The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread approaches issues without preconceived ideas or fixed agendas. A distinctive feature of our conferences is candid yet collegial conversation among those with divergent ideas and perspectives – in an environment that fosters the trust and collaboration needed for innovative solutions that can also be broadly supported. Our unique convening model, combined with a serene natural environment and gracious hospitality, contribute significantly to the authenticity of the dialogue at our conferences.

We have come to believe that the majority of environmental and community challenges we address move through a series of distinct policy process phases, beginning with problem identification and ending in solutions and results.

The purpose of convening is to advance a particular issue along this “policy chain.” Intimate, face-to-face meetings can be a critical way to ensure movement from one stage to another. Identifying the current state of the issue and creating an appropriate course of action through convening is essential to this process. The Foundation’s convening model strongly emphasizes all phases of conference planning – before, during and after, and places much emphasis on certain Key Convening Elements.

Beyond the work of a specific conference or series of conferences, it is our aim to create a forum for discussion on critical environmental and community issues and generate a growing network of experts.