Feedback+Bozeman
The success of nonprofit and philanthropic efforts relies on more than just money and good intentions; it is rooted in the ability to truly listen, engage, and respond to the needs and solutions of the communities at the heart of our work. This year’s Summit theme “Rooted in Listening” recognizes that meaningful impact relies on high-quality, equitable, and inclusive listening with a commitment to action.
Feedback+Bozeman: Rooted in Listening is a dynamic, 2.5-day conference designed for nonprofit leaders, funders, advocates, and community stakeholders to share, explore, and learn together how high-quality, equitable, and inclusive feedback can transform the way we design, implement, and evaluate our work by sharing power with those closest to the problems we are trying to solve.
This Summit will explore the power of listening and high-quality feedback as the foundation for impactful social change, emphasizing that all stages of program design, execution, and evaluation must be rooted in the voices and experiences of those at the heart of our work.
To learn more about Feedback Labs is creating inclusive spaces at our Summits, please view our co-created Community Agreements.
Thinking about joining us? Check out this recap from last year’s Summit.
Sponsor Feedback+Bozeman
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for Feedback+Bozeman? Sponsors help keep the Summit accessible for people to attend no matter where they are coming from or what organization they represent. We’d love to work together to transform the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to make high-quality listening and feedback the norm across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
We are seeking sponsors for a new initiative: Global Travel Stipends. Stipends will be awarded to attendees coming from outside of the continental U.S. to support flights and/or hotel arrangements
Let’s talk! Learn more about sponsorship here or reach out to [email protected] so we can learn more about your interest.
Thank you to our current sponsors:
Tracks
Knowing – Knowing why listening is essential and how it is best carried out is critical to ensure a high-quality, inclusive, and equitable feedback field. This track will showcase innovative research and compelling case studies that highlight the importance and value of effective listening in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. This track will share success stories from organizations that have successfully shifted and shared power to communities through high-quality feedback practices, highlight research on the link between high-quality listening and programmatic outcomes, and spotlight examples of how intentional listening can foster trust, collaboration, and social change.
Showing – Showing your organization, your community, and the greater field the power of your feedback practice is key to making listening the norm across the social impact sector. This track will highlight how nonprofits and funders are transparently closing the loop with communities and sharing their listening and feedback learnings to influence their institutions and the broader sector toward high-quality listening. This track will share ways in which feedback champions are showing their commitment to high-quality, equitable, and inclusive listening to shift and share power with those at the heart of their work.
Growing – Growing your listening through new skills, tools, and processes is an ongoing practice. This track will equip practitioners with essential skills to enhance their listening practices and effectively act on feedback in high-quality, inclusive, equitable, and scalable ways. You will gain practical tools, frameworks, and innovative strategies for fostering a culture of active listening, ensuring diverse voices are heard, and translating insights into actionable outcomes. Through hands-on workshops, expert-led discussions, and collaborative learning experiences, these sessions inspire attendees to deepen their listening competencies and implement transformative feedback processes that empower communities and advance equity within their organizations.
Feedback+Bozeman Crash Course
Are you new to facilitating feedback in your work? Or looking to brush up on your feedback practices before the Summit? Then join us for the one-day Feedback Crash Course in Bozeman!
This hands-on training will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and tools you need to listen to and respond to feedback from the communities at the heart of your work. Throughout the day, you will hone your understanding of the phases of the feedback loop–buy-in, design, collect, analyze, dialogue, and course correct–while tackling your own feedback challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to gain mentorship from experienced practitioners and collaborate with their peers.
By the end of the day, participants will be able to:
- Articulate the value of feedback and describe each of the stages of the loop;
- Design a concrete, minimum viable, unflashy closed feedback loop; and
- Feel like they can really get started!
The Crash Course will take place on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 9 am – 5 pm. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Our Commitment to Equity and Inclusion at the Summit
Feedback Labs is committed to the pursuit of equity and inclusion as guiding principles that inform every aspect of our work, including our annual Feedback+ Summit. Each year, we commit to increasing the representation of groups with marginalized identities, organizations led by them, and the communities they serve. To support these goals, we have sought sponsorships to make the Summit accessible to as many people as possible. Some of the strides we’ve made in our goal toward greater accessibility include:
- Sliding scale registration costs, with all nonprofit registrations subsidized.
- A Feedback Fellowship that fully funds the participation and travel for a diverse cohort of emerging leaders each year
- Fully and partially funded scholarships each year, prioritizing participation from youth, Indigenous, and other marginalized identities to present and attend the Summit.
