EPIP is lucky to have a dynamic crew of members serving on our volunteer conference planning committee. Representing the full spectrum of the philanthropic ecosystem, these members have been busy behind the scenes to help prepare EPIP2026. 

Hear directly from our content sub-committee members about why they think you'll enjoy some of the breakout sessions featured at EPIP2026! 

Liberatory Leadership in a Time of Monsters: Trust, Reflection, and Generative Loops [track: skills to meet the moment] 

If you're feeling the weight of these destabilizing times in your work, your organization, or your leadership, this session is for you. It reframes trust not as a soft skill but as the essential infrastructure for surviving and thriving in turbulent times. You'll walk away with a concrete framework for diagnosing where trust is fractured in your ecosystem and practical tools to rebuild it, starting from the inside out. I'm showing up to this session ready to be honest, to be challenged, and to be in community with people who are trying to lead with care without losing themselves in the process. As a first-time attendee and mid-career professional, I am so excited to share these spaces with like-minded folks!
- Sara M. 

Mapping Yo Squad [track: rest for rigor]

I am really excited to attend the Mapping Yo Squad session at #EPIP2026. As someone who uses journaling as a daily faith practice, I am happy to try it as part of this session. I’m looking forward to the self-reflection activity and ways to further support and lean into my community, especially for such a time as this.  Be sure to check out the Zine that inspired this session and other resources offered!
- Cozzie 

From Goddess, session designer: "This session is inspired by the Zine "We Need Emotional Labor" by Jennifer Williams, the guided meditation "Let Go, Love, Forgive" by Lorraine Segal, and the legacy of creating Emotional Safety Plans by queer, trans, intersex, disabled, and Mad folx"

When You're Stuck: Pause as a Leadership Skill for Women of Color in Philanthropy [track: rest for rigor, session specifically for women of color]

I’m excited for this session because it offers a space designed for women of color in philanthropy to explore “pause” as a practical and necessary leadership skill. So much of this work can push people to move quickly, hold a lot at once, and keep going, even when the next steps are not always clear. This session feels like a useful opportunity to slow down with intention, reflect with peers, and walk away with practical tools for getting unstuck, making clearer decisions, and leading more sustainably.
- Raquel 

Beyond Networking: Building Mentorship Infrastructure That Transforms Philanthropic Careers [track: intergenerational leadership]

Having benefited from the Bay Area chapter's mentorship model myself, I am energized to discuss how intentional mentorship infrastructure can dismantle the 'who-you-know' barriers in philanthropic careers.
- Ravina 
(Note: this session is being designed and hosted by chapter leaders from the Bay Area chapter of EPIP!)

Embodied Practice: Aligning with our Commitment [track: skills to meet the moment]

I’m excited for this session because it treats embodiment as a serious leadership practice, not something as a nice-to-have. Social change work, especially in this moment, asks us to hold complexity, uncertainty, and pressure, often all at once. This session feels like an invitation to slow down together. I’m looking forward to exploring how embodied awareness can sharpen our thinking, steady our decisions, and help sustain us through the long haul.
- Mia

Funding Rest, Restoring Power: Funding Leader Wellbeing Through Participatory Grantmaking [track: skills to meet the moment, rest for rigor]

This session invites the sector to position investment in partner wellbeing as more than a “nice to have” but as a key input towards achieving outcomes. Beyond achieving outcomes, it uplifts and recognizes the humanity of our partners and the sometimes insurmountable challenges they face in service of their mission. Lastly, it provides any opportunity to deepen relationships and shift the dynamic between funder and partner. I believe that this will need to be a priority for our sector at a larger scale and think exposure to different approaches or models will be a meaningful learning experience for conference participants, as well as a chance to share best practices, challenges, and opportunities.
- Tarilyn

This is just a small sample of the incredible content awaiting you at EPIP2026. The full agenda will be posted in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!