The event is designed for staff of grantmaking foundations, corporations, and other philanthropic entities. Council membership is not a requirement for registration, though Council members do receive a discount. Additionally, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals that directly support and serve the philanthropic sector are eligible to attend.

Funders may extend an invitation to nonprofits that they partner closely with on fostering connection and building common ground. Invited nonprofit partners will receive a discounted rate (see Nonprofit Partner invitation).

Building Together has a strict no solicitation policy; all attendees are expected to respect this policy and not solicit business, contracts, or grants at the event. Organizations and individuals interested in promoting information about their services to conference attendees may contact Annie Tolbert, Development Manager, at 202-991-5857 or annie.tolbert@cof.org to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. 

When you register, we'll ask for a lot of information, including your workshop choices. Want to make sure you have all the information you need before you get started? Review a PDF of our registration questions in one printable page. [link needed] 

During the registration process, you’ll select one workshop to attend on Tuesday, May 5, and another to attend on Wednesday, May 6. Each of our workshop providers will offer the same workshop twice during the event. These workshops are three-hour deep dives into building and practicing frameworks, strategies, and skills for bridging across differences. 

Please review the full list of available workshops before making your selection.

If you have questions or need to make changes to your workshop selection, please contact conferences@cof.org.

If you need to make changes to your registration, please contact conferences@cof.org.

Refunds for cancellations made prior to March 20, 2026, will incur a 10% administrative fee. No refunds will be provided after March 20, 2026. A cancelled registration can be transferred to another person without fees. 

The event hotel is the Hyatt Regency Seattle at 808 Howell St. Book at the Building Together rate.

The discounted rate for Building Together 2026 is $299 per night plus local taxes and fees. The deadline to reserve a room using the Council’s discounted rate is April 13. 

Event activities will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 4 and end by 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7. In addition, there will be optional pre- and post-event activities. Ideally, attendees will be present for the full event. 

The Bridge Builder Scholarship covers event registration for those at Council member organizations with limited professional development budgets. The scholarship will cover all registration fees for Building Together 2026 and may not be transferred to another event. Travel, meals outside of those provided through the event, and accommodations are not included in the scholarship.

Apply at https://cof.org/building-together-2026/bridge-builder-scholarship.

Current Council members can apply by December 8, 2025. 

This event is designed for philanthropic leaders who are willing and ready to drive change in their organizations and across the sector. It offers programming for all roles and all levels, from junior staff to CEOs. Specific executive-level content will also be featured.

We encourage organizations to send multiple team members to maximize learning and impact.  

Building Together officially begins at 4:30 p.m. PT on Monday, May 4. For attendees who are arriving early on Monday, we will offer several opportunities to explore Seattle and connect with other attendees. See our experiences page for more information. 

For our Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort and Career Pathways members and alumni, there will be pre-event gatherings — you will need to RSVP when you register for Building Together.

If you are interested in hosting a pre- or post-conference meeting alongside Building Together, reach out to conferences@cof.org.  

All Building Together attendees will be assigned to a Practice Team. A Practice Team is a group of 10 conference attendees who support each other and connect throughout the event. Practice Teams aim to represent different organizations, roles, and regions, with varied perspectives and experiences to share. During lunch each day of Building Together, Practice Teams will meet to reflect on what they are learning, practice new skills, and consider how to take learnings back to their organizations.

During the registration process, you’ll select one workshop to attend on Tuesday, May 5, and another to attend on Wednesday, May 6. Each of our workshop providers will offer the same workshop twice during the event. These workshops are three-hour deep dives into building and practicing frameworks, strategies, and skills for bridging across differences. 

Review the full list of available workshops before making your selection.

If you have questions or need to make changes to your workshop selection, please contact conferences@cof.org.

To be respectful of your fellow attendees and to experience the conference fully, we ask that participants make every effort to stay focused on the event and pause outside work as much as possible. The program follows a specific learning journey focused on discovering new strategies, learning and practicing new skills, and reflecting on how these strategies and skills fit into your work. Missing parts of this journey will make it difficult for you to fully connect and engage with your Practice Team.

We have a very full agenda, and we know our attendees value time between content to recharge, but we do have some opportunities for small gatherings: 

• Host a Dine Around (Wednesday, May 6): Select a local restaurant for a small group. We’ll promote and collect RSVPs. Interest form coming soon!  
• Please reach out to conferences@cof.org if you would like to explore a gathering or a meeting.

The Building Together Code of Conduct includes expectations for all Building Together participants and steps to take if you experience or observe a violation. Also included in our Code of Conduct are actions that may be taken if an individual violates the Code. Please review the code of conduct before the event.

We have closed our request for proposals for peer-led sessions, and workshops have been developed through partnerships.

If you are interested in submitting a session proposal for future conferences, please fill out this form.

If you are interested in partnering with the Council to provide more in-depth content, please reach out to knowledge@cof.org.

The Building Together sponsorship guide outlines available sponsorship levels and opportunities. To learn more about becoming a Building Together sponsor, contact Annie Tolbert, Manager, Development, at 202-991-5857 or annie.tolbert@cof.org.