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 registration eligibility, please contact Di Wang, Senior Membership and Convening Officer, [email protected].

In 2027, Funding Forward will offer rich content on the most pressing issues facing LGBTQ communities in this moment 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 Amara Reese-Hansell, Director of External Affairs, 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:

• Connect and create spaces for LGBTQ funders to coordinate their efforts, learn from each other, and maximize their impact.
• Expand the scale and reach of 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 2027 will take place in Minneapolis, MN, from April 13 – April 15, with April 12 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.

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. 

To support this, we have set aside a limited portion of our budget to help make participation more accessible. If financial assistance would help make attending Funding Forward possible for you, please complete our Scholarship Request Form.

We aim to send a first round of notifications by November 19, 2026, with additional requests reviewed on a rolling basis.

Funding Forward programming begins Tuesday, April 13, and ends at 2:30 pm on Thursday, April 15, 2027.

If you plan to attend the pre-session on Monday, April 12, we suggest arriving on Sunday, April 11th, 2027; we will have rooms available for early arrival check-in. Otherwise, we recommend arriving on Monday, April 12. To maximize flexibility and catch the closing sessions on Thursday afternoon, book your departure after 4:30 pm on Thursday, April 15, 2027. 

When booking your travel, please allow about 30 minutes to commute between MSP Airport and the venue.  

Funding Forward prioritizes the health and safety of our guests, staff, and the staff of the spaces in which we convene. We will use 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. On arrival, in-house COVID-19 and Flu A&B testing is required to receive your name badge. By attending, participants acknowledge the inherent risk of exposure to communicable diseases, including COVID-19, and voluntarily accept these risks. Review our full Health Policy & General Care Protocol

We know that so many of you bring your whole selves to Funding Forward and that many of you are deeply embedded in movements and organizations doing important work and rising to meet the demands of this moment. Because Funding Forward is designed as a space for people in philanthropy rather than a space to do philanthropy business, we ask that everyone honor our non-solicitation norm.

This means keeping our gatherings and channels free of fundraising asks and business solicitations unless explicitly stated otherwise. We hold this boundary with care and firmness: solicitation or fundraising within Funding Forward spaces will result in ineligibility for future offerings. Thank you for helping us protect this space for everyone and committing to our norms.