What Forum 2000 Foundation does

The Forum 2000 Foundation (NADACE FORUM 2000) is a Czech nonprofit organization established in 1997 by former President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic Václav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, and Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa. It is headquartered at Pohořelec 6, 118 00 Prague 1, registered in the Foundation Register of the Municipal Court in Prague (Organization Identification Number 65992768), and operates with a core staff of approximately 44 employees. The foundation's stated mission is to pursue the legacy of Václav Havel by supporting democratic values and respect for human rights, assisting the development of civil society, and encouraging religious, cultural, and ethnic tolerance.

The foundation's primary product is the annual Forum 2000 Conference, an international gathering held in Prague that brings together Nobel Peace Prize laureates, current and former heads of state, and civil society leaders to discuss democracy, human rights, and global governance. The 30th edition is scheduled for October 11–13, 2026. Adjacent programs include the Festival of Democracy (a side program of lectures, discussions, and exhibitions), the NGO Market (described as the largest nonprofit fair in Central and Eastern Europe, in operation for 18+ years), regional conferences on Democratic Solidarity in Latin America, and the Forum for Democratic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific co-organized with the ROC Taiwan Representative Office. The foundation also publishes annual reports and research outputs, distributes a monthly email newsletter, and confers the annual International Forum 2000 Award for Courage and Responsibility on individuals defending democracy and human rights, with recent recipients including Mzia Amaglobeli and the Georgian Resistance Movement (2025), Rocio San Miguel (2024), and Zhang Zhan (2022).

The foundation does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Its technical footprint comprises the public website forum2000.cz, a mobile application for iOS and Android used by conference attendees, and standard collaboration tooling. The revenue model is grant-dependent: the foundation is funded primarily by donations and institutional grants from a partner ecosystem that includes the Visegrad Fund, the National Endowment for Democracy, Robert Bosch Stiftung, the European Union (Eastern Partnership), the European Commission Representation in the Czech Republic, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Porticus, the US Embassy in Prague, Deloitte Czech Republic, the Prague Congress Centre, and ROC Taiwan. Programmatic events such as the NGO Market are offered free or at minimal cost to civil society participants, with limited ticket revenue on selected public events (e.g., a past Dalai Lama lecture sold through TicketPro). The foundation is GDPR-compliant and operates as an independent entity with no parent company, institutional equity ownership, or disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Forum 2000 Foundation

Legal name

NADACE FORUM 2000

Website

https://forum2000.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Forum 2000 Foundation is a Prague-based nonprofit, founded in 1997 by Václav Havel, Elie Wiesel, and Yohei Sasakawa, that organizes annual international conferences and complementary programs convening Nobel laureates, heads of state, and civil society leaders to advance democracy, human rights, and civil society development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Democracy Dialogue and Civil Society Programs

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• International democracy conferences
• Civil society development
• Human rights advocacy
• NGO capacity building
• Interfaith dialogue platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Financial support from donors enabling foundation activities including conferences, publications, and civil society programs
2. Event Revenue: Some events such as public lectures may generate ticket revenue (e.g., Dalai Lama lecture tickets sold through TicketPro network)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Forum 2000 Foundation organizes annual international conferences in Prague and other cities that convene world leaders, Nobel laureates, politicians, and civil society actors to discuss democracy, human rights, and civil society development. It complements the flagship conference with the NGO Market (the largest nonprofit fair in Central and Eastern Europe), the Festival of Democracy side program, regional conferences on Democratic Solidarity in Latin America, periodic publications, and the annual International Forum 2000 Award for Courage and Responsibility.

Product overview

Forum 2000 Foundation operates a single unified program centered on its annual international conference, which is supported by complementary products including the Festival of Democracy (accompanying cultural and discussion program), NGO Market (civil society fair), Publications (annual reports and research), Newsletter (email communications), and the International Award for Courage and Responsibility (human rights recognition). The organization does not offer a technology platform or SaaS product; its offerings are conference-based programs, publications, and community engagement tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forum 2000 Conference Annual international conference bringing together world leaders, Nobel laureates, politicians, and civil society actors to discuss democracy, human rights, and global governance challenges. Open to civil society organizations, diplomats, academics, and the public.
• Festival of Democracy Accompanying program of the Forum 2000 Conference featuring lectures, discussions, exhibitions, and cultural events focused on democracy themes and organized with various civil society organizations.
• NGO Market Largest NGO fair in Central and Eastern Europe, organized by Forum 2000, connecting civil society organizations with donors, supporters, and the public through an annual marketplace-style event.
• International Forum 2000 Award for Courage and Responsibility Annual recognition award presented to individuals demonstrating exceptional courage and responsibility in advancing democracy and human rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 consecutive annual conferences organized
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered main partner and partner.

