The annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues.

Funders for LGBTQ Issues is proud to announce that Funding Forward 2025 is coming to Houston, Texas from March 31 – April 3 with March 31 being a pre-session day! Funding Forward is the annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues organized by the affinity group Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Why should I attend?

Funding Forward provides an exciting opportunity for funders to 

  • connect with one another
  • learn from each other
  • coordinate efforts
  • and maximize impact

or let our team tell you 👇👇🏽👇🏾👇🏼👇🏿

Registration is now open!

Our team is looking forward to delivering timely content and hosting critical conversations with funders committed to LGBTQ communities. Register Today!

Planning Committee

Alex Simon-Fox


Program Officer at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Candace Thompson


Community Philanthropy Officer at Communities Foundation of Texas

DaLyah Jones


Program Officer at Borealis Philanthropy

Eugenio Smith


Capacity Building Director at Movement Voter Project

Francis Valdez


Executive Director at Houston in Action

Ian L Haddoc


Board Member at Texas Pride Impact Funds

Jennifer Touchet


Vice President of Personal & Family Philanthropy at the Greater Houston Community Foundation

Joseph Brooks


Managing Director at Arabella Advisors

Kelli King-Jackson


Strategic Advisor

Kolby Gilbert


Individual and Corporate Relations Manager at Greater Houston Community Foundation

Lisa Madry


Board Member at Texas Pride Impact Funds

Melodie Garcia


Co-Director at New Moon Network

Omni


Director of Community Advocacy, Research, and Education at Pride Foundation

Rebecca Fox


Vice President of Programs at Astraea Foundation

Sarian Sankoh


Senior Program Associate for Thriving Cultures at Surdna Foundation

Zev Lowe


Executive Director at Tikkun Olam Foundation, Inc.

Sponsors

Funding Forward 2025 is made possible with the support of generous sponsors

Funding Forward has grown substantially from our first grantmaking retreat in 2013 into a cornerstone philanthropy conference bringing together more than 300 of the most influential LGBTQ funders, allied funders, and movement leaders to connect with and learn from one another, coordinate efforts, and maximize philanthropic impact to queer, trans and gender nonconforming communities.

Demonstrate your commitment to advancing LGBTQ issues and connect with some of the most influential leaders in LGBTQ philanthropy through sponsorship.

Platinum Level Sponsors

Anniversary Level Sponsors

Bronze Level Sponsors

May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

FAQ

Registration is open to representatives from any grantmaking entity or philanthropic infrastructure organization (i.e., board members, staff, grant advisory committee members, etc.). If you have a specific question about your own eligibility please contact Stephen Switzer, Director of Finance at [email protected].

Funding Forward offers rich content on LGBTQ issues as they relate to a range of grantmaking priorities, including children & youth, criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, education, health, immigrant rights, racial equity, and reproductive and gender justice.  If you need assistance making the case to your institution how the conference programming will help substantively advance your grantmaking priorities, please reach out to April Bethea, Director of Philanthropic Outreach at [email protected].

Funders for LGBTQ Issues is a network of foundations and corporations working to increase funding for LGBTQ communities. We provide three key services for the field, we:

  • Connect and create spaces for LGBTQ funders to coordinate their efforts, learn from each other, and maximize their impact
  • Expand the scale and reach philanthropic resources for LGBTQ communities and social justice by building relationships with a wide range of foundations, corporations, and other partners
  • Provide up-to-the-minute information, research, and resources on LGBTQ grantmaking for the benefit of funders and the broader LGBTQ movement

Funding Forward 2025 will take place in Houston, Texas from March 31 – April 3 with March 31 being a pre-session day. The majority of Funding Forward conversations, events, and meetings will be held at our host hotel to be announced to confirmed guests.

Early Bird Regular
In-Person
Member Rate:
$950  $1050
In-Person
Nonmember Rate:
$1200 $1400

The registration fee covers admission to Funding Forward conversations and several meals. Hotel accommodation is not included.

We will also offer virtual plenaries for those unable to attend in-person. More information on virtual registration is forthcoming. 

Yes! This year’s program promises to be filled with dynamic, engaging and interactive sessions, however, there will also be ample time set aside for networking with Funding Forward attendees who are committed to LGBTQ issues.

Funders for LGBTQ Issues is a social justice organization committed to making Funding Forward accessible to all eligible and interested parties regardless of their economic means. While we currently have no formal scholarship program, if you would like to attend but financial circumstances make your attendance difficult please email us and we’ll see what we can do.

More information will be shared soon on our COVID-19 Policy to ensure safe gatherings.

COVID-19 Policy & General Care Protocol

Funding Forward will be using Universal Masking, meaning all attendees are directed to wear a mask during all indoor components of the event unless they are actively presenting, eating or drinking. Social distancing will be advised when meals or refreshments are served, and additional dining space will be available outside the meeting room. Presenters may remove masks while speaking but must ensure a minimum six-foot distance from others.

