Registration and tickets for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation events run through the CBCF’s event portal at cbcfinc.org. The flagship gathering is the Annual Legislative Conference, held next at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., from September 16 through 20, 2026.1Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Annual Legislative Conference A general conference badge covers the policy programming; signature social and awards events are ticketed separately. One clarification worth making up front: the CBCF is the nonpartisan 501(c)(3) foundation that hosts these events, and it operates independently from the Congressional Black Caucus itself.
How ALC Registration Works
Registration is demographic-based rather than bundled. Your badge grants access to the Issue Forums and Braintrusts, the National Town Hall, and the Exhibit Hall Showcase.2Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. ALC Attendee Registration Ticketed evening and meal events are sold à la carte.
The 2025 conference used three tiers, and 2026 will likely follow the same structure:3Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. CBCF FAQs
- General Attendee: $200 early-bird, $300 standard.
- Emerging Leader, age 25 and under: $100 early-bird, $150 standard. ID verification is required at check-in.
- Senior, age 65 and older: $75 early-bird, $125 standard. ID verification is also required.
Early-bird pricing saved $50 to $100 in 2025, and the cutoff was September 5, roughly three weeks before the conference opened. Expect a similar window for 2026. The most reliable way to catch the opening of registration and the early-bird deadline is the CBCF’s email sign-up on the conference page.1Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Annual Legislative Conference
The ALC is entirely in-person. Some sessions have been recorded and released after the fact in recent years, but the CBCF has not offered full virtual attendance. Cancellation rules, which historically require a written request by a stated deadline and carry a processing fee, are published on the registration portal each year.
Signature Ticketed Events and Prices
These events sit on top of your badge and are the reason most attendees end up spending more than the registration fee. The 2025 prices are the best available benchmark for what to expect in 2026; the CBCF publishes updated pricing when the schedule is finalized.3Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. CBCF FAQs
- Phoenix Awards Dinner, the conference’s pinnacle event: $750 bronze section, $1,000 silver section. Platinum corporate sponsorship tables have historically run $35,000 for ten seats.
- Day of Healing Prayer Breakfast: $85 per patron ticket, $850 for a table of ten.
- Black Party, the main social event: $125 general admission, $200 VIP, $75 for attendees 25 and under.
- Sojourner Truth Women’s Leadership Reception: $75.
- Donald M. Payne Sr. Foreign Policy Fellowship Cruise: $175.
- Alumni Networking Reception: $50 general, $75 VIP.
Volunteering Instead of Paying
The CBCF recruits ALC volunteers each year, which is a way to participate without a registration fee. Roles include registration assistance, room monitoring, logistics support, social media promotion, and participant support.4Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Volunteer for Annual Legislative Conference Applicants are screened for availability and fit, and acceptance is not guaranteed. The window opens months before the conference and closes well ahead of it, so check the CBCF opportunities page early.
Other CBCF Events Across the Year
If you can’t make it to D.C. in September, the CBCF runs several other events tied to its policy research and leadership development work.
Policy for the People: Economic Advancement Virtual Summit
A virtual series hosted by the CBCF’s Center for Policy Analysis and Research. The 2025 edition covered tax policy reform for wealth equity, expanding homeownership access, and investment in Black entrepreneurship.5Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. CBCF’s 2025 Policy for the People Economic Advancement Virtual Summit Because it’s remote, it’s the most accessible option for attendees outside the D.C. area.
Scholarship Classic
An annual fundraiser combining a golf tournament, a tennis tournament, and a networking reception, with proceeds supporting CBCF scholarships and leadership programs.
Avoice Heritage Celebration
Held during Black History Month, this is the primary fundraiser for the Avoice Virtual Library Project, which preserves the political and legislative history of African Americans.6Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. CBCF to Host Avoice Heritage Celebration
CBCF Honors: Legacy and Leadership Gala
Introduced in 2025 for the organization’s 50th anniversary and held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., with archival storytelling, awards, and live performances.7Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. CBCF Honors: Legacy and Leadership Gala
Official CBCF Events vs. Unofficial CBC Week Events
The ALC generates a broader ecosystem in D.C. informally called “CBC Week.” Hundreds of unofficial gatherings pop up at surrounding hotels, embassies, and private venues during the same window, hosted by corporations, lobbying firms, trade associations, and advocacy groups. These fringe events lean toward networking and hospitality rather than the policy programming of the conference itself.
Three markers distinguish official events: they are listed on the CBCF website, they take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and they require your conference registration badge for entry.8Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. 54th Annual Legislative Conference Home If an invitation comes from a company rather than the CBCF, points to a venue outside the convention center, or makes no mention of your badge, it’s a fringe event. Some are worth attending; the distinction matters for expense reporting, ethics compliance, and understanding who is behind the programming.
Tax Deductibility of What You Pay
The CBCF is a 501(c)(3), so part of what you pay may qualify as a charitable contribution. Only part. Registration and ticket prices include the fair market value of the goods and services you receive, such as the meal at the Prayer Breakfast or the entertainment at the Black Party, and only the amount above that fair market value is deductible.
For any payment over $75 where part of it is a contribution, IRS rules require the CBCF to give you a written statement estimating the fair market value of what you received.9Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions: Quid Pro Quo Contributions That letter is what you use to compute your deduction. A $750 Phoenix Awards Dinner ticket, for example, is deductible only for the difference between $750 and the fair market value of the dinner and entertainment. Keep the disclosure with your tax records.
Ethics Rules for Federal and Congressional Attendees
If you’re a federal employee or congressional staffer accepting free attendance from someone else, the “widely attended gathering” exception may cover it, but it’s not a blanket pass and it doesn’t cover every ALC event.
For executive branch employees, an agency designee must review and authorize attendance in writing before the event. The event must feature a diversity of views, and the agency must find that its interest in your attendance outweighs the risk of improper influence. When a non-sponsor provides the free attendance, the event must have more than 100 attendees and the gift cannot exceed $480 in value.10eCFR. 5 CFR 2635.204 – Exceptions to the Prohibition for Acceptance of Certain Gifts
Congressional staff face separate but similar rules. For Senate and House employees, a widely attended event must include at least 25 non-congressional attendees, the invitation must come from the event sponsor rather than a table sponsor, and the event must have a substantive agenda tied to the employee’s official duties.11U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Flyer – Gifts Issue Forums and Braintrusts generally meet these criteria. Entertainment and social events like the Black Party typically do not. Government attendees should clear invitations to any CBC Week event, official or fringe, with their ethics office before accepting.