Forward Global, a strategic giving philanthropy organisation, was founded in 1995 as a project of the Rockefeller Foundation. Originally cohort- and module-based, “The Philanthropy Workshop” provided expert philanthropy tools and information to individuals and families whose needs were not being sufficiently met by financial advisors and other existing resources. Our roots were in that period’s burgeoning strategic philanthropy movement. Many of those tenets—including evidence-based theories of change, focus on underlying systems rather than symptoms, and respect for the wisdom of affected communities—remain today. Following our early years, we evolved and changed, merging with the London-based Institute for Philanthropy and adding ongoing, lifelong peer community offerings. Renee Kaplan was a recipient of an award at the Citywealth Powerwomen awards USA in 2025