The idea for the New Organising Conference came out of a Network for Social Change (the Network) project on Labour Rights. Several ideas fed into it, including the US Labor Notes Conference and the Oxford Real Farming Conference. The idea was brought to life by the Ella Baker School of Organising, who worked with the Network to put on the first two Conferences. Key values were established - that everyone learns and everyone teaches, so session leaders also buy tickets, and that participants engage actively in sessions, rather than listening to panels. Ella Baker School's extensive network of contacts was critical in the Conferences' success.

After two years the Ella Baker School stepped away to focus on other priorities, and with the Conference gaining enthusiastic support, the Network felt it should have a life beyond Network funding. It therefore enabled the creation of the New Organising Collaborative to take the Conference forward. Two more Conferences followed in 2025 and 2026, with a growing emphasis on encouraging collaboration between different organisations as well as learning new skills. See more on the Outcomes section of the website.