To support breakout session presenters, we offer a low-lift Summit proposal and a free 20-minute consultation with one of our staff to develop proposal ideas before submission. We recognize the labor that goes into submitting proposals; so, for those not selected for the current Summit, we try to find other opportunities within our learning community to connect and share. This may look like a feature in one of our virtual LabStorms or leading a learning talk for our virtual community.
Our Summit programming is guided by a local advisory committee, all of whom are financially compensated for their time and expertise. This group provides input on how best to center the Summit in the local context, particularly to increase our equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts.
In keeping with our commitment to use our influence in the field, we exclusively use local vendors, prioritizing those who represent marginalized identities, with opportunities to showcase their businesses to attendees. We further use the Summit’s platform and visibility to showcase local nonprofit organizations through on-site visits and LabStorms, curated breakout sessions, and featured plenaries.
We continue to prioritize: raising travel funds for attendees outside of the U.S., raising funds for additional plenary honoraria, and scholarships for individuals representing marginalized identities. To make the conversation more accessible to those unable to travel, we will make some sessions available virtually in 2025.
We acknowledge the journey toward equity, inclusion, and full participation is ongoing and requires cultural humility. As a field-building organization, we are often leading in new spaces. Trying something new means that we may not get it right the first (or second!) time, but we are dedicated to continuous learning and self-examination, actively seeking opportunities to grow, adapt, and improve our efforts. We listen and act on feedback from previous Summit attendees as we make progressive steps to keep our commitment to sectors, organizations, communities, and individuals impacted by our work, so let us know what else you’d like to see!
To learn more about how Feedback Labs strives to make our Summits an inclusive and affirming gathering space, read our Summit Community Agreements. To read about Feedback Labs’ overall commitment to equity and inclusion, check out our official Equity & Inclusion statement.
Event Host
Feedback Labs is a nonprofit that believes people are the best experts in their own lives and should ultimately drive the policies and programs that impact their lives. Launched in 2014 with eight founding organizations, Feedback Labs is now joined by hundreds of organizations that represent nonprofits, foundations, local governments, and aid agencies. These members are working together to build a norm around listening and acting on feedback from those we seek to serve. The feedback community believes that when done right, listening and responding to feedback can be a strong force for increased equity in the world and getting better results to improve people’s lives.
Presenting Sponsor
Feedback+Bozeman is made possible through the support of our presenting sponsor, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The Blank Family Foundation aims to provide positive change in the lives of communities in Montana and Georgia. Committed to the impact of philanthropy, the Blank Family Foundation focuses on areas of giving including Youth Development, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health and Well-Being, and Atlanta’s Historic Westside. Across these areas, we take on tough challenges by uniting the courage and compassion of our communities so we can all thrive together.
Meet the 2025 Summit Advisory Committee
Each year since we shifted our Summits from being DC-based to hosting them in cities worldwide, we have assembled a committee to advise the Feedback Labs team on planning a world-class event. Advisors have deep roots in their city and ensure that the Summit reflects the voices of each Feedback+ location. Advisory Committee members are leaders in their fields, civically engaged, but most importantly, care about listening to the folks they aim to serve and want the opportunity to influence the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors in Bozeman and greater Montana.
Erin Switalski (she/her)
Headwaters Foundation
Tawnya Rupe (she/her)
Montana Philanthropy
Dr. Shane Doyle (Apsaálooke) (he/him)
Yellowstone Peoples
Adam Jespersen (he/him)
Montana Nonprofit Association
Summit Venue and Hotel
Located in the heart of downtown Bozeman and just steps from Main Street, Feedback+Bozeman will be hosted in the Bozeman Event Space. Constructed in the 1890s, the building was purchased by a local Mason Lodge in 1948 and served as a community meeting place with several local groups utilizing the upstairs space, and seven retail spaces downstairs. In 2014, the building began a renovation to provide a facility that could be more easily used by local businesses and community events. You can read more about the history of the space here.
The main hall and breakout rooms are located on the same floor and are easily accessible to participants. If you have any specific accessibility concerns, feel free to reach out to [email protected] so that we can best serve you.
Just a three-minute walk from our Summit venue, the Kimpton Armory Hotel is a historic destination in the heart of the American West, and Bozeman’s first and only luxury boutique hotel. Originally one of six armories built in Montana, renowned Bozeman architect Fred Fielding Wilson was commissioned to design the building in an Art Deco style. Throughout the interior, you’ll find local art adorning the walls. The Armory is home to one of the largest local art collections in the Gallatin Valley.
