Forward Global is a network of philanthropists and individuals interested in starting a philanthropic program who receive continuous learning and networking opportunities, and support in developing a strategic roadmap for their philanthropy. It was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation as The Philanthropy Workshop. Its focus is “activating resources to maximize social impact.” ¹

Additional donors include the Gates Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation ² Pew Charitable Trusts, the Tides Foundation, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. ³

Background

Forward Global, previously known as The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW), was founded in 1995 as a project of the Rockefeller Foundation to provide tools and information to those interested in philanthropy. ⁴

Forward Global is a community of over 400 members interested in developing a strategic approach to philanthropy and networking. Most of its members are from the United States and the United Kingdom, but there are members from Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. ⁵

Members include Glen Galaich, CEO of the Stupski Foundation; Marcus Walton, CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations; Jennifer Rainin, founder of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective; Mabel van Oranje, co-founder of VOW for Girls; Dena Blank Kimball, the former executive director of the defunct Kendeda Fund; and Ruth Shaber, founder and president of Tara Health Foundation. ^{6 7}  

History

The Philanthropy Workshop was founded in 1995 as a project of the Rockefeller Foundation. In 2000, the Institute for Philanthropy (IFP) was founded in London, England and formed a partnership with TPW in 2006. In 2001, the Philanthropy Workshop West was established in San Francisco, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the TOSA Foundation. It became an independent organization in 2009, then merged in with TPW in 2014. ¹

In 2023, TPW rebranded itself as Forward Global, but it still operates under the legal name of The Philanthropy Workshop. ⁴ It has offices in New York, San Francisco, and London, with a network of more than 400 philanthropists. ⁸

Work Areas

New members are assigned to a relationship manager who provides onboarding through a series of three modules that provide members with information to start a plan for their philanthropic strategy. After these initial programs, members have options to participate in additional events. ^{9 10}

Action Labs are groups of members focused on specific philanthropy topics such as climate, “liberal democracy,” “social impact-minded next gens,” and the “new economy movement” to address “systemic challenges including the climate crisis, mass inequality and threats to democracy.” ¹¹ The monthly Democracy Action Lab presents information and discusses options for “democracy philanthropy.” Events in 2025 will focus on the “global rise of authoritarianism and widespread threats to liberal democratic institutions.” ^{12 13}

The annual Forward Global Summit takes place in March 2025. Speakers include Gloria Walton, president and CEO of climate justice group Solutions Project; Doug Galen, co-founder and CEO of Rippleworks; and John A. Powell, director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. ^{14 15 16 17}

Forward Global joined the Press Forward coalition focused on investing more than $500 million to address the “spread of disinformation” and “growing threats to democracy” by strengthening local news capabilities and advancing public policy to expand local news access. ^{18 19} Press Forward donors include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. ²⁰

In April 2024 Forward Global established a fiscal sponsorship program, Forward Global Launch. ²¹ Projects that it sponsors include left-of-center advocacy group The Enough Project and climate change grant makers Invoking the Pause. ^{22 23}

Partners and Funders

Organizations that provide funding and support to Forward Global include Pivotal Ventures LLC, the Gates Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, Co-Impact, the Toniic Institute, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Schmidt Futures. ²

Additional donors include the Sonoma County Community Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, the Boston Foundation, the Tides Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. ³

The Institute for Philanthropy located in London, England is identified as a related organization in The Philanthropy Workshop’s 2023 tax return, naming The Philanthropy Workshop as its direct controlling entity. ²⁴

Leadership

Rennee Kaplan became Forward Global’s CEO in 2018. Previously, she was chief strategy officer and head of programs for the Skoll Foundation since 2011. ²⁵

Board chair Elliott Donnelley is a founding general partner of investment firm White Sand Investor Group. He is vice chair of the Synergos Institute and a member of its Global Philanthropists Circle. ²⁶

Sapphire Goradia Shaw is vice chair of the board for Forward Global and executive director for the Vijay and Marie Goradia Foundation, a private foundation in India. Shaw graduated with a master’s degree in global health from George Washington University. Previously, she worked for several nonprofit organizations including Population Services International and Physicians for Human Rights. She is a board member of Women Moving Millions and Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation in India. ^{27 28}

1. “History & Mission.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/about/history-mission/
2. “Partners.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/about/history-mission/team-partners/
3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer Search. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?form%5B%5D=IRS990ScheduleI&page=2&q=98-0592591&sort=best&submit=Apply&year%5B%5D=2022&year%5B%5D=2023
4. “Our History.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/about/history-mission/
5. Devin Thorpe. “Merger Creates Leader In Strategic Philanthropy Education.” Forbes. June 2, 2014. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/devinthorpe/2014/06/02/merger-creates-leader-in-strategic-philanthropy-education/
6. Facebook – Forward Global. Posts dated April 22, 2024, May 1, 2024, May 17, 2024, June 29, 2024, July 17, 2024, September 30, 2024.   Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/fwd.global
7. LinkedIn – Forward Global. Posted March 5, 2025. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/fwd-global/posts/?feedView=all
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9. “Member Journey.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/membership/member-journey/
10. “Philanthropy Workshop.” Candid. Philanthropy News Digest. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/nonprofit-spotlight/philanthropy-workshop
11. “Action Labs.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/programs/action-labs/
12. “Democracy Action Lab.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/democracy-action-lab/
13. “Democracy Action Lab – Upcoming.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025 . https://forward-global.org/events/category/programs/action-labs/democracy/list/
14. “Meet Gloria Walton, President & CEO.” The Solutions Project. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://thesolutionsproject.org/who-we-are/our-team/gloriawalton/
15. “Meet the team on a mission.” Rippleworks. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.rippleworks.org/our-team/
16. “john a. powell.” Othering & Belonging Institute. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://belonging.berkeley.edu/john-powell
17. “Forward Global Summit 2025 Agenda.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TfxYLjoYo-_GyRGCcQd1om0lmE_swm8aMjrRZsea6M0/edit?tab=t.0
18. “Join the Press Forward Coalition.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/press-forward/
19. “About Press Forward.” Press Forward. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.pressforward.news/about/
20. Press Forward homepage. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.pressforward.news/
21.  Facebook – Forward Global. Posted April 22, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/profile/100070587925475/search/?q=Launchhttps://www.facebook.com/fwd.global
22. “Launch.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/launch/
23. “About ITP.” Invoking the Pause. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://invokingthepause.org/about.html
24. The Philanthropy Workshop. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule R, Part II). 2023.
25. LinkedIn – Renee Kaplan. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-kaplan-19970a6/
26. “Elliott Donnelley II.” Synergos. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.synergos.org/our-network/bio/elliott-donnelley
27. “Sapphira Goradia Shaw.” Forward Global. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://forward-global.org/about/history-mission/team-partners/
28. LinkedIn – Sapphira Goradia Shaw. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sapphira-goradia-shaw-b4982122/