Reflections from the LIL Team: 2026 Annual Retreat
Our fourth annual retreat, held in Portland, Oregon earlier this year, brought nonprofit leaders together with the LIL team to strengthen relationships, share honest conversation, and reaffirm a collective sense of purpose. Participants consistently described the gathering as hopeful, collaborative, and clarifying, with many noting that the experience deepened their understanding of both the challenges and the impact of the work.
The retreat also underscored that while each leader and organization has a distinct mission, they are united by a commitment to positive impact, mutual support, and building a more just and sustainable future. The retreat created space for reflection, connection, and learning that left attendees more energized and better equipped to continue the work together. The retreat affirmed a collective approach to systems change: no one person or organization has all the answers, but together the group holds a lot of knowledge and capacity.
We asked staff to reflect on their own experience, and they shared powerful takeaways. What stood out most was that the retreat created a space for authentic connection that strengthened both relationships and commitment to the mission. Other common themes that emerged include the power of being together, shared purpose, collaboration and community, hope in difficult times, and learning and clarity.
Being together matters. Nellie, Chani, and Dayle all described the retreat as valuable because face-to-face time made relationships feel deeper, more restorative, and more meaningful. Nellie shared, “This year’s retreat reminded me that in-person time is precious and restorative. Through intentional programming along with lots of spaciousness in the agenda, we were able to build on relationships that began online many months ago. My favorite parts of the retreat were sharing meals, laughter, (and many rolls of Polaroid film!) with leaders who I’m now lucky enough to call friends.”
Shared purpose across different missions. Nellie, Tim, and Valentina all noted that while the leaders and organizations are distinct, they are united by a common commitment to change. Tim shared, “What stood out for me was the shared sense of purpose from the entire cohort. While their respective missions may differ, their sense of purpose, and passion for their goals is sincere, exciting, and inspiring.”
Collaboration and community. Dayle and Valentina highlighted the partnership between grant partners and the LIL team, along with leaders supporting one another through generosity and collective learning. Valentina shared, “LIL’s 2026 retreat highlighted a strong sense of shared purpose and collaboration between our grant partners and the LIL team. Being together allowed me to better understand the complexities our partners face in sustaining operations, maintaining financial health, and staying true to their mission in a sector where funding is increasingly challenging.”
Dayle shared, “I deeply appreciate how these leaders show up for one another with insights and support to build a community grounded in generosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating positive change.”
Hope in difficult times. Rangineh, Jiten, and Chani all framed the retreat as energizing and hope-building. Rangineh shared, “Given the state of the world and all that we hear is going wrong, the LIL Retreat offered an important, and encouraging, reminder about what's actually going right. Reconnecting with the impactful work that grant partners are doing everywhere from Hawaii to Detroit, helped me remember that while systems-change work might not always make the front page, it's certainly what helps us keep hope alive, and it seems we can all use more of that right now.”
Jiten shared, “Attending the LIL [retreat] was an inspiring experience just like last year. At this time, when we feel that the problems we face are insurmountable, hearing about the quiet leadership being practiced day after day by the LIL grantees in their communities helped restore my hope for the future.”
Chani shared, “Being surrounded by such an incredible group of people doing meaningful and impactful work inspired hope. The rich conversations will stay with me for a long time, serving as a reminder that time spent with good-hearted people is truly empowering.”
Learning and clarity. Nellie and Valentina both mentioned leaving with greater clarity about how to show up in the work, while Dayle emphasized learning from others’ resilience and dedication. Dayle shared, “I’m continually impressed by the drive, resilience, and dedication of the leaders in the room and grateful for the opportunity to learn from and work alongside them.”
Nellie shared, “I left Portland with more clarity around how I can show up and be of service to the climate justice movement. I’m grateful to our partners for leading this work and modeling how to move everyday in the pursuit of a greener, healthier, and more just world.”