At NACAC Conference 2026, we are creating space for attendees to speak up on the issues that matter most. This year’s conference will feature opportunities to engage in advocacy and community service efforts that support change at the local, state, and national levels. Below are just a few ways you can make an impact while you’re in Minneapolis.
Share Your Story of Impact on Federal Actions
NACAC is collecting stories of impact and insights from college admission counseling professionals regarding how government actions are impacting their work, students, and institutions. Responses help inform NACAC engagement with organizational and institutional partners that are addressing similar issues and help shape NACAC’s advocacy efforts at the federal level.
NACAC Advocacy in Action
Learn more about the advocacy initiatives we are engaged in on behalf of students and the college admission counseling community nationwide.
Voices of Minnesota
As part of NACAC Conference 2026 in Minneapolis, we invited members across Minnesota to share stories about the challenges, opportunities, and changes affecting students, families, and the professionals who support them.
How You Can Take Action
NACAC is continuously providing opportunities to make your voice heard. If you have not already, NACAC encourages you to advocate by taking action on these issues.
Book Drive
We are proud to host a book drive at NACAC Conference 2026 to support literacy and learning in the Twin Cities community. We encourage you to travel to Minneapolis with new or gently used books to drop off at our “Book Nook” in booth #336 on the expo hall floor.
This year, all donated books will support The Sanneh Foundation, a Twin Cities organization that empowers young people through education, mentoring, academic enrichment, and community-based programs. The books will help support Sanneh’s work with young people and families, providing additional opportunities for students to read, learn, explore new interests, and build a lifelong love of learning.
Pack a book — or a few — and help us support young people across the Twin Cities!
Support Local Minneapolis & Minnesota Organizations
Thanks to our Local Advisory Committee, NACAC is highlighting additional organizations and service opportunities making an impact across Minnesota. As you join us in Minneapolis for NACAC Conference 2026, we invite you to learn more about these organizations and the work they are doing to support students, families, and communities across the state.
Explore the organizations below to learn more about their work and ways you can show your support:
Youthprise
Youthprise works across Minnesota to create more equitable opportunities for Indigenous, low-income, and racially diverse youth, with a focus on young people ages 14-24. Through partnerships with community organizations and youth-led initiatives, Youthprise supports programs addressing education, economic opportunity, housing, and well-being. Its work centers the ideas and experiences of young people while strengthening the organizations and systems that support them, helping ensure Minnesota youth have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
- Make a Donation: https://youthprise.org/donate/
BestPrep prepares Minnesota students in grades 4–12 with the skills and experiences they need for success in college, careers, and life. Through partnerships with schools and businesses, BestPrep connects classroom learning with real-world experiences in career exploration, business, and financial literacy. Its six programs — including Classroom Plus, Cloud Coach, eMentors, Financial Matters, Minnesota Business Venture, and The Stock Market Game — provide hands-on opportunities for students to build knowledge, explore career pathways, and develop skills they can carry into their education and future careers.
- Make a Donation: https://bestprep.org/give/
Wallin Education Partners helps under-resourced students succeed in higher education and prepare for meaningful careers. Its approach combines financial assistance with individualized advising, career development, and access to paid work experiences. By supporting students both academically and professionally, Wallin helps them navigate higher education and workforce systems, build confidence, develop career skills, and make connections that can support their transition from college into the workforce.
- Make a Donation: https://scholars.wallinpartners.org/portal/scholarcelebration
Achieve Twin Cities helps young people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul prepare for college, careers, and life after high school. As a leading provider of career and college readiness services in the Twin Cities, the organization provides personalized advising, internships, and connections to community partners. Its work helps students navigate critical decisions about their futures while building the knowledge, confidence, experiences, and relationships they need to pursue postsecondary education and meaningful career opportunities.
- Learn More & Support Achieve Twin Cities: https://www.achievetwincities.org/NACAC
- Make a Donation: https://www.achievetwincities.org/make-gift
College Possible Minnesota provides free coaching to students from low-income backgrounds as they pursue their college goals. Students receive personalized support to identify colleges that fit their goals, navigate the admission process, secure financial aid, and overcome challenges as they work toward graduation. Through partnerships with local high schools and colleges, College Possible supports students and their families throughout the college journey, helping more Minnesota students not only access higher education but persist and thrive once enrolled.
- Make a Donation: https://collegepossible.org/donate/
Invest in organizations that empower young people through mentoring, leadership development, academic enrichment, and community-based supports that help them thrive in school, work, and life.
Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)
Northside Achievement Zone works with children and families in North Minneapolis to help end multigenerational poverty and build a culture of achievement. The organization focuses on ensuring low-income children of color have the support and opportunities they need to succeed throughout their educational journey. By surrounding children and families with community-based supports, NAZ works toward a future where young people can graduate from high school and successfully pursue college, careers, and fulfilling lives.
- Make a Donation: https://www.northsideachievement.org/why-give
The Sanneh Foundation supports the holistic development of young people across the diverse Twin Cities community. Through in-school and after-school programming, the organization works to increase educational attainment while also supporting physical health and social and emotional development. Its programs recognize that student success extends beyond the classroom, providing young people with opportunities and supports that strengthen their well-being, help them reach their educational goals, and build stronger, more connected communities.
