Leading Change Conference 2017 Policies

GEO strives to offer a high-quality experience for all who participate in GEO events. By outlining our conference policies, we are better able to deliver exceptional customer service by treating conference registrants and participants fairly and consistently. We welcome any questions to these policies and look forward to seeing you at the Leading Change Conference 2017.

Participant Eligibility

GEO conferences are open to current GEO members; all staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions; staff of philanthropy-supporting infrastructure groups, such as regional associations of grantmakers and affinity groups; and staff of academic institutions and programs focused primarily on the study of philanthropy and the practice of giving.

Limiting participation to organizations that are eligible for GEO membership creates a safe space where participants can speak openly and candidly about challenges within their work.

To achieve this safe space, GEO conferences are not open to nonprofits and grant seekers unless invited to speak at the conference. Similarly, consultants are not eligible to attend GEO events unless they are invited to speak or are registered to represent a current client foundation. Should consultants wish to attend on behalf of a current client foundation, GEO requires confirmation from the client foundation confirming the consultant’s affiliation, and consultants should be registered as part of or by the client foundation. The consultant’s name badge will reflect their affiliation with the client foundation, and it cannot be changed.

Please see http://www.geofunders.org/join for additional information on eligibility for GEO membership and conference participation.

Early Bird Discount

As a member benefit, we extend an early bird discount of $50 to GEO members during priority registration starting on July 18, 2017. All eligible participants are welcome to register at a discounted rate beginning August 8, 2017. Following the early bird period, regular registration rates begin on August 12, 2017.

Cancellations and Substitutions Policy

GEO incurs immediate expenses when a participant registers for a conference, including but not limited to registration system fees and payment processing charges. To recover these expenses, all requests to cancel a confirmed conference registration are subject to a $50 service fee. All cancellations must be submitted in writing on or before Friday, October 6, 2017. No requests for refunds will be granted after that date or for no shows.

Refund fees are scheduled as follows:

  • Cancellation on or before October 6 – full refund minus a $50 service fee
  • Cancellation on or after October 7, or for no shows – no refund available

Participants can avoid the $50 cancellation fee by transferring their registration to a colleague or peer, either within or outside the participant’s organization. However, the new registrant must be eligible per GEO’s eligibility policy. The individual submitting the registration transfer request is responsible for ensuring that all financial obligations (any balance due) associated with that registration are met and that contact information for the new registrant is updated with GEO’s registration team.

Requests for cancellations and substitutions must be submitted in writing to registration@geofunders.org.

Payment Deadline

Because registrants are not officially confirmed for a conference until payment is received in full, we ask that all registrants remit payment by Friday, October 6, 2017. Should the conference sell out and enter a wait list, any registrant with an outstanding balance as of October 6, may be cancelled and your space given to someone on the wait list. Should this situation arise, GEO will contact the registrant and seek to obtain payment before releasing the seat.

Wait List

Demand for GEO conferences typically exceeds the number of available seats. In the event that the conference reaches capacity, GEO will open a wait list and interested individuals may add their names to the list. There is no charge to join the wait list, and you will not be charged for the conference until you are cleared from the wait list.

GEO will review the wait list on a weekly basis and release individuals from the wait list as space becomes available, with priority going to GEO members. All individuals on the wait list will be alerted of their status no later than October 13, 2017. Please do not book travel or accommodations until your seat at the event is confirmed.

GEO’s Meetings Sustainability Plan

GEO strives to be a good steward of our environment. In an effort to reduce the impact of GEO events on the local host community, GEO has implemented a conference sustainability plan. This plan guides GEO’s efforts to have a positive impact on the environment by preventing wasteful practices at all events.

Some prominent features of the plan include:

  1. Reducing the use of paper by:
    • Limiting the number of printed materials to a print program and name badge
    • Utilizing electronic communications to share information with event speakers and registered participants
    • Providing electronic resources, including the participant roster, session resources and facilitator bios, online prior to and after the conference
  2. Recycling plastic name badge holders by collecting them at the registration counter and all exit points for reuse at future events
  3. Reducing the number of promotional items that organizations ship to conference sites
  4. Collecting and recycling paper and beverage containers used at the conference
  5. Promoting ride share efforts and public transportation for travel between local airports, hotels and the conference venue

On-Site Communication and Social Media

For the most current information on the conference, visit www.geofunders.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Membership Offer

Join GEO and Save

GEO members value the opportunity to learn with and from their peers, and GEO conferences consistently receive a 95 percent or greater satisfaction rating from participants. Our conferences also consistently sell out, so we encourage you to join GEO to take advantage of a discounted member registration rate (a $300 savings on your conference registration fee) and a 10 percent discount on your first year of GEO membership. Contact membership@geofunders.org or 202.898.1840 to get started today.

No Solicitation Policy

GEO strives to create a welcoming, collegial conference atmosphere. We ask conference participants to refrain from soliciting other participants for business or grants while at the conference. Any participants found in violation of this policy will be ineligible to attend future GEO events.

Photography/Video/Audio Taping Release

GEO strives to capture the community, peer-learning environment of our conferences. To do so, we photograph and record various aspects of the conference, and your image and voice might be captured. Furthermore, we may use these photographs and videos for future distribution and promotional purposes in our print and online communications materials. By participating in this conference and/or being present at the venue, you authorize GEO to use and reproduce any photographs taken, without compensation. All negatives and positives, photographic prints and digital photo files shall constitute GEO property, solely and completely.

Participant Roster

To facilitate networking and connections at GEO events, we create a conference roster and share it with all registered participants. The roster provides contact information for each individual attending the conference. This roster is for networking purposes only and should not be used for solicitation. If you do not wish to have your contact information included in the conference participant roster, please email registration@geofunders.org.

Name Badges

Your name and organization affiliation are pulled from your registration form. GEO will only print organization affiliations that are in accordance with our eligibility policy. GEO has the discretion to edit your submission, in accordance with our policies, and will alert participants to any changes.

Member Rate

GEO values our members and, as part of their membership, offers a deeply discounted registration rate for GEO conferences. In order to receive the member discounted registration rate you must be affiliated with a current member organization and register using your affiliation with that member organization. GEO will verify eligibility and membership status.

Conference Resources Table

GEO makes available a resources table at our events, but—in accordance with our meetings sustainability plan—ask that you limit any items you share to 50 pieces. GEO is not responsible for receiving, displaying or returning your shipment. You will be responsible for coordinating shipping arrangements and pick up, