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2025 Learning Conference

Save the Date for GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference, hosted in partnership with North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, from May 5 – 6, 2025 in Charlotte, NC.

GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference, held in partnership with North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, is designed to expose participants to cutting-edge practices in equity-informed, community-driven grantmaking while giving them the knowledge and tools to apply learning in all aspects of their work. The conference will offer a range of perspectives and new ideas to go beyond the basics and support grantmakers in engaging in more intentional learning practices both inside and outside of their organizations.

Register for the Learning Conference

For conference supporters and speakers, please check your email for a unique registration link. For questions, please email registration@geofunders.org.

Priority Registration

Open to GEO members, conference supporters, session presenters and NCNG members

Thursday, January 16 – Monday, February 17  

  • $1,000 – GEO members, session presenters, supporters
  • $1,050 – NCNG members

Early Registration

All eligible participants

Tuesday, February 18 – Tuesday, March 18 

  • $1,000 – GEO members, session presenters, supporters
  • $1,050 – NCNG members
  • $1,300 – Nonmembers

Regular Registration

All eligible participants

Wednesday, March 19 – Monday, April 21 

  • $1,100 – GEO members
  • $1,150 – NCNG members
  • $1,400 – Nonmembers

Late Registration

All eligible participants

Tuesday, April 22 – Conference  

  • $1,250 – GEO members
  • $1,350 – NCNG members
  •  $1,550 – Nonmembers

Our conference will take place at the Westin Charlotte, located at 601 S College St, Charlotte, NC 28202. The Westin Charlotte is located 7.3 miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). We have a room block available at a rate of $250/night plus applicable state and local taxes. We ask conference participants NOT to make travel accommodations until you have received your registration verification from GEO. This can take up to 3 business days after registering. Reserve your room here. Learn more about the Westin Charlotte here.

Looking for more ways to support GEO? Sponsoring the GEO conference is one way to invest in real change for the philanthropic sector. As a conference supporter, you are helping 500+ grantmakers on their journeys to transform philanthropic practice and culture in service of thriving nonprofits and communities.

View the 2025 Learning Conference Sponsorship Packet.

If you have a question or would like to learn more, be sure to contact Development Manager Lauren Gentry at gentry@geofunders.org.

To view our conference policies, please click here.

Our Request for Proposals for the 2025 Learning Conference is closed. Decisions regarding submissions will be shared in early- to mid-January 2025. To be notified of future conference RFPs, complete this form.

Please read the conference FAQs for more information. If you have any additional questions, please contact Allison Punch-Turner via email at registration@geofunders.org.

GEO conferences are open to current GEO members; all staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions; staff of philanthropy-supporting infrastructure groups, such as regional associations of grantmakers and affinity groups; and staff of academic institutions and programs focused primarily on the study of
philanthropy and the practice of giving. We also have limited seats available to consultants who support grantmaking institutions and nonprofits. There are 20 in-person registration tickets available to consultants at the nonmember rate on a first come, first served basis. Consultant organizations are limited to a maximum of two in-person registration tickets per organization. Consultants MUST register using the Consultant registration type; any consultants who register using Non-Member will have their registration cancelled and refunded.

We have an optional early arrivers social hour on Sunday, May 4 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET. Our conference will begin with our opening plenary on Monday, May 5 at 9:15 a.m. Our closing plenary will take place Tuesday, May 6 from 12:15 – 2:00 p.m., with optional community building events taking place until 4:00 p.m.

Our conference will take place at the Westin Charlotte, located at 601 S College St, Charlotte, NC 28202. Learn more about the Westin Charlotte here. The Westin Charlotte is located 7.3 miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). We have a room block available at a rate of $250/night plus applicable state and local taxes. We ask conference participants to NOT make travel accommodations until your registration is confirmed.

GEO considers the wellbeing of all those on-site at our 2025 Learning Conference a top priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has targeted the most vulnerable among us, leading to heightened vulnerability for members of our community with disabilities and/or chronic illness. We encourage conference
participants, speakers, vendors and GEO staff to take a rapid COVID-19 and flu test prior to attending any conference programs. We will have tests and masks available at no cost on site. We also strongly encourage those who are able to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations including bivalent boosters. GEO reserves the right to update our policies at any time. Please continue to refer back to the conference website to remain up to date.