- Make a Donation: https://www.thesannehfoundation.org/donate-today
Ujamaa Place provides a safe and supportive environment for young African American men experiencing inequities related to race and poverty. Through holistic, culturally responsive programming, the organization helps participants pursue stability and personal success across multiple areas of their lives. Its work supports educational attainment, stable housing, career development and employment, stronger family connections, and social and emotional well-being. Ujamaa Place also empowers participants to build the skills and confidence to become positive change agents within their communities.
- Make a Donation: https://ujamaaplace.org/donate/
Support organizations that help immigrants, refugees, and New Americans build successful futures through education, workforce development, family services, and community integration.
International Institute of Minnesota
Founded in 1919, the International Institute of Minnesota supports New Americans as they build stability and pursue opportunities in their new communities. The Institute provides a range of services for immigrants, refugees, asylees, and other displaced people, including refugee resettlement, English education, workforce and leadership development, college preparation, and immigration and citizenship assistance. Together, these programs help individuals and families navigate important transitions, develop skills, pursue education and employment, and establish strong foundations for their futures in Minnesota.
- Make a Donation: https://secure.iimn.org/forms/donate
Hmong American Partnership (HAP)
Hmong American Partnership is a social service and community development organization serving Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities. Founded in 1990 to serve Minnesota’s growing Hmong population, HAP has expanded alongside the state’s changing communities while maintaining a culturally responsive approach to its work. Its programs support education, economic prosperity, community engagement, and social enterprise, helping individuals and families access opportunities, build stability, and thrive while maintaining and celebrating the strengths of their cultures.
- Make a Donation: https://hmong.org/get-involved/donate/
SOMFAM supports Somali and East African immigrant youth, families, and individuals across the Twin Cities through education, mentorship, professional resources, and connections to community services. As a community-led organization, SOMFAM works to help families build long-term stability and create greater opportunities for future generations. Its programs emphasize youth mentoring and family education while connecting community members with resources that support stronger, healthier families and help individuals pursue educational, professional, and personal success.
- Make a Donation: https://www.somfam.org/donate
Isuroon is a women-led organization that empowers Somali women and families in Minnesota by helping them overcome cultural and systemic barriers and access resources that support their well-being. Its programs focus on health, financial literacy, civic engagement, and leadership development, alongside culturally responsive training and research. Through this work, Isuroon helps women navigate health care and other systems, strengthen economic self-sufficiency, build leadership skills, maintain cultural connections, and advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities.
- Make a Donation: https://www.givemn.org/donate/Isuroon
Strengthen organizations that celebrate cultural identity, advance community leadership, and expand opportunities for historically underrepresented communities through education, advocacy, and culturally responsive programming.
CLUES works to advance social and economic equity and well-being for Latino communities by building on their strengths, cultures, and leadership. The organization supports Latino individuals and families while also serving newcomers, low-income families, and people from other backgrounds. Through culturally responsive programs and services, CLUES works to strengthen communities, expand access to resources and opportunities, elevate community voices, and develop leadership that can advance systemic change. Its vision is for Latino communities to have the representation, resources, and opportunities needed to lead healthy and thriving lives.
- Make a Donation: https://clues.org/get-involved/donate/
Unidos MN is a grassroots organization that builds power with Minnesota working families to advance social, racial, and economic justice. Rooted in the DREAMER movement, its work brings together immigration, education, and climate justice while developing community leadership and elevating the voices of those directly affected by these issues. As an intersectional and intergenerational organization led by women and multiracial communities, Unidos MN works to bring people together across backgrounds and create opportunities for families and communities to advocate for a more equitable future.
- Make a Donation: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/unidos-mn-education-fund
Minneapolis American Indian Center
The Minneapolis American Indian Center is a longstanding community hub serving the Twin Cities urban Native community. The center provides educational, health, employment, cultural, art, and social services while creating a gathering space where Native culture and traditions are celebrated and strengthened. As one of the country’s first urban Native centers, it continues to connect Native individuals and families with community, resources, programs, events, and cultural experiences, serving both longtime community members and Native people who are new to the Twin Cities.
- Make a Donation: https://www.maicnet.org/donate/
The SEAD Project supports Khmer, Hmong, Lao, and Viet diaspora communities through language, storytelling, culturally responsive workshops, and community-based resources. Founded by Southeast Asians seeking to connect with their roots while imagining new possibilities for their communities, SEAD serves as a creative hub for sharing knowledge and strengthening cultural connections. Its work focuses on sustainable community development while empowering Southeast Asian leaders, women, and young people to preserve and celebrate their heritage, develop their voices, and help shape the future of their communities.
- Make a Donation: https://www.givemn.org/donate/Theseadproject
2026 Midterm Elections
The 2026 Midterm Elections will take place on Tuesday, November 3, with voters across the country casting ballots in federal, state, and local races. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 U.S. Senate seats will be on the ballot, along with elections for governors, state legislatures, and local offices in communities across the country.
Elections are one way to make your voice heard on the issues that affect students, educators, and our communities. As Election Day approaches, take time to check your voter registration, learn what will be on your ballot, and make a plan to vote.
Visit Booth #1044
Stop by NACAC’s 2026 Midterm Elections booth in the Expo Hall to check what’s on your ballot and create your own button. Whether you are voting for the first time or have participated in many elections, take a few minutes to get ready for Election Day and encourage others to do the same.
Explore NACAC’s Advocacy Toolkit
NACAC’s Advocacy Toolkit provides resources to help you engage with policymakers, share your perspective and experiences, and advocate for policies that support students and the college admission counseling profession.
