MARCH 5 – 7, 2025 | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Statement on the LA Wildfires:
Our hearts are with the thousands of families–including Forward Global members and staff–who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. We still plan to gather in Los Angeles for our upcoming Global Summit March 5-7th and feel it is even more critical to support the city as it grieves, heals, and charts a path forward for long-term recovery. In light of these events, Forward Global will be making a donation toward recovery efforts as part of our commitment to the local community. We remain in close touch with partners on the ground and our venue, the Skirball Cultural Center, and will continue to keep everyone in our Community and all Summit attendees updated in the weeks ahead. More details on how to help in Los Angeles can be found in the FAQ below.
Forward Global’s Summit convenes members and partners, focusing on inspiration, action, and impact. Our interactive agenda includes:
- An opening reception the evening of Wednesday, March 5th, full-day programming on the 6th and 7th, choose your own adventure the night of Thursday, March 6th, and a celebratory reception the night of Friday, March 7th, all at the Skirball Cultural Center
- Keynote talks
- Skills-based workshops
- Cross-sector collaboration and community building
- Curated connections for attendees
Shaping Our Story: A Future to Believe In
Stories shape our values, identities and behaviors, as individuals, communities, and a collective. Historically, and particularly during uncertainty or crisis, the most compelling story often shapes future direction.
Even when facts are abundant, stories move people to action. They shape our beliefs about what is possible.
Some stories inspire fear and withdrawal while others inspire hope and inspiration.
Nowhere is this more clear than in philanthropy, where the stories we tell ourselves about wealth, identity, success, and impact set the boundaries for what we achieve. Our Summit brings together changemakers who believe in a different story—one of bold, collective action—that can drive wider cultural change.
Los Angeles is the global center for storytelling and imagination. Whether it’s through the lens of climate, human rights, social justice or other issues our community supports, now is the time to embrace the potential of narrative change, to examine our assumptions, and to explore the future that we want to be part of.
Become a Sponsor
We invite a limited number of values-aligned organizations to help us produce The Global Summit. These Sponsors have the unique opportunity to:
- attend the Summit alongside our members and trusted partner communities
- support the equitable participation of Summit speakers and nonprofit leaders
- enhance the experience through curated sessions
- be a leading advocate for effective philanthropy and our vision to build a world that works for all people and the planet
For more information, please contact summit@forward-global.org.
Our sincerest thanks to our 2025 sponsors
FAQ
The Global Summit is Forward Global’s flagship annual programme, convening over 200 members and strategic partners. It is a unique opportunity for participants to exchange ideas and best practices, make new strategic connections, and make more progress in two days as a collective than we would otherwise make in two years working alone.
The Global Summit engages diverse participants to break down silos and facilitate shared learning and systemic collaboration. As Forward Global’s largest annual convening, we pursue participation from across the social sector. Attendees include Forward Global members and prospective members, partners, academics, social sector leaders and practitioners. All attendees actively participate and contribute by sharing learnings, ideas, and opportunities for action. Regrettably, because we design the Summit for true connection and collaboration, interest in this historically sold-out event greatly exceeds our capacity and, thus, it is by invitation only for non-members. If you have any questions about participating in or presenting at the Global Summit, email us at summit@forward-global.org
The Global Summit is held in a different location each year, reflecting the global nature of our members. We’re thrilled that the 2025 Global Summit will take place in Los Angeles at the Skirball Cultural Center. As predicted, while the Luxe hotel has sold out, there are rooms available five minutes away at The Angeleno. Make your reservation as soon as possible.
Prior Global Summits have been held in New York City (2024), London (2023), Toronto (2022), and California’s Napa Valley (2019 and 2020). Always held the first week in March, stay tuned for updates on future host cities.
The Philanthropy California 2025 Disaster Response Page or contact SoCal Grantmakers’ Climate and Disaster Resilience Manager Lily Bui (lily@socalgrantmakers.org) directly for more information on how to assist.
Charity Navigator has a list of highly-rated organizations on the ground providing immediate or long-term support to the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
As a not-for-profit organization, Forward Global is supported through member contributions and grants from our partners. We strive to keep Summit affordable and respectfully request that invited non-members make a $5,000 USD tax-deductible contribution to secure their attendance. Recognizing that members already pay an annual contribution, we ask that they make a $3,000 USD tax-deductible contribution, which covers the per-attendee cost of producing the Summit. Keeping with our principles of equity and justice, we also welcome any possible further donations which support a sector leader who might not otherwise be able to join. You will be presented with these contribution options at registration. We thank you for your trust and partnership in this work.
Attendee contributions fund the direct costs of producing the Global Summit. Because the event historically sells out, we appreciate early cancellation notice so that seats can be given to individuals on our waiting list. As a voluntary donation, we hope that attendees will consider their payment as a contribution towards the mission of Forward Global. If you are unable to attend, you can choose to reallocate your contribution as an unrestricted donation.
We are pleased to offer a private lactation room for attendees who are nursing or chestfeeding. To maintain a focused and optimal experience for all attendees, we kindly ask that children not be brought to Summit sessions. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The Global Summit is a green event. Forward Global is working to minimize our carbon footprint and will offset emissions from staff travel to Los Angeles. We encourage participants to do likewise and to practice sustainable lifestyle choices throughout the program by brining your own water bottles, choosing plant-based meal options, and saying no to paper and plastic. As hosts, we will choose sustainable options wherever possible. We hope that the Global Summit will also unlock resources towards climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency in line with our community’s vision and values.
We’re here to help! Feel free to contact us at summit@forward-global.org with any questions.