GEO 2025 Learning Conference Policies
GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference is creating a vibrant, supportive space where we can transform philanthropic culture and practice together. To help guide us in this work, we have developed the following policies to guide conference participation. Please contact us with any questions!
Participant Eligibility
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.
GEO conferences also have limited seats available to consultants who support grantmaking institutions and nonprofits. There are 20 registration tickets available to consultants at the nonmember rate on a first come, first served basis. Organizations are limited to a maximum of 2 registration tickets per organization. Once the 20 tickets are sold, consultants can join a wait list and will be sold a ticket as one becomes available per GEO’s wait list policy.
Limiting participation to organizations that are eligible for GEO membership creates a space where participants can speak openly and candidly about challenges within their work. To achieve this, GEO conferences are not open to nonprofits and grant seekers unless invited to speak at the conference.
Please visit our membership page for additional information on GEO membership and conference participation eligibility. Your name and organization affiliation are pulled from your registration form. GEO will only print organization affiliations that are in accordance with our eligibility policy. GEO has the discretion to edit your submission, in accordance with our policies, and will alert participants to any changes.
Conference Registration Verification
GEO reserves the right to cancel and refund registrations that are deemed to be ineligible per GEO’s eligibility policies. We will verify all registrations within three business days. GEO strongly recommends waiting for verification before booking travel or accommodations. If verification is not received after three business days, please check spam filters and contact registration@geofunders.org.
If you register with an incorrect ticket type, additional registration fees may apply and must be paid by April 21.
Cancellations and Substitutions Policy
GEO incurs immediate expenses when a participant registers for a conference, including but not limited to registration system fees and payment processing charges. To recover these expenses, all requests to cancel a confirmed conference registration are subject to a $100 service fee by GEO in addition to any Stripe processing fees, which are non-refundable. All cancellations must be submitted in writing on or before Friday, April 4, 2025.* No requests for refunds will be granted after this date or for no-shows.
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. No refunds will be issued for transferred registrations.* The individual submitting the registration transfer request is responsible for ensuring that all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that registration are met and that contact information for the new participant is updated with GEO’s registration team. Requests for cancellations and substitutions must be submitted in writing to registration@geofunders.org.
Through the registration process, participants have the option of choosing to donate additional funds to GEO. This donation is non-refundable.
*In line with our commitment to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all participants, we offer an exception to our attendance policy for those who test positive for an illness, have symptoms of contagious conditions, or have had recent close contact with someone who is ill. Participants will have the option of choosing a refund and will be required to submit a signed attestation indicating their illness and/or symptom-status to be reimbursed. Stripe fees are non-refundable. Participants have the option of not seeking reimbursement and instead donating the registration fee to support GEO’s mission.
Preferred Method of Payment
Our preferred method of payment is via Stripe, GEO’s payment processor through the Whova platform at the time of registration. Should you need to pay by check or ACH, please reach out to registration@geofunders.org in order to register.
Payment by Check
Please send all offline payments to:
Attention: Conferences Grantmakers for Effective Organizations 1310 L Street NW, Suite 650 Washington, DC 20005
Memo: Participant Name 2025 Learning Conference [Confirmation number]
Payment Deadline & Cancellation
All participants need to submit payment within two weeks of registration. Registrations with an outstanding balance as of Monday, April 21, 2025 will be cancelled. In that situation, GEO will contact the registrant and seek to obtain payment before cancelling the registration.
Wait List
Demand for GEO conferences typically exceeds the number of available seats. In the event that the conference reaches capacity, GEO will open a wait list and interested individuals may add their names to the list. There is no charge to join the wait list, and you will not be charged for the conference until you are notified that a seat is available for you to register; however, payment will still be due Monday, April 21.
GEO will review the wait list on a weekly basis and notify individuals from the wait list as space becomes available, with priority going to GEO members. All individuals on the wait list will be alerted of their status no later than Monday, April 21.
Please do not book travel or accommodation until your seat at the event is confirmed.
GEO’s Meetings Sustainability Plan
GEO strives to be a good steward of our environment. To reduce the impact of GEO events on the local host community, GEO has implemented a conference sustainability plan. This plan guides GEO’s efforts to prevent wasteful practices at all events. Some prominent features of the plan include:
- Reducing the use of paper by: a. Limiting the number of printed materials to a print program and name badge; b. Utilizing electronic communications to share information with event speakers and registered participants; c. Providing electronic resources including the participant roster, session resources and facilitator bios, online prior to and after the conference.
- Reducing the number of promotional items that organizations ship to conference sites.
- Collecting and recycling paper and beverage containers used at the conference as available.
- Promoting ride share efforts and public transportation for travel between local airports, hotels and the conference venue.
On-Site Communication and Social Media
For the most current information on the conference, visit GEO’s website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. The official social media hashtag for the 2025 Learning Conference is #GEOLearn25.
Photography/Video/Audio Taping Release
GEO strives to capture the community, peer-learning environment of our conferences. To do so, we photograph and record various aspects of the conference, and your image and voice might be captured. Furthermore, we may use these photographs and videos for future distribution and promotional purposes in our print and online communications materials. By participating in this conference and/or being present at the venue, you authorize GEO to use and reproduce any photographs taken, without compensation. All negatives and positives, photographic prints and digital photo files shall constitute GEO property, solely and completely. If you would like to opt-out, please contact registration@geofunders.org.
No Solicitation Policy
GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference aims to create a welcoming and brave space. We encourage relationship building and honest, vulnerable conversations between funders and partners including non-profit and community leaders. We ask all conference participants to refrain from soliciting other participants for business while at the conference. Any for-profit organization participants found in violation of this policy will be ineligible to attend future GEO events.
Participant Roster
We want to ensure that all conference participants can network and build connections at the conference. Before the conference begins, we will create and share a participant roster with all registered participants. The roster provides participant contact information but is for networking purposes only and should not be used for solicitation of any kind. If you do not wish to have your contact information included in the conference participant roster or feel that you have been contacted in violation of our non-solicitation policy, please email registration@geofunders.org.
Code of Conduct
GEO conferences are spaces dedicated to learning. For learning environments to be effective, the dignity of all participants must be consistently respected. GEO is committed to creating a harassment free environment for everyone.
We do not tolerate harassment of anyone including conference participants, conference staff, hotel staff, vendors or volunteers in any form. GEO appreciates your partnership in ensuring that the learning environment we share is one defined by mutual respect and inclusiveness, where dignity and diversity are valued. If you experience or witness harassment of any kind, please alert any member of the GEO staff or use the anonymous hotline available during the conference. In the event someone intentionally or unintentionally violates the code of conduct, a member of the conference team or hotel security will intervene with appropriate action that may involve community accountability, ways to mediate, or necessitate expulsion from the event with no refund.
COVID-19 Policies & Protocol
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 & fly 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.
Not yet a GEO Member? Interested In Joining?
Join GEO now. Simply complete the membership interest form here, and we will contact you to process your new membership. More information about GEO membership and rates are available here. If you have questions or would like to speak to someone directly, please contact Autumn Shepherd, Membership & Development Specialist at shepherd@geofunders.org or 314-806-3518.