United Philanthropy Forum

What United Philanthropy Forum does

United Philanthropy Forum is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership network, founded in 1998, that convenes the largest and most diverse network of philanthropy-infrastructure organizations (PIOs) in American philanthropy. The Forum serves national and regional PIOs, as well as the foundations and grantmakers they in turn support, by providing knowledge-sharing platforms, professional development resources, advocacy coordination, and networking opportunities through programs structured around three pillars: the Knowledge Management Collaborative, Philanthropic Practice, and Public Policy.

The Forum's core technology asset is the Knowledge Management Collaborative, a shared Drupal and Salesforce-based platform co-developed and maintained by more than 30 member PIOs. This collective technology stack powers mission-critical applications for members including member services, event management, and advocacy tools, and is supported by ongoing training in Drupal-Salesforce integration and platform maintenance. Adjacent product lines include a Job Board (free for members, $99 per posting for nonmembers), the Trust-Based Philanthropy Resources Portal, the Rural Resource Hub, advocacy campaigns such as Advocacy, Awareness, & Action, and research publications including the third-edition Journey Toward Racial Equity Report. Distribution relies on a content-rich website, annual conferences (Philanthropy Infrastructure Conference, KM Users Group), Foundations on the Hill advocacy days, newsletters, and direct member engagement.

The business model is a subscription/membership-dues model with annual fees paid by PIO members (pricing not publicly disclosed), supplemented by grant support from a concentrated set of major foundations including Barr Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ancillary fee income from job postings and events is a marginal contributor. The Forum is positioned as an infrastructure and advocacy coordinator for the U.S. philanthropy sector, with no disclosed parent company, M&A activity, or external equity backing.

Name

United Philanthropy Forum

Legal name

United Philanthropy Forum

Website

https://unitedphilforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Philanthropy Forum is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership network, founded in 1998, that convenes national and regional philanthropy-infrastructure organizations (PIOs) in the U.S. It operates a shared Drupal/Salesforce Knowledge Management Collaborative for 30+ member PIOs and coordinates advocacy, professional development, and field-wide resources for the philanthropic sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Infrastructure Membership Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Philanthropy network
• Membership association
• Knowledge management collaborative
• Advocacy coordination
• Nonprofit infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Forum generates revenue through annual membership dues from its network of philanthropy-infrastructure organizations. Members pay to access benefits including knowledge resources, technology platforms, advocacy coordination, professional development, and networking opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Philanthropy Forum is a membership network that connects national and regional philanthropy-infrastructure organizations, providing a shared technology platform (the Knowledge Management Collaborative built on Drupal and Salesforce), advocacy coordination, peer-learning programs, professional development resources, and convenings such as the Philanthropy Infrastructure Conference. Members access collective infrastructure, knowledge resources, advocacy action centers, and a coordinated voice for the philanthropic sector.

Product overview

United Philanthropy Forum operates as a network platform for philanthropy-infrastructure organizations, offering a unified technology platform powered by the Knowledge Management Collaborative that integrates member services, job board, event management, advocacy tools, and resource libraries. The core offering consists of the Knowledge Management Collaborative—a collective Drupal and Salesforce-based technology platform serving over 30 member organizations—supplemented by specialized resource portals (Trust-Based Philanthropy Resources, Rural Resource Hub), the Job Board, Events Calendar, advocacy campaigns, and research publications including the Journey Toward Racial Equity Report. The Forum also provides member training on Drupal-Salesforce integrations and regulatory compliance resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 30 organizations participate in shared technology infrastructure through the Knowledge Management Collaborative
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: Large policy and educational nonprofit operating multiple programs including philanthropy initiatives. Broader incumbent with overlapping philanthropy-serving programs but a much wider mission portfolio.

Direct peers

• Council on Foundations: National membership organization for U.S. foundations and corporate giving programs, offering networking, advocacy, and professional development. Directly comparable as a parallel membership network serving the philanthropic infrastructure.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of state and regional nonprofit associations providing advocacy, resources, and capacity-building. Comparable membership/network model serving nonprofit infrastructure organizations.
• National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP): Research and advocacy organization promoting responsive and accountable philanthropy. Comparable advocacy and field-building role within the philanthropic infrastructure ecosystem.
• Independent Sector: National membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs conducting advocacy, research, and cross-sector convening. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder membership body advancing the charitable sector.
• Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO): National membership community of foundations and philanthropy-serving organizations focused on grantmaking practice and effectiveness. Direct peer in serving the PIO network with practice-shaping resources.
• Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): Source of philanthropic data and transparency tools serving grantmakers and nonprofits. Comparable in serving philanthropy-serving organizations with knowledge infrastructure and sector intelligence.
• Center for Effective Philanthropy: Philanthropy research and consulting organization providing data, assessment tools, and insights to foundations. Comparable as a PIO offering knowledge services and field-shaping research.
• Philanthropy Roundtable: Membership association for individual donors, families, and foundations promoting effective philanthropy. Direct peer offering convening, content, and advocacy for grantmakers.
• Exponent Philanthropy: Membership association for foundations with few or no staff, plus the donor advised funds and supporting organizations that serve them. Direct peer in providing peer learning, resources, and advocacy to a defined philanthropy segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedphilforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-philanthropy-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 United Philanthropy Forum