• Visegrad Fundmain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational public benefit corporation that supports civil society development in Central Europe. Listed as a main partner of Forum 2000 Foundation.
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED)main partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican private non-profit foundation that supports democracy globally. Listed as a main partner of Forum 2000 Foundation.
• Robert Bosch Stiftungmain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman nonprofit foundation focused on civil society, international relations, and education. Listed as a main partner of Forum 2000 Foundation.
• European Union / Eastern PartnershippartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union initiative for closer relations with Eastern European neighbors. Partner organization supporting Forum 2000 activities.
• European Commission - Representation in Czech RepublicpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic supporting democracy and civil society programs.
• Friedrich Naumann FoundationpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation affiliated with the Free Democratic Party, focused on liberal democracy and civil society.
• Czech Ministry of Foreign AffairspartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech government ministry supporting international democracy and human rights initiatives.
• PorticuspartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate foundation supporting civil society organizations working on democracy, human rights, and social justice.
• US Embassy in PraguepartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited States diplomatic mission supporting democracy programs and civil society engagement in the Czech Republic.
• Deloitte Czech RepublicpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services firm providing support to Forum 2000 Foundation operations.
• Prague Congress CentrepartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue provider for Forum 2000 conferences and events in Prague.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Office / ROC TaiwanpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaiwan representative office in Prague, co-organizing Indo-Pacific democracy cooperation forums with Forum 2000.
• ROC-Taiwan Representative OfficepartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing the Forum for Democratic Cooperation in Taipei focusing on Indo-Pacific democratic governance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GLOBSEC: Bratislava-based think tank running the flagship GLOBSEC Forum and other high-level conferences on democracy, security, and resilience in Central Europe. Strong geographic and thematic overlap with Forum 2000's mission and audience.
• Raisina Dialogue: India's premier annual geopolitical conference convened by the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, gathering global leaders on foreign policy and global governance. Comparable as a multi-track, invitation-driven international dialogue forum.
• Oslo Freedom Forum: Annual invitation-only conference in Oslo convening dissidents, human rights defenders, and democracy activists. Closely mirrors Forum 2000's speaker mix, award-style recognition, and democracy/human-rights focus.
• Munich Security Conference: Premier annual international security conference convening heads of state, ministers, and experts. Comparable as a high-profile invitation-only geopolitical dialogue forum with similar brand positioning, though focused on security rather than democracy.
• Halifax International Security Forum: Annual invitation-only security and democracy conference in Halifax, Canada. Similar format, speaker caliber, and democracy-support orientation to Forum 2000's main conference.
• Wilton Park: UK Foreign Office-affiliated executive agency running invitation-only international conferences on geopolitics, democracy, and governance. Similar format, audience profile, and convening mission to Forum 2000's annual conference.

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based international affairs think tank that runs high-profile closed-door and public conferences on global governance and geopolitics. Overlaps with Forum 2000's international dialogue mission but as part of a much broader research portfolio.
• World Economic Forum: Broader, larger-scale Davos-based convening platform for heads of state, business, and civil society. Comparable in convening power and annual cadence but operates at much greater scale and across a wider agenda than Forum 2000's democracy focus.
• Aspen Institute: US-based educational and policy studies organization that runs Aspen-style values-based dialogue forums and convenes prominent leaders. Comparable as a long-running, values-driven convener but with a much wider program scope.

Emerging players

• National Endowment for Democracy: US grantmaking organization supporting democracy movements worldwide and Forum 2000's main partner. Comparable in mission space but functions primarily as a funder rather than a direct conference convener.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-2000

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forum 2000 Foundation