Mercer Advisors Announces Sun Valley Conference for Endowments and Foundations

Future-Proof Philanthropy: Resilience and Growth in a Changing World

SUN VALLEY, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mercer Advisors is proud to announce the 2026 Sun Valley Conference for Endowments & Foundations, an exclusive gathering designed for nonprofit leaders to learn, connect, and adapt – helping them thrive in a rapidly changing philanthropic landscape.

This year’s theme, “Future-Proof Philanthropy: Resilience and Growth in a Changing World,” focuses on the strategies and mindsets that enable nonprofits to adapt, scale, and sustain impact amid shifting economic, demographic, and societal forces. The event will take place on Monday, January 26, 2026, at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho.

The conference will feature keynote speaker Ruthe Farmer, Founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund, a nationally recognized leader in non-profits, who has dedicated her career to supporting and scaling social change efforts by applying business principles and strategies.

Mercer Advisors’ Legacy of Supporting Nonprofits

Over 25 years ago, Mark Eshman, the head of endowments and foundations at Mercer Advisors, established the conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. It has since become a series of events held around the country, with recent conferences in Boise, Idaho, Portland, Ore., Boulder, Colo. and Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The mission of the events is clear: to inspire, educate, and connect smaller nonprofits and funders who deserve access to peer networking and critical resources that larger national events offer. By bringing top non-profit leaders directly to local communities, we equip participants with powerful insights on trends, strategies, and best practices, enabling them to maximize their impact effectively.

Today, the conference remains a vital forum for nonprofits to learn, connect, and adapt – helping them to thrive in a rapidly changing philanthropic landscape.

The conference connects directly to the mission of Mercer Advisors – to create Economic Freedom(TM) for our clients so they don’t have to worry about money. This applies to families and organizations alike.

Addressing a Gap in the Philanthropic Ecosystem

The Mercer Advisors’ Endowments and Foundations Conference Series is designed to address a gap in the philanthropic ecosystem.

“While some of the largest nonprofit institutions have access to sophisticated resources, consultants, and investment capabilities, smaller organizations are often left to navigate complex financial decisions on their own,” said Mark Eshman, the Director of Endowments & Foundations at Mercer Advisors. “This event, like all our work with nonprofit organizations around the country, is designed to help close this gap.”

Mercer Advisors is focused on helping nonprofits grow, institutionalize, and scale their operations through fiduciary Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services and additional advisory capabilities.

Event speakers and experts who will lead sessions in Sun Valley include:

• Ruthe Farmer, founder & CEO, Last Mile Education Fund -- keynote address “Strategies for Building Agile & Resilient Organizations”
• Angela Taylor, president and co-founder, the Taylor LEAD Foundation
• Megan Tanous, chief development director, St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation
• Trent Smither, director of development, Sun Valley Community School
• Jill Nishi, chief executive officer, Philanthropy Northwest

Conference Series Will Continue in 2026

The next conference in the series will be held April 20 in San Francisco, with additional events coming to local communities later in the year. To learn about future events, or to learn more about Mercer Advisors' integrated approach to serving nonprofit organizations, please visit our website (https://nonprofits.merceradvisors.com) or reach out to [e-mail].

About Mercer Advisors

Mercer Global Advisors, the #1 ranked RIA firm in the nation for two years in a row according to Barron’s 2024 and 2025 Top 100 Registered Investment Advisor Firms, was founded in 1985. Mercer Advisors works with over 190+ nonprofit organizations across the country to help amplify and simplify their finances. The company offers comprehensive, fee-based family office services, including financial planning, estate and tax planning, insurance solutions, and corporate trustee and trust administration services. Mercer Advisors Inc. is majority owned by Oak Hill Capital, Genstar Capital, and Altas Partners. Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is privately held, has over 1,530 employees, and operates nationally through more than 110 locations. Mercer Advisors has $95 billion in client assets. For more information, visit merceradvisors.com.

Important Information

Company statistics as of November 30th, 2025. Client assets refers to client assets under management (AUM) and client assets under advisement (AUA) as well as assets gained from recent acquisitions where the advisory agreements have been properly assigned to Mercer Global Advisors, but the custodial accounts have yet to be transferred and/or the accounts have yet to be migrated to Mercer Global Advisors’ portfolio management system.

“Mercer Advisors” is a brand name used by several affiliated legal entities owned by Mercer Advisors, Inc., including, Mercer Global Advisors, Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser providing investment advisory and family office services; Mercer Advisors Private Asset Management, Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser providing discretionary investment management services to affiliated private funds; Mercer Advisors Tax Services LLC, a tax services and accounting firm; Heim, Young and Associates, Inc., (MA Brokerage Solutions) a broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC; and Mercer Advisors Insurance Services LLC, (MAIS) an insurance agency.

Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All Estate planning document preparation and other legal advice are provided through select third parties, with which Mercer Advisors has a contractual relationship. Mercer Advisors Tax Services, LLC, does not provide financial audit, assurance, compilations, or forensic accounting services. Each individual tax situation is unique, depending on complexity, additional fees may apply. Insurance products are provided by Mercer Advisors Insurance Services, LLC (MAIS), which places individual life, disability, long term care coverage, and property and casualty coverage through select insurance companies. Trustee services are offered through select third parties with which a client would sign an additional agreement, and additional fees may apply. Mercer Advisors is not affiliated with Ruthe Farmer, Angela Taylor, Megan Tanous, Trent Smither, Jill Nishi, or the organizations these individuals represent.

Barron’s Top 100 RIA methodology

Mercer Advisors was ranked number 1 in non-mega RIA in 2024 and 2025. Advisors who wish to be ranked fill out a 100+ question survey about their practice. Barron's verifies that data with regulatory databases and then Barron's applies their rankings formula to the data to generate a ranking. The formula features three major categories of calculations: (1) Assets (2) Revenue (3) Quality of practice. In each of those categories Barron's does multiple sub calculations including asset type, growth, client retention, technology spending, succession planning, diversity of their teams, charitable and philanthropic work and compliance records. No fee was paid for participation in the ranking, however, Mercer Advisors has paid a fee to Barron's to use the ranking in marketing.

Please Note: Limitations. Neither rankings and/or recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Mercer Advisors or its investment professionals are engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A fee was not paid by either Mercer Advisors or its investment professionals to receive the award or ranking. The award or ranking is based upon specific criteria and methodology. No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client of Mercer Advisors or its investment professionals.