Session Proposal Submissions

Conference Theme:

Indigenous Futures: Redistributing Resources for Innovation, Possibilities and Solutions

Indigenous Peoples are already leading the responses to climate change, biodiversity loss, and community resilience, but recognition hasn't caught up. Between 2016 and 2020, Indigenous Peoples received roughly 0.6% of philanthropic funding while representing an estimated 6% of the global population. This conference isn't asking for more incremental goodwill. It's asking who controls the systems that decide where capital, knowledge, and power flow and what changes when Indigenous Peoples are the ones deciding.

The 2027 IFIP Global Conference brings IFIP members, funders, Indigenous-led funds, impact investors, and Indigenous leaders together in Darwin, on Larrakia Country, to move past commitments and into redistribution.

Have a proposal that moves resources, not just conversation? Download the full guidelines here and submit before the 30th of October 2026.

SUBMIT PROPOSAL

Conference Approach

Indigenous Peoples aren't positioned as participants alone. They're speakers, facilitators, co-designers, and decision-makers throughout. Expect plenaries, panels, peer learning, and site visits connecting global dialogue to place-based reality.

Grounded in the 5Rs of Indigenous Philanthropy. Respect, Relationships, Responsibility, Reciprocity, Redistribution, alongside Indigenous self-determination, knowledge and data sovereignty, and intersectional, intergenerational leadership.

Session Pathways

Proposals should push toward one or more of these shifts:

From recognition to redistribution
From short-term projects to long-term Indigenous-led institutions
From transactional funding to equitable, lasting relationships
From Indigenous Peoples as recipients to Indigenous Peoples as architects
From commitments to collective action and measurable impact

Presentation Types To Offer

Panel Discussion
Roundtable Discussion
Workshops
Interactive / Participatory Session
Knowledge-Sharing / Peer Learning Session
Storytelling / Community Dialogue
Book / Report / Research Launch
Networking / Community-Building Session

Conference Tracks & Themes

Track 1: Indigenous Knowledge, Governance, and Connection

Indigenous knowledge systems, governance, and data sovereignty as they relate to land, water, and climate solutions.

Core question: What needs to change for Indigenous Peoples to be resourced and recognised as leaders of these solutions?

Track 2: Cultivating and Sustaining Indigenous Leadership for Shared Futures

Leadership as an ecosystem, not an individual. Spanning generations, women, youth, disability, and LGBTQ+ Indigenous voices.

Core question: What's needed for diverse Indigenous leadership to shape the futures that affect their communities?

Track 3: Reclaiming and Mobilizing Capital for Indigenous Economies

Rethinking risk, return, and ownership. Flexible, patient, and catalytic capital for Indigenous-led economies.

Core question: What would it take to unlock real capital for Indigenous thriving futures?

What This Conference Is Working Toward

New direct financing routes for Indigenous-led economies and solutions
Stronger partnerships across Indigenous Peoples, funders, and governments
Concrete commitments that outlast the conference itself
Real accountability for follow-through

Download the full Session Proposal Guidelines, including a detailed conference background and more information on conference tracks, sub-themes, key areas of exploration and objectives by clicking the button below.

DOWNLOAD SESSION PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Important Dates


Abstract Submission Open Date	15 September 2026
Abstract Submission Close Date	30 October 2026
How long will the review process run for?	15 November 2026
When will submitters receive their decision?	19 November 2026