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 un-ceded 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 contrast; 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. 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.

Annual Meeting Planning Committee

• 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

Thank You to Our Meeting Sponsors!

Clif Family Foundation, 2030 Fund, Barr Foundation