workshops, meals, and the Wednesday reception are all in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson, home to Together for Hope headquarters. The Thursday Gala is at the Westin Jackson downtown, and shuttle transportation between Homewood Suites and the Westin will be provided that evening. Fly into Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN), about 20 minutes from Fondren.
Residence Inn by Marriott Jackson The District at Eastover, 1248 Eastover Dr, Jackson, MS 39211. For anyone driving in. Together for Hope holds a room block at [$ ] per night through [cutoff date]. Fondren is a 5-minute drive and parking is available at the workshop venues. If you have a car, please choose this hotel so the walkable rooms go to guests flying in.
Homewood Suites by Hilton Jackson Fondren Medical District, 2815 N State St, Jackson, MS 39216. For guests flying in. Within walking distance of every workshop venue and the Wednesday reception, so you will not need a car. The block is small, at [$ ] per night through [cutoff date], and rooms go first come, first served.
A Special Anniversary Gift
Send the Coalition to Jackson
Not attending but would like to participate? Many of the leaders at the heart of this work serve communities where the cost of traveling to a national gathering falls outside a local budget. A special gift toward the Annual Meeting helps send a coalition member to Jackson this October, so more of the people doing the work can learn, celebrate, and plan the next 25 years alongside everyone else. The good people are already there. A gift like this helps bring them into the room.
| $75 | Mileage for a member driving in from nearby |
| $120 | A full year of coalition membership |
| $250 | A hotel stay and registration for one member |
| $500 | A flight for a member from Appalachia |
| $1,000 | A full travel package for one member |
| $2,500+ | Helps underwrite a full delegation |
Sponsorships
Partners in Hope
The Partners in Hope program offers three tracks of engagement, each designed to connect your organization with the Together for Hope network in ways that fit your goals.