Registration is open to all entities eligible to join the Council as member.

Building Together is an intensive learning event and we want each attendee to be able to receive the most out of every plenary, workshop, concurrent session, and practice team activity. The event is designed for Council members and eligible nonmembers—including grantmaking foundation staff, corporations, philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs), and other philanthropic entities. Additionally, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals that directly support and serve the philanthropic sector are eligible to attend. However, Building Together has a strict no solicitation policy and attendees who are in business development, sales, and/or fundraising roles at non-grantmaking organizations are not eligible to attend. 

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.

If you are ineligible to attend Building Together, please note that the Council hosts other events during the year, many of which are open to nonprofits and other organizations. Upcoming events are listed on the Council's event calendar.
 

When you register, we'll ask for a lot of information -- from your workshop choices to your People's Supper Dinner choice. Want to make sure you have all the information you need before you get started? Check out our "Before You Register!" guide, which has all the registrations questions in one printable page.

To make the most significant impact toward your organization’s learning, we recommend individuals attend with their team to best facilitate the transition from learning to action. Group discounts are available.

Organizations that meet any of the following criteria are eligible for the discounted group registration rate:

• Are members of the Council on Foundations AND are registering at least two staff members
• Are members of PACE AND are registering at least two staff members
• Are members of Forefront AND are registering at least two staff members

After March 29, only Council Members will have access to the discounted group registration rate.

Council Members: To receive the group registration rate, select “attendee” as the registration type. Then choose “group registration.”

PACE and Forefront Members: To receive the group registration rate, select “PACE & Forefront Members” as the registration type. You will be prompted to enter the passcode you received from PACE or Forefront. Then choose “group registration.”

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

The event hotel is the Chicago Hilton at 720 South Michigan Avenue. Click here to visit the booking page: https://book.passkey.com/go/2024BCGC

The special discounted rate for Building Together is $269/night plus local taxes and fees. The cut-off date to reserve a room using the Council’s special discounted rate is April 12.

Ideally, participants should arrive Monday afternoon, May 6, and plan to depart after 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. Event activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. on May 6 and site visits will end by 6 p.m. on May 9.

NOTE: The activities on Monday, May 6, will be at an off-site location, Offshore Rooftop, located at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Bus transportation will be provided from the Chicago Hilton to Offshore and will return participants to the Hilton.

The Bridge Builder Scholarship supports Building Together 2024 participation for leaders who may not otherwise be able to attend due to limited professional development budgets. Individuals who receive partial scholarships will receive a discounted registration rate of $1,000. Travel, meals outside of those provided through the event, and accommodations are not included in the scholarship.

Individuals can apply at https://cof.org/building-together-2024/bridge-builder-scholarship.

All applicants who are not awarded a scholarship and who are members of the Council will receive a discount code to register at the discounted registration price.

Yes! The Bridge Builder Scholarship supports participation for leaders who may not otherwise be able to attend Building Together 2024. If you or your organization have additional resources, we welcome you to consider "topping up" your registration fee with a donation to support a peer.

This event is for philanthropic leaders at all levels who want to develop strategies and skills to productively navigate differences in service of the greater good. Attendees will leave with the inspiration and tools needed to take what they’ve learned and use it to support their organizations and communities.

Registration is capped at 500 to ensure workshops and Practice Teams are more intimate experiences.

All Building Together registrants will be part of a Practice Team. Each team will be a group of 10 people who will support each other throughout the event. Practice Teams will be constructed by Council staff with diversity in mind, and teammates will come from different roles and regions and have varied perspectives. Starting at the Opening Reception, members of each Practice Team will have dedicated time each day to meet with each other, reflect on what they are learning, practice new skills, and consider take-home strategies relevant to their work.

During the registration process, you’ll select one workshop to attend on Tuesday, May 7, and another to attend on Wednesday, May 8 (each provider will offer the same workshop twice). These workshops will be 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 educate@cof.org.

Building Together is designed to be attended in its entirety, and we ask that participants commit to focusing on event programming and turn off outside work. The event is designed with a specific learning journey focused on discovering new strategies and skills, practicing and applying these skills to your work, and reflecting on what you are learning and how it might apply to your practice. Missing any aspect of this journey will not only make it difficult for you to fully participate, it will also affect the capacity of your Practice Team.

Chicago Historian, Dilla, from Chicago Mahogany, will lead a bus tour of the Bronzeville neighborhood. The tour also includes a stop at the Bronzeville Winery, where guests can spend time socializing and networking in an inviting space that highlights a revolving art collection. Wine tastings may be purchased onsite. Cost is $75 per person and includes roundtrip bus transportation.

Find out about the tour and book today!

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 the Code of Conduct are actions that may be taken if an individual violates the Code.

The Working Group, our partners, and Council staff are curating all content and speakers for this event and are doing the research to identify potential speakers who bring knowledge and practical skills to the strategies of building common ground and bridging differences.

If you or someone you know would be a great speaker on this topic, please contact educate@cof.org to be considered for invitation.

No. With only 20 concurrent sessions offered during Building Together, we do not have a call for sessions. The Working Group, our partners, and Council staff are curating all content and speakers for this event.

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.