Feedback Labs has negotiated a group rate of $329/night for Summit attendees. Rooms are limited, so we encourage you to book your room as soon as possible. The deadline to book at the discounted rate is May 8, 2025 or until the room block sells out.
You can book your discounted room at the group rate here before May 8, 2025.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the city of Bozeman sits on the traditional homeland of many Indigenous nations, including the Apsáalooke (Crow), Shoshone/Bannock, Séliš (Bitterroot Salish), Qlispé (Pend d’Orreille), Ktunaxa (Kootenai), Pikuni (Blackfeet), Tsistsis’tas (Northern Cheyenne), Anishinaabe (Chippewa), Nehiyawak (Cree), Metis, Nakoda (Assiniboine), A’aninin (Gros Ventre), Niimipu (Nez Perce), Dakota, Lakota. We honor the stewardship that these nations provided and continue to provide over this sacred landscape and their continued presence and influence over the land and air, the water and the animals, people and communities.
FAQ
Must I attend all days of the event?
You are more than welcome to attend part of the Feedback+Bozeman Summit if you are unable to stay for all days. However, please note that we are unable to offer single-day or discounted tickets for attending only part of the event. We strongly recommend full attendance as attendees will deepen their understanding and skills regarding feedback as the Summit progresses.
Can I cancel or transfer my registration?
Upon written request, Feedback Labs can offer to refund tickets minus processing fees until March 1, 2025. Tickets purchased after that date are non-refundable. To cancel and receive a refund before March 1, 2025, if eligible, please notify us in writing at [email protected].
Refunds, if applicable, will be based on the actual fees paid and returned to your original payment method within ninety days. After that date, we will not offer refunds but will be happy to work with you to transfer your ticket to another participant from your organization. To transfer your ticket to another attendee, please email [email protected] with the new attendee’s name and email address.
Can I present online/using a hybrid model?
If you plan to present, you must do so in person in Bozeman.
Will I receive a confirmation for my registration?
Yes, you should receive an email confirmation soon after registering.
Will I need to rent a car?
Renting a car will not be necessary unless you’d like an opportunity to explore the greater Bozeman area on your own. The conference hotel where Feedback+Bozeman attendees receive a discounted rate is a short walk to the venue location. Transportation will be provided for any off-site events. Shuttles, taxis, and Ubers/rideshare options are available to take you between the airport and the hotel.
Are there nearby hotels?
This year, Feedback+ has partnered with the Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman to provide accommodation for attendees. The hotel is a short walk from the Feedback+ Summit venue. However, attendees are welcome to stay at other nearby hotels or accommodations.
Will there be a discounted rate for nearby accommodations?
Feedback+ has partnered with Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman to provide a discounted rate. You can book your room(s) here. Booking before May 8th will qualify attendees for the group rate of $329 per night.
What is the dress code?
Please dress so that you are comfortable and can participate in the ways would like. The conference space is large, so comfortable shoes or tools you need to move around are recommended.
Can I bring family/a partner with me to share my hotel room?
You are welcome to bring along guests to stay with you in the room(s) you book at Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman as long as you are respecting the limit of guests per room communicated by the hotel. Please note: guests must purchase a ticket in order to attend Feedback+Bozeman programs.
What are the COVID-19 policies?
Feedback Labs is committed to the well-being of its community. To ensure the health and safety of all participants, masks, hand sanitizer, and testing resources for COVID-19 will be available at the conference venue. Additionally, we will work to have ample space for social distancing and outdoor sessions when possible. Participants are not required to show proof of vaccination and masks are optional.
If you feel unwell or test positive for COVID-19 during the Summit, please notify us immediately by sending an email to [email protected]. If you are local, please stay home. If you are staying at a nearby hotel, please stay in your room.
We will continue to monitor and update safety precautions for Feedback+Bozeman regularly informed by guidance from the CDC, local public health authorities, the venue, and participants. We reserve the right to modify these policies at any time.
Who should I contact if I need special accommodations?
We are happy to assist any attendees who may need different accommodations. Please reach out to [email protected] to let us know how we can help make your experience most accessible and comfortable.
Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
If you have any additional questions that might not have been answered here, please contact us at [email protected]
Who should I contact if I need to make changes to my registration information?
Please email [email protected] if you need to make changes to any of your registration details.
Get our official event app,
Get the most out of the app and have a more productive experience!
1
NAVIGATE the event agenda and logistics, even without Wi-Fi or data. Access useful information like ridesharing and local attractions through the Community Board
2
NETWORK effectively. Plan whom to meet by exploring attendee profiles and sending out messages
3
PARTICIPATE in event activities through session likes, comments, ratings, live polling, tweeting, and more