A project of the World Affairs Council of Northern California, the Global Philanthropy Forum aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes, and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their work.

Through an annual conference, a summer seminar, special events and conference call programs, the GPF connects donors to issues; to effective strategies; to potential co-funding partners; and to emblematic agents of change from around the world. By building, and continually refreshing a lasting learning community, the GPF seeks to expand the number of philanthropists who will be strategic in pursuit of international causes.

President and co-founder Jane Wales launched this effort in 2001 in partnership with leading Silicon Valley philanthropists who shared a conviction that individuals are not only capable of advancing human security, environmental stewardship, and improved quality of life, but that they must.