Description

Save the Dates: April 23­–24, 2026

Rural Philanthropy Summit: Celebrating Innovation will take place April 23–24, 2026, at Missouri S&T in Rolla, MO.

Presented by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Philanthropy Missouri, the Summit will kick off Thursday, April 23, with pre-conference activities and a welcome reception. The Summit, hosted at Missouri S&T’s Havener Center on Friday, April 24, will feature a keynote address, breakout sessions and more, from breakfast until 3:00 p.m.

Further details – including hotel blocks and registration fee (discounted for PhilMO Members and CFO affiliates) – will be provided when registration opens in early 2026.

Call for Breakout Session Proposals

This year, we are pleased to again feature participant-designed/led breakout sessions. These 55-60 minute breakouts will be delivered once on Friday, April 24, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. A successful breakout session will: 

⭐ Address an issue facing rural communities in Missouri;

⭐ Include examples of effective, innovative and/or promising strategies to address this issue; and

⭐ Specify steps rural funders/partners can take to meaningfully address this issue in the communities they serve.

Submission Deadline & Process

We invite you to submit a breakout session proposal for consideration by emailing Sarah Moody at sarah@philmo.org by 5:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 5. 

Please use “Summit Breakout Proposal: [Your Session Title]” as the email subject line and provide the following:

✅ Title of breakout session

✅ Names/titles/organizations of all presenters

✅ Session format (lecture, panel discussion, small group discussion, interactive, etc.)

✅ Session objectives

✅ Session description (3–5 sentences)

Considerations

All Summit participants are anticipated to be joining in-person; sessions in which one or more presenters are in-person will be prioritized. 

Collaboration between funders and community partners is welcome. 

You are warmly encouraged to design something you would find timely, engaging, and meaningful. To review prior breakout session topics, find material online from the 2024 Rural Philanthropy Summit and the 2025 Rural Philanthropy Summit.

Selection Timeline

The Summit planning team will carefully review all proposals and be in touch by Friday, Dec. 19, to advise you if your proposal has been selected. 

Questions? Contact info@philmo.org.