The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers is the largest network serving philanthropy in America. The Forum consists of 35 regional philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) and a growing number of national PSOs—such as national issue-based, identity-based and practice-based affinity groups—that represent more than 7,000 primarily philanthropic organizations. With deep regional roots and a broad nationwide reach, the Forum facilitates effective philanthropy to strengthen communities and improve lives throughout the United States.
The Forum facilitates effective philanthropy that strengthens communities and improves lives throughout the United States.
The Forum has a strong track record of collectively convening and supporting philanthropy-serving organizations to advance the effectiveness of their philanthropy members in various ways. We focus on the following core areas of work:
Philanthropy Education: Regional and national PSOs typically offer a wide variety of educational programs to education and inform the philanthropy sector. The Forum supports and advances the work of our members to strengthen and grow effective philanthropic practice through high-quality education programming and partnerships. We work to develop and implement strategies that leverage the full knowledge and skills within our networks to develop high-quality education opportunities to advance philanthropic practice that can be delivered by our members throughout the network in a consistent and efficient way.
Public Policy: The Forum supports and advances the work of our members to engage in government relations and public policy work at the state and national level. We help regional and national PSOs advance effective policy that will strengthen philanthropy and advance issues that their members support, strengthen relationships and partnerships between philanthropy and government, and provide a collective voice for the Forum network.
Knowledge Services: About two-thirds of the Forum's current members participate in a shared state-of-the-art technology platform that offers both a constituent relationship management (CRM) solution, using Salesforce, and a sophisticated website content management system (CMS), based on Drupal, which are fully integrated. Forum members are able to use this platform for a fraction of what it would have cost them to develop a similar platform on their own. They receive ongoing support and help from the Forum team and are part of an active user community of PSO peers.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded a grant to the Council on Foundations in 1990 to “assess needs and study ways to increase the organizational capacity of regional associations, and to develop services and materials useful to and needed by all regions." That study resulted in a recommendation for a multi-year initiative, focusing on regional infrastructure and enhanced organizational capacity, prompting a 4-year collaboration called The Regional Initiative of 24 regional associations with funding from 16 foundations and corporations.
In 1995, the initiative members decided to start a new organization. At the end of 1998, the boards of both the forum and the Council on Foundations agreed to approve the formation of The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers as a separate nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
The Forum surveys its members and partners, collects data and releases reports on diversity, giving circles, salaries and other topics relevant to philanthropy.
The Forum's regional and national PSO members include the following organizations:
National Organizations
The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy
Funders' Committee for Civic Participation
Funders Together to End Homelessness
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Grantmakers in Aging
Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce
National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
Neighborhood Funders Group
PEAK Grantmaking (formerly Grants Managers Network)
Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
Technology Affinity Group
Regional Organizations
Arizona Grantmakers Forum
Associated Grant Makers
Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers
Colorado Association of Funders
Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
Council of Michigan Foundations
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Delaware Grantmakers Association
Florida Philanthropic Network
Forefront (IL)
Gateway Center for Giving
Grantmakers Council of Rhode Island
Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania
Indiana Philanthropy Alliance
Iowa Council of Foundations
Kansas Association of Community Foundations
League of California Community Foundations
Maine Philanthropy Center
Minnesota Council on Foundations
New Mexico Association of Grantmakers
North Carolina Network of Grantmakers
Northern California Grantmakers
NY Funders Alliance
Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia
Philanthropy New York
Philanthropy Northwest
Philanthropy Ohio
Philanthropy Southwest
Philanthropy West Virginia
San Diego Grantmakers
Southeastern Council of Foundations
Southern California Grantmakers
Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers
Wisconsin Philanthropy Network
