Urban Water Funders 2026 Annual Meeting | Houston

Join us in Houston for TFN’s Urban Water Funders 2026 Annual Meeting, Feb. 9-11!

Water issues have a profound impact on civic life, public health, climate resilience and economic justice, especially for those in historically marginalized and vulnerable communities.

As the sector continues to navigate increasingly complex social, political and environmental challenges, we’ll examine philanthropy’s potential to strengthen communities and transform our shared water future through bold approaches that spark action and lasting impact.

Our gathering offers a chance to spark new ideas, forge stronger partnerships and explore collaborations beyond traditional funding silos. Together, we’ll explore where philanthropic resources can have the greatest impact — through candid dialogue, place-based learning and collective visioning.

The Urban Water Funders 2026 Annual Meeting is an intimate, engaging and interactive convening for funders interested in creating more sustainable, prosperous and equitable communities by investing in water systems and solutions.

All funders are welcome, regardless of whether you’re currently engaged with TFN’s Urban Water Funders working group, or are just curious to know more about how water issues connect to your grantmaking work.

Read on for agenda highlights, registration and lodging info, and more!

REGISTRATION

Newcomers welcome! Join us if you are already engaged with TFN’s Urban Water Funders working group — or are looking to learn more about us. Registration is open to donors, staff, directors and trustees of all grantmaking institutions.

Registration rates:

- $300 for Members
- $500 for Non-members

LODGING

TFN has reserved a block of rooms for Monday and Tuesday (February 9-10) at the Magnolia Hotel Houston with a lodging rate of $224.

➡️ Be sure to book before our room block expires January 19!

Click here to make your reservation or please call the hotel at 888-915-1110 and reference The Funders Network.

The Magnolia Hotel Houston is located at 1100 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002

Please contact Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org if you are having problems making a reservation.

AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS

The Urban Water Funders 2026 Annual Meeting will explore:
- How this moment fits into the broader history of environmental justice and water equity movements;
- How funders are adapting strategies in an increasingly challenging federal landscape;
- Community-driven resilience efforts in Houston and across Texas;
- Opportunities to strengthen community leadership and civic infrastructure;
- National campaigns and coalitions advancing water access and equity; and
- What fellow funders are supporting — and how to find new partners in your work.
Feb. 9 | Day One kicks off with powerful insights from nationally-acclaimed environmental justice leader Dr. Robert Bullard, founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice and distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University. He’ll join us as we explore how we, as funders and partners, are meeting this moment of change — individually and collectively

Feb. 10 | Day Two centers Houston and Texas: communities leading the way through complex challenges to achieve big wins for water. We’ll visit the nation’s longest urban off-street trail system — where green infrastructure is redefining resilience — and hear stories of community power-building in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The day will close with a lively “Fast Pitch” session, where funders share bold ideas and explore collaborative, fundable projects.

Feb. 11| Day Three turns our lens outward, focusing on the growing movement to build power at the local and state levels as a foundation for future progress at the federal level. We’ll reflect on philanthropy’s role in supporting this broader ecosystem, and spend funder-to-funder time diving deep into shared interests such as climate migration, implementation of federal infrastructure funding and the water workforce. We’ll wrap up with a thought-provoking look-ahead toward a shared vision for an equitable water future.

➡️ Stay tuned for our learning agenda to see session descriptions and speaker updates.

WHY HOUSTON

Water is both a lifeline and a liability in Houston, shaping the city’s geography, infrastructure and civic identity. A major port city, Houston is connected to a network of nearly two dozen bayous and river systems that thread through the city’s landscape.

Like many communities, Houston is grappling with rapid growth and escalating climate pressures: Rising temperatures intensify the region’s already sweltering summers, stronger and more frequent storms threaten already flood-prone neighborhoods, and reliance on an oil-and-gas-driven economy fuel concerns about long-term sustainability and environmental justice.

But Houston is also becoming a proving ground for innovative and equitable approaches to infrastructure and climate adaptation, including a recent multi-year investment to build democracy through water infrastructure and organizing. Houston is the county seat of Harris County, which this spring became the only county in Texas to pass a community-wide climate justice plan.

From strong equity-centered community partners to the momentum of big statewide water wins, our time in Houston will offer a chance to deepen our understanding of the forces shaping our collective water future — and how those lessons can inform your own grantmaking work.

THANK YOU

Thank you to our funder planning committee for their ideas, guidance and assistance in planning this meeting:

Yeou-Rong Jih, Kresge Foundation (Co-Chair)
Elizabeth Love, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Sydney Garcia, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
Chloe Lieberknecht, Texas Wellspring Fund/ The Water Foundation