CONFERENCE Updates

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal will join us on the mainstage! Jayapal, who is serving her fifth term in Congress representing Washington’s 7th District, will give keynote remarks and answer questions from the audience.

Kelly Morales has dedicated the last eleven years of her life to the immigrant rights movement. At Siembra NC, she led North Carolina's largest-ever Latine voter engagement campaign, setting a historic precedent for community mobilization and empowerment.

Vivian Topping is the Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement at Equality Federation. She leads impactful campaigns that empower state-based LGBTQIA+ organizations, and achieved historic success with Massachusetts' groundbreaking transgender rights referendum

Curious how to best unlock your skills, passions, and power in service of our collective impact? Join fellow members, peer funders, and movement leaders for WDN Connect 2025, happening Wednesday, April 30 through Saturday, May 3. Together, we'll connect, grow, fund, and mobilize in one of the most stunning locations in the Pacific Northwest.

Countdown to WDN Connect

SURVIVAL
SKILLS

Create your own adventure with 5 tracks of skill-building sessions to strengthen us for what’s ahead:

  1. Center Your Compass: Unpack themes of identity, privilege, and power to gain clarity on how we show up to this work.

  2. Feed Your Soul: Explore practices that nurture joy, rest, healing, and connection as essential components of activism and community care. 

  3. Map Your Resources: Explore how we can use wealth and philanthropy as tools for good.

  4. Trailblaze for Liberation: Dig into the systems and structures that must be challenged and changed for us all to be free.

  5. Political Survival Guide: Deepen your understanding of our political systems and learn to flex your advocacy muscles for change.

WHO ATTENDS?
WDN Connect is not just a gathering – it’s a rallying cry for a multiracial, multigenerational community of women, nonbinary, and gender-expansive donor-organizers. We welcome all WDN members and invited prospective members, allied funders, and movement partners.

Program overview

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30

Morning/Afternoon
Optional Pre-Conference Activities from 11am-2pm (registration now closed)
Free Time

Evening
Opening Night Reception & Welcome Dinner (starting at 5pm)
Identity Meetups

THURSDAY, MAY 1

Morning
Breakfast, Meet-ups, & Movement Space
Keynote Session
Choose Your Own Adventure Workshops

Afternoon
Lunch
Choose Your Own Adventure Workshops
Free Time & Optional Activities
Identity Meetups

Evening
Dinner & Entertainment

WDN Connect 2025 “Meet Us at Basecamp” is all about skill-building – with ample time for joy, care, healing, and connection. We’ll have a mix of main stage sessions and small group workshops that prioritize hands-on learning, with an emphasis on unlocking our collective skills, passions, and power.

FRIDAY, MAY 2

Morning
Breakfast, Meet-ups, & Movement Space
Keynote Session
Choose Your Own Adventure Workshops

Afternoon
Lunch
Choose Your Own Adventure Workshops

Evening
Celebration Happy Hour, Closing Dinner & Party (starting at 7pm)

SATURDAY, MAY 3

Morning
Breakfast & Goodbyes
Camp Activities (9am-noon)

What Participants Say

  • “Thank you for making my first WDN conference memorable beyond my wildest hopes. The energy was uplifting, the speakers were fierce and brilliant, the conversations were thought-provoking and inspiring.”

    Beth Levine

  • “I’m departing grateful for the camaraderie, inspiration, and renewed energy to keep moving forward.”

    Cathy Raphael

  • “I attended WDN Connect as a funding partner and from the moment I walked in, I took a deep breath and felt, "ahhh..." my people.”

    Jackie Kaplan-Perkins

  • “The conference was such a transformative experience for me. I was new to WDN when I attended WDN Connect in Charlotte, and it made me feel like I had found my spiritual ‘home.’ WDN felt like the first place I belonged in a long while.”

    Yvonne Adams

  • "At WDN Connect, I met fellow donor activists who are very powerful and smart. I went home inspired by their activism to model back to my local community."

    Mary Stranahan

BOOKING YOUR HOTEL ROOM

Rooms are now subject to availability: Since the deadline to book within our hotel room block has passed, you can inquire about reservations directly with our conference venue, Skamania Lodge. You can check availability online or call 877-865-4271 between 8am – 8pm PT. We recommend booking your room as soon as possible.

Conference dates: April 30 – May 3.

THE VENUE

A stunning mountain resort just 45 miles east of Portland, Skamania Lodge offers a chance to fuel your soul in one of the most iconic and dramatic landscapes on earth. With views of the winding Colombia River, Cascade Mountains, and old-growth forests, this hotel is the perfect incubator for growth, connection, and ease. 

THE LOCATION

We’ll be nestled in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a spectacular river canyon that meanders past cliffs, spires, and ridges set against nearby peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range. With the highest number of waterfalls in the country, picturesque lakes, and a lush Douglas fir forest that comes alive with wildflowers in the spring – not only is this location a marvel, we’ll be visiting it at the height of its beauty.

Meet us at basecamp!