GEO is currently exploring a virtual livestream of conference plenaries and select short talk. More information to come at a later date. We encourage you to check out our events page for future GEO virtual programming.

GEO is committed to providing accessible, inclusive events. During the registration process, you’ll be asked about accommodations including but not limited to dietary restrictions, large print, language interpretation and more. After filling out the accommodation section of registration, GEO staff will reach out to you directly so we can ensure your full participation.

Cancellations for conference registrations received by Friday, April 4 are eligible to receive a partial refund (registration price minus a $100 non-refundable service fee, in addition to any Stripe processing fees, which are also non-refundable). Cancellations for registrations received after April 5 will not be eligible for a refund.

Participants may also choose to transfer their registration to a colleague or peer. Transferred registration may incur additional fees if they are transferred across registration type. Transfers must be requested by Friday, April 4, 2025 in writing by emailing registration@geofunders.org. Refunds will not be offered for transferred registrations or no shows.

We appreciate all the efforts of conference participants to ensure that others remain safe and healthy. Please monitor your daily health prior to entering the conference facilities and stay home or isolate yourself, and seek medical attention, in such situations. Contact GEO staff to let them know you will be unable to attend the conference or, if the conference has started, that you are not able to continue attending in-person.

In line with our efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses at our in-person conference, we are offering an exception to our cancellation policy only for those who test positive for COVID-19 or the flu, are experiencing symptoms of airborne illnesses, or have a close contact in the days leading up to the conference. Participants will be asked to submit a signed attestation indicating their COVID- and/or symptom-status in order to be eligible to receive a refund. Participants have the option of not seeking reimbursement and instead donating the additional cost to GEO to reduce the administrative burden on GEO’s team. To be eligible for refund, you must contact registration@geofunders.org before 8 AM ET on Monday, May 4, 2024. All Stripe fees are non-refundable.

Yes, sponsorship opportunities are available! Please reach out to Lauren Gentry at gentry@geofunders.org if you’re interested in learning more.

If you have questions that weren’t answered either above or in our conference policies, reach out to registration@geofunders.org and we will get back to you as soon as we are able.

3:00 – 6:00 PM: Registration Open

3:30 – 4:30 PM: First time Attendee Gathering

4:00 – 6:00 PM: Early Arrivers Social Hour

6:30 – 8:30 PM: Community Events/Documentary Screening

7:30 AM – 4:30 PM: Registration Open

7:30 – 9:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet Available

9:15 – 10:30 AM: Opening Plenary (75 minutes)

10:30 – 11:00 AM: Break (30 minutes)

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM: Breakout Round A (75 minutes) x7

12:30 – 2:30 PM: Plenary Luncheon

  • 12:45 – 1:15 PM: Lunch Service
  • 1:15 – 2:30 PM: Programming (75 minutes)

2:30 – 3:00 PM: Break (45 minutes)

3:00 – 4:15 PM: Breakout Round B (75 minutes)

3:00 – 5:00 PM: Asset-Framing Workshop

4:30 – 5:30 PM: Community Events/Active Hour

6:00 – 8:00 PM: Welcome Reception

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Registration Open

7:00 – 8:00 AM: Active Hour

8:00 – 9:00 AM: Networking Breakfast Roundtables

9:15 – 10:50 AM: Short Talks

  • 9:15 – 9:40 AM: Round One x2
  • 9:40 – 9:55 AM: Passing Time
  • 9:55 – 10:20 AM: Round Two x2
  • 10:20 – 10:35 AM: Passing Time
  • 10:35 – 10:50 AM: Round Three x2

10:50 – 11:00 AM: Break (10 minutes)

11:00 – 11:45 AM: Spark Conversations (45 minutes) x7

12:15 – 2:00 PM: Closing Plenary

  • 12:15 – 12:45 PM: Lunch service
  • 12:45 – 2:00 PM: Programming (75 minutes)

2:30 – 5:00 PM: Community Events

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