Full Schedule

Join us for light refreshments at 2:30 pm. Then, participate in networking experiences designed to spark meaningful connections.

CLICK ON SESSION TITLES to see the descriptions.

  
  
Hill Day Schedule
  
  

    

      Breakfast & Networking
    
    

      8:00 – 9:00 AM | Federal AB
    
    

      Enjoy a breakfast buffet with fellow advocates and opening remarks from a Member of Congress (to be announced).
    
  

  

    

      Capitol Hill Transportation
    
    

      9:00 – 10:00 AM
    
    

      Buses will depart after breakfast and group photos to bring participants to Capitol Hill. Attendees should listen for staff announcements and check their email for details.
    
  

  

    

      Congressional Meetings
    
    

      Throughout the Day
    
    

      Congressional meetings are scheduled for Hill Day participants throughout the day. We'll provide assistance towards lunch at the Capitol or for car share transportation back to the hotel around 4:00 PM.
    
  

  

    

      Hill Day Debrief
    
    

      5:00 – 6:00 PM | Federal AB
    
    

      During the debrief session, we will recap key insights, share takeaways, and discuss next steps to take after the day's meetings.
    
  

CLICK ON THE SESSION TITLES to see the session descriptions and speakers.

The federal landscape for community development is shifting fast. Funding is uncertain. Oversight is tightening. And in some corners of government, nonprofits are met with skepticism or outright hostility. These headwinds aren’t just technical — they’re philosophical. They reflect a retreat from the idea that communities should be resourced to shape their own futures.

And yet, the needs on the ground are growing. Housing costs are climbing. Small businesses are vulnerable. Economic and climate shocks are increasing. The question is not just how to fill the financial gaps, but how to reshape investment itself — in ways that affirm community leadership, strengthen civic connection, and create shared prosperity.

This plenary explores that opportunity. It invites national funders, mission investors, and local practitioners into a shared conversation: not about charity or compliance, but about co-investment in the civic, economic, and social infrastructure communities need to thrive.

Homeownership isn’t just about individual wealth—it’s about anchoring families to place, stabilizing neighborhoods, and laying foundations for long-term community vitality. This session explores how federal tools—existing and proposed—can support the community-centered outcomes of homeownership, especially in places grappling with aging housing stock, economic change, and inequitable investment.

We’ll examine the role of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) and other place-based policy mechanisms in supporting home repair, affordability, and stewardship of homes as community assets. Panelists from national policy, finance, and local practice will share how place-driven strategies can sustain homeownership and community strength over time.

In the face of shrinking federal support and an increase in unprecedented emergencies, community development organizations are being called to respond in new and urgent ways. This session explores best practices implemented by organizations who are navigating the challenges of addressing both immediate crisis response and long-term recovery, with a focus on preventing displacement and preserving affordability. Through storytelling and grounded examples, participants will explore how shifting strategies, emerging partnerships, and cultural competency are shaping the field. Join us for a conversation that centers lived experiences, highlights community-led responses, and surfaces actionable insights for organizations adapting in real-time.

The fabric of American communities has been dramatically reshaped under the Trump administration's immigration policies. Join this session to learn how community development organizations are implementing strategies to protect immigrants and refugees, and mitigate the impacts of new policies that are threatening community safety, social cohesion, community health and economic development in neighborhoods across the country. Speakers will share their experiences and lessons learned. Participants will work through case studies to apply learnings to their own work.

Neighborhood organizations have long leveraged arts, culture, and storytelling strategies to build community, cultivate economic development, and encourage connection, healing, and empowerment. Join this session to learn about current research that examines how community arts initiatives (including placemaking and place-keeping projects) can expand a community's capacity to address socioeconomic and cultural well-being, and historical and structural disparities. While focusing on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, this research offers an emerging framework for building community capital in a multifaceted way that can potentially be applied in other diverse communities. This session will share this framework and will feature examples of creative, culturally aligned strategies that engage residents with their neighborhoods, foster a sense of belonging, and promote long-term community stewardship. Participating speakers will share their insights on the applicability of this framework, representing a range of rural and urban, multi-ethnic and multi-racial communities across the United States.

Community development thrives when we invest in the people doing the work. This session brings together experienced leaders in the field to explore how we can strengthen career development pathways in our field through real-world storytelling, shared knowledge, and active network-building.

In the first half, our panel will trace their personal journeys into the field, examine today's career development landscape, and share what's working — and what's missing — in helping professionals advance. The second half will turn the mic to the attendees for a facilitated conversation to identify common gaps, share real-world workarounds, and spark new collaborations in real time.

