The Great Rivers Conference brings together 300+ United Way professionals and volunteers from across the Midwest. This amazing three-day conference is a forum for information exchange, learning and relationship-building.

Great Rivers is for our network, by our network. Boasting an impressive program, dynamic keynotes and a wide variety of breakout sessions that are helped shaped by you, Great Rivers has it all. There is ample opportunities for networking, casual connection spaces, and opportunities to celebrate and strategize with peers from across the network.

The 2026 Great Rivers Conference will be held in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois at the Bloomington-Normal Hotel & Conference Center  from March 17-19, 2026.

Who should attend Great Rivers?
Any United Way professional in our 12 state region (Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota) is encouraged to attend. There will be a wide range of learning opportunities, so staff members in every department will learn something relevant to their work. We also welcome anyone outside of the Midwest to join us!

Questions? Check out our frequently asked questions for more, or to contact us.

Thanks to our 2026 sponsors & exhibitors!

Silver Sponsors

Partner Exhibitors

Exhibitors