Future 500

What Future 500 does

Future 500 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit consultancy founded in 1994 by Bill Shireman and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The organization specializes in stakeholder engagement, helping corporations identify, prioritize, and constructively engage with critics, advocates, investors, and NGOs before, during, and after conflicts arise. Its core service offering is positioned as a unified stakeholder engagement practice supported by specialized modules — sustainability strategy, environmental justice consulting, materiality assessments, stakeholder mapping, partnership development, activist engagement, CSR reporting strategy, and responsible communication. Delivery mechanisms include the Corporate Affinity Network (CAN) membership, Chatham House Rule Corporate Working Groups capped at 20-25 participants, multi-stakeholder forums, and the annual Force for Good Forecast thought leadership report. The organization does not develop technology products; its underlying "platform" is its long-standing convening methodology, network relationships, and facilitation expertise.

Name

Future 500

Legal name

Future 500

Website

https://future500.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Future 500 is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) non-profit consultancy that helps Fortune 500 companies and civil society advocates engage constructively around ESG, sustainability, and stakeholder conflict. It delivers services through the Corporate Affinity Network, working groups, and thought leadership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement Consulting

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Stakeholder engagement consulting
• Sustainability advisory services
• ESG strategy consulting
• Corporate responsibility advisory
• Civil society facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Future 500 relies on grants and tax-deductible donations from foundations, philanthropists, and corporate partners. They have received general operating grants from organizations like Porticus.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Future 500 is a non-profit consultancy that helps businesses identify, prioritize, and constructively engage with their highest-value stakeholders (civil society advocates, NGOs, investors, philanthropists) around challenging sustainability and ESG issues before, during, and after conflicts arise. The firm delivers this through stakeholder engagement consulting, sustainability and environmental justice strategy advisory, multi-stakeholder convenings, and the Corporate Affinity Network membership program.

Product overview

Future 500 is a non-profit consultancy that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company's primary offering is stakeholder engagement consulting, supported by specialized services including sustainability strategy, responsible communication, and environmental justice consulting. These services are delivered through various delivery mechanisms including the Corporate Affinity Network (CAN) membership, Corporate Working Groups, Stakeholder Forums, and advisory modules (stakeholder mapping, materiality assessments, partnership development, activist engagement, target setting, and CSR reporting strategy). The company also publishes the annual Force for Good Forecast report as a thought leadership publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Force for Good Forecast: Future 500's signature annual report identifying stakeholder trends set to redefine corporate accountability. Published annually starting from 2019.
• Corporate Affinity Network (CAN)
• Corporate Working Group

Products and services

• Stakeholder Engagement Services Core consulting offering helping businesses identify, prioritize, and constructively engage with their highest-value stakeholders around challenging sustainability and ESG issues before, during, and after conflicts arise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stakeholder forums yield less conflict, fewer shareholder resolutions, new market opportunities, and collaborative policy advocacy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AvangridminorOthers · 1 August 2022One of four new partners welcomed to Future 500's corporate network in 2022. Avangrid is a sustainable energy company.
• CelaneseminorOthers · 1 August 2022One of four new partners welcomed to Future 500's corporate network in 2022. Celanese is a chemical products company.
• Schneider ElectricminorOthers · 1 August 2022One of four new partners welcomed to Future 500's corporate network in 2022. Schneider Electric is a global energy management and automation company.
• RJR (R.J. Reynolds)minorOthers · 1 August 2022One of four new partners welcomed to Future 500's corporate network in 2022.
• Mission Blue (Sylvia Earle Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2016Partnership to preserve and enrich ocean ecosystems by aligning diverse stakeholders to address urgent threats to global marine life. Future 500 and Mission Blue work together to build public awareness of and support for a global network of protected marine areas called 'Hope Spots.'
• Transition500coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU partner organization that Future 500 collaborates with on working groups and sustainability initiatives.
• Pacific Forest TrustminorOthersConservation organization focused on forest preservation. CEO Erik Wohlgemuth serves on the board of the Pacific Forest Trust.
• EarthXminorOthersEnvironmental organization founded by Future 500 board member Trammell S. Crow. Hosts events including documentary screenings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FSG (Foundation Strategy Group): Mission-driven consulting firm advising foundations and corporations on social impact strategy and shared value. Comparable to Future 500 in its non-profit/foundation intermediary positioning and strategy advisory work.
• GlobeScan: Research and advisory firm specializing in stakeholder insights, sustainability trends, and public opinion on CSR/ESG. Closely comparable for materiality assessments and stakeholder research underpinning engagement strategy.
• AccountAbility: Global consulting and standards body focused on sustainability, ESG strategy, and stakeholder engagement. Competes for the same corporate responsibility leader buyer that Future 500 serves through its CAN.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): A global non-profit sustainability advisory network that helps Fortune 500 companies integrate ESG strategy, stakeholder engagement, and responsible business practices. Closest direct peer to Future 500 in mission, member-network model, and Fortune 500 client base.
• SustainAbility: An independent strategy consultancy that advises corporates, investors, and NGOs on sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement, and ESG — operating with a similar thought-leadership-driven advisory model.

Broad incumbents

• South Pole Group: Global climate solutions and sustainability consultancy working with corporates on net-zero strategy, stakeholder engagement, and ESG. Comparable in Fortune 500 sustainability advisory but focused on climate decarbonization specifically.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Large global environmental and sustainability consultancy serving Fortune 500s on ESG strategy, climate, and stakeholder engagement. Overlaps with Future 500 in environmental justice and just transition advisory but at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Ceres: Non-profit sustainability advocacy organization convening investors and companies on climate and water issues. Comparable NGO-network orientation but advocacy-led rather than facilitation-led like Future 500.
• Right Lane Consulting: Boutique sustainability strategy consultancy advising corporates on ESG positioning, materiality, and stakeholder engagement. Smaller-scale direct competitor in the corporate stakeholder engagement niche.

Others

• Sigwatch: Stakeholder intelligence and campaign-monitoring platform used by corporates to track NGO and activist activity. Adjacent enabler for stakeholder mapping — a Future 500 advisory module — rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/future-500
• Xx.com/future500
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFuture500

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Future 500