Persuasive and compelling narratives are the fuel for successful advocacy campaigns and social movements. Yet advancing narratives that center foundational values of the community development field, such as equity, opportunity and inclusion, is increasingly challenging in the current political climate. Join this panel discussion to hear more about how organizations are reshaping narratives to protect their communities and their work, fighting back against harmful and regressive narratives, and working in coalition with others to strengthen social change movements. This session will also incorporate recent research on public opinion and how they can inform the ways in which organizations message publicly about their work.

Across the country, community development organizations are being hit with skyrocketing insurance premiums, shrinking coverage, and policy cancellations—threatening their ability to build housing, operate facilities, and serve communities. This session will unpack the market forces reshaping the insurance landscape and how these shifts are impacting mission-driven nonprofits. Experts will explore a range of federal policy options—both realistic and aspirational—and provide practical guidance for organizations facing unaffordable or unavailable coverage. Come away with a clearer understanding of the systemic nature of this crisis and tools to manage risk in an increasingly volatile environment.

Heirs’ property issues present persistent and complex challenges for families and neighborhoods. These legal issues can limit generational wealth-building, stall redevelopment efforts, complicate land use, and contribute to property vacancy.

In this session, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of heirs’ property land passed down without a will or formal probate and tangled titles, where ownership is unclear or disputed. Legal experts and community-based practitioners will explore the social, legal, and economic implications of these issues and share actionable strategies for resolving them. The session will also highlight policy interventions, legal tools, and community outreach models that are making a difference across regions.

Whether you are working in housing, economic development, or planning, this session will provide the tools to support equitable property ownership and community resilience.

With DEI initiatives under attack, efforts to close the racial wealth gap continue to face significant setbacks. Contributing to this are the funding cuts to federal aid and safety net programs, which come at a time when many low-income communities of color and Limited-English-Proficient communities are still struggling to recover from the impacts of the COVID pandemic. Additionally, marginalized communities are navigating an extended period of inflation where economic recovery seems increasingly out of reach.

Drawing on findings from National CAPACD's Financial Capability Community Needs Assessment report (2023-2024) and other recent research, this session will highlight insightful new data about the financial needs of low-income communities. Experts will share their insights on policy recommendations and effective strategies to promote financial inclusion for historically-marginalized communities in a challenging political landscape.

Advocacy remains one of the most powerful tools for driving systemic change and influencing policy. This session will offer a practical introduction to advocacy for community developers, covering what advocacy is as well as how to engage in a variety of advocacy tactics, including social media campaigns, letter writing, and direct meetings with elected officials. NALCAB's policy team will share their Policy Toolkit and give participants actionable advocacy tips. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to sharpen your skills, this session will equip you with the tools to make your message heard.

Despite recent setbacks in U.S. federal climate policy, community development advocates and practitioners continue to advance local and statewide climate resilience initiatives. Learn about a recent landscape analysis outlining the strengths, resources, and needs of community development organizations working with Black, Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Find out what barriers community developers face — and what opportunities they see to advance climate resilience at the local level. Leaders from local and national organizations will respond to the report’s findings and recommendations, sharing examples of how they are continuing this work in a changing political landscape.

This interactive session provides community developers with practical tools to transform residents' lived experience and local priorities into data that's compelling to healthcare systems and insurers. Participants will learn how to partner with residents to collect and analyze data — and how to use data to create powerful narratives that drive local investments that address the root causes of health disparities.

Community developers will share real-world examples of how community-driven data supported investments in housing, wellness infrastructure, early learning, and healing spaces. Attendees will gain insights about how storytelling can rebalance power dynamics and build more equitable healthcare partnerships. The session draws on the Build Healthy Places Network and Verge Impact Partners' guide, Community-Driven Data and Evaluation Strategies to Transform Power and Place.

Drop Your Luggage by 7:45 AM (Hotel Bell Desk)
There are restrictions on what size bags and contents are allowed inside the Capitol buildings. Nothing can be left on the bus.

Breakfast & Networking (8:00 – 9:00 AM | Federal AB)
Enjoy a breakfast buffet with fellow advocates and opening remarks (speaker to be announced).

Capitol Hill Transportation (9:00 – 10:00 AM)
Buses will depart after breakfast and group photos to bring participants to Capitol Hill. Attendees should listen for staff announcements and check their email for details. Nothing can be left on the bus.

Congressional Meetings (throughout the day)
Congressional meetings are scheduled for Hill Day participants throughout the day. We'll provide assistance towards lunch at the Capitol or for car share transportation back to the hotel around 4:00 PM.

Hill Day Debrief (5:00 – 6:00 PM | Federal AB)
During the debrief session, we will recap key insights, share takeaways, and discuss next steps to take after the day's meetings.