On October 21st, Cone Health Foundation brought together 104 people representing 73 current and former grant recipients for our 2026 Community Partners Convening. It was a day filled with energy, meaningful conversations, new connections, and a shared commitment to building healthier communities.
The challenges facing our communities are complex, and no single organization can address them alone. We believe meaningful progress happens when community leaders come together, build relationships, and work toward shared goals. We also believe that how we bring people together matters.
Before planning the convening, we asked some of our partners what they would find most valuable in a gathering like this. Their feedback helped shape the experience in a way that was collaborative, drew on the wisdom and experience in the room, and gave participants opportunities to learn from one another. Rather than filling the agenda with presentations, we created opportunities throughout the morning for participants to engage with one another, share their experiences, and learn from the collective wisdom in the room. From the lively opening music to the small-group conversations, every element was intended to create a welcoming environment where relationships and ideas could flourish.
A live brass brand lifted up the energy in the room as guests arrived and connected over breakfast. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
We kicked off the morning with the energy of a live brass band before turning our attention to the challenges and possibilities facing our communities. Two conversations with local and statewide leaders offered examples of what collaboration and collective action can accomplish.
Left to right: Leslie Loyd, CEO of A Simple Gesture; Tiarra Watson of New Hope Community Development; Jose Sandoval, Board Member of Cone Health Foundation. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
Cone Health Foundation Board Member Jose Sandoval moderated a discussion with Leslie Loyd, CEO of A Simple Gesture, and Tiarra Watson of New Hope Community Development. They shared lessons from their work advancing food access and community development, including collaboration among organizations serving food-insecure, immigrant, and refugee communities and efforts to strengthen residents’ leadership and advocacy.
Left to right: Graig Meyer, Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice Center; Darius Graham, Cone Health Foundation President. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
Cone Health Foundation President Darius Graham then joined Graig Meyer, Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice Center, for a conversation about advocacy, civic engagement, coalition-building, and recognizing opportunities to advance meaningful change.
Just as important as the conversations on stage were the conversations happening throughout the room. As one participant reflected:
“The most meaningful part of today was the opportunity to reflect on community resilience, collective impact, and the importance of authentic collaboration. It reinforced that our communities already possess tremendous strengths, relationships, and assets.”
Throughout the day, we created opportunities for our partners to connect and learn from one another. In small-group discussions, participants reflected on the challenges facing their communities, where they are seeing resilience and momentum, and how organizations and residents are adapting to changing circumstances.
Organizational leaders reflecting on their community work in small break-out groups. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
Organizational leaders reflecting on their community work in small break-out groups. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
The conversations highlighted interconnected needs, including housing, food access, transportation, economic opportunity, and health care. Participants also shared examples of community resilience, from neighbors supporting one another to organizations developing creative partnerships and new approaches to meeting community needs.
Graphic recording of our conversations throughout the convening captured by artist Caryn Sterling of Drawing Insight.
These discussions reinforced something important: While organizations may work on different issues, they often encounter shared challenges and have much to learn from one another. Beyond the specific issues discussed, a powerful theme emerged: the importance of connection itself. Participants described the value of knowing they are not alone in facing difficult challenges, finding encouragement in the experiences of their peers, and building relationships that can help sustain their work.
What We Heard From Participants
We were intentional not only about designing the convening around community partners’ needs, but also about gathering feedback to understand what worked and what we could do better. Among participants who completed our post-event survey:
- 98% reported gaining new insights or inspiration.
- 98% made new connections or deepened existing ones.
- 96% identified opportunities for future collaboration, information sharing, or mutual support.
Participants especially valued connecting with organizations they had not previously known, recognizing shared challenges, and identifying opportunities to work together. One participant captured the experience this way:
“Today’s event for me was very powerful because I got to meet other nonprofit leaders and see that we have some of the same challenges, but also some of the same aligned goals that help us to work together. So for me, this really inspired collaboration.”
Participants also told us they wanted even more time for conversation and relationship-building, feedback that will help shape how we bring community partners together in the future.
Community leaders gathering around the table for small-group discussions. (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
Continuing the Conversation
Perhaps the most important feedback we received was that participants want these conversations to continue. Our partners expressed interest in more opportunities to connect, share resources, and explore collaboration around common priorities. We heard particular interest in smaller gatherings that would allow organizations working on related issues to deepen their conversations and identify opportunities for collective action.
We’re listening, and we’re taking action. In the coming months, we’ll reconvene participants in smaller groups organized around the focus areas they explored together at the convening. Our goal is to help move these conversations toward meaningful collaboration by identifying shared priorities, exploring opportunities to work together, and connecting participants with existing coalitions and networks where they can build on work already underway.
As a foundation, we recognize that advancing health equity requires more than funding individual organizations. It also means helping build the relationships, partnerships, and collective capacity needed to create lasting change. What we heard at the convening will help inform how we continue supporting that work.
To everyone who joined us: thank you for bringing your experiences, perspectives, ideas, and energy to the gathering.
To everyone who volunteered during the event: thank you for taking the initiation to serve and support for our overall success.
And to our partners who continue showing up for our neighbors every day: thank you for all that you do.
We look forward to continuing the work together.
Cone Health Foundation team from left to right: Senior Executive Assistant Tracey Webster, Director of Community Engagement and Impact Yazmin Garcia Rico, President Darius Graham, Director of Community Engagement and Impact Christina Yongue, Finance and Grants Manager Luke Wallace (photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler)
Experience more from the day and browse through our full photo gallery.