  • All attendees are recommended to be fully vaccinated BUT are not required to show proof of vaccination when they pick up their registration badge. FLGBTQI strongly recommends all attendees receive the most recent booster shot as well.
  • Funders will require in-house COVID-19 testing on arrival to receive your name badge. 
  • Stay home when appropriate. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, feel sick or unwell, or have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19, please do not attend.
  • Attending this event, attendees voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and other illnesses.
  • Without communication with conference staff, individuals not in compliance with all consent and wellness protocols may be asked to leave the conference.

COVID-19 & General Care FAQ

This protocol was adapted from the Immune Deficiency Foundation, the Harambe Conference COVID-19 Policy, and The People’s CDC Safer in Person Gatherings.

If you feel unwell or test positive for COVID-19 at any point while in Houston, or during the three days after you leave Funding Forward, please notify our Event Team as soon as you receive the result.

Email [email protected] with the subject line “Feeling Unwell” and please include details on when you started feeling unwell and/or tested positive. Your personal information will be kept confidential.

Do not attend the remaining sessions in-person. We recommend monitoring your symptoms closely and seeking medical care if necessary.

You can read our full COVID-19 and General Care Protocol here.

More details will be added closer to the event. If you have questions about COVID-19 or the General Care Protocol, please contact the Funding Forward Event Support team at [email protected].

  • Funding Forward will be using Universal Masking meaning all attendees are directed  to wear a mask during all indoor components of the event unless they are actively presenting, eating or drinking. Social distancing will be advised when meals or refreshments are served, and additional dining space will be available outside the meeting room. Presenters may remove masks while speaking but must ensure a minimum six-foot distance from others.
  • All attendees are recommended to be fully vaccinated BUT are not required to show proof of vaccination when they pick up their registration badge. FLGBTQI strongly recommends all attendees receive the most recent booster shot as well.
  • Funders will require in-house COVID-19 testing on arrival in order to receive your name badge. We encourage you to test before traveling, as you will not be admitted to the conference with a positive test. We will provide additional tests to participants as needed.
  • Stay home when appropriate: If you have tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, feel sick or unwell, or have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19, please do not attend. FLGBTQI recognizes that COVID-19 is not the only immunocompromising threat and that a negative COVID-19 test does not necessarily equate to wellness. FLGBTQI acknowledges that the individual can only determine wellness, and our staff and contractors will not police or monitor attendees throughout the conference. Please be aware of shifts in your wellness throughout your time in Funding Forward for yourself and the well-being of other attendees. Please check in with conference organizers to see how we can further support you if you are unable to attend.
  • We will follow all federal, state, and local laws, rules, and recommendations to lessen and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus; however, we cannot guarantee that attendees will not be exposed to the virus. Attending this event, attendees voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and other illnesses.
  • Individuals not in compliance with all consent and wellness protocols, without communication to conference staff, may be asked to leave the conference

FLGTBQI will institute the following health and safety protocols to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and illness at our in-person conference:

  • FLGBTQI recommends that all conference participants, speakers, vendors, and FLGBTQI staff have up-to-date vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19 upon or before arrival at the conference venue.
  • Conference organizers will modify room layouts for conference sessions for physical distancing and limited seating per table.
  • We will work with our host hotel to ensure all conference rooms are cleaned and sanitized before and after breakout and general sessions. 
  • Following The People’s CDC recommendations for Safer In-Person gatherings, we will direct all conference participants, speakers, vendors, and Funders’ staff to wear a mask** during the all indoor components of the event except when actively presenting, eating or drinking. Due to differing abilities in wearing masks for long periods, if you cannot keep a mask on for health reasons, please distance yourself from others and communicate to the conference staff so we are aware of your needs.
  • Attendees are encouraged to bring their own masks. We recommend N-95, KN-95, or multi-layered surgical masks rather than cloth face coverings. FLGBTQI will provide masks for all conference attendees who need them.
  • We ask that attendees notify conference organizers when they find insufficient PPE supplies.
  • We will provide reminders, signage, and verbal announcements before and after sessions to enforce mask wearing. Should you feel uncomfortable by the atmosphere of the conference for any reason, we ask that you find a conference staff representative to help mediate and problem-solve.
  • Closer to the event, Funders will share details on what to do if you feel ill and/or test positive for COVID while attending the event.

All attendees, including staff and volunteers, are directed to wear masks during all indoor components of the event regardless of vaccination status, negative COVID test, or self-determined wellness.

If a particular county’s transmission rate increases substantially, Funders for LGBTQ Issues reserves the right to implement additional requirements (e.g., limiting capacity, enforcing social distancing).

Each vendor will be responsible for ensuring its staff’s compliance. We will inform vendors, hotel staff, and other third parties (e.g., anyone directly performing services during an in-person event) with existing contracts of our COVID-19 safety protocols for events and inquire how they align with their safety protocols.

Unless otherwise provided, masking requirements do not apply to outdoor events.  Masks remain a requirement for outdoor events when attendees cannot practice social distancing.     

Masks make it more difficult for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand speech or sign language because they obscure the lips and part of the face. If persons who are deaf or hard of hearing request an accommodation, we’ll take steps to ensure clear, effective communication and determine remedies on a case-by-case basis. Alternatives may include written communication, windowed masks, or closed captioning. CDC does not recommend using face shields as a mask substitute because of concerns about their efficacy.