Y'all Come to Austin! 5 Reasons You'll Want to Attend PowerUP Texas 2026

By Kalí Rourke, Impact Austin Member

and Philanos Board Member

This is the third in a series of blogs leading to the 3-day Philanos Conference that will ignite collaboration among women's collective giving groups. PowerUP! Texas 2026 will come to the Hilton Austin on Feb 8-10. With Impact Austin hosting and other Texas giving circles adding strength as co-hosts, PowerUP! Texas is the place to be for inspired learning, collaboration, and community impact. Collective giving colleagues, register today and join us!

Philanos is coming to town and bringing a few hundred friends to share knowledge, inspiration, and friendship! Impact Austin is honored to be hosting the event. You can learn more details in our overview post. Keep checking our blog, because future posts will share new details as they are announced: speakers, breakout sessions, affinity groups, and introduction to our amazing Texas co-hosts!

5 Reasons You’ll Want to Attend PowerUp! Texas

The Venue 

Austin, Texas is the capital of one of America’s largest states and a music and entertainment mecca. Beautiful greenery, trails, and a lovely lake run through downtown and so can you, if running is your thing! Great food and drink everywhere, and some of Texas’ friendliest people live in Austin. The Philanos Conference will take place at Hilton Austin Downtown; read more from Philanos about hotel reservations. Check out Visit Austin for things to do downtown and peruse Eater Austin for great restaurants to enjoy pre- or post-conference. Come early, stay later, and add a little vacay to your conference.

The Friendships 

Have you been looking for a place to meet women who think like you do about philanthropy and collective giving, and who aren’t hesitant to learn new ideas and paradigms? Are you excited about opportunities to network with new friends? Look no further!

The Radically Candid Conversations 

All of the conference speakers and presenters are there for you. You will have opportunities to ask specific questions and explore what you have come to learn…but along the way, don’t be surprised if some of the most meaningful conversations you have are with your fellow attendees. You never know whom you will meet or what you might discover, so stay open and willing to share in this amazing event.

The Hot Topics and How-To Strategies

You may have heard about topics that will be addressed. You may even be dealing with some of them with your own collective giving groups. But there is still more to learn! Philanos is a leader in providing exposure, knowledge, and training materials on hot topics like giving circle communications, membership acquisition and retention, the changing face of nonprofit funding, how to succeed in growing your sponsorships and endowments, and so much more. Philanos is sharing valuable information and outstanding speakers with you in your journey of exploration.

The Pampering 

Yes, you DO deserve a weekend with housekeeping services, no cooking chores, and deep dives into subjects that interest you! Take this time and invest in yourself – as a philanthropist, as a smart and savvy woman, and as a force in your neighborhoods, cities, states, and the nation. You have the POWER.

And a Bonus - Getting to Know Texas Collective Giving Women! 

Texas means a lot of things to a lot of people and, while we may not all agree on everything, we do agree that collective giving is a powerful tool to make situations better for many of our hard-working nonprofits. Impact Austin is proud to host your visit, and we're chomping at the bit to share news of our Texas giving circle co-hosts! Once we've gathered at the conference, if you have a question or need help with anything, snag a Texas woman with a badge and she will be happy to assist you! Y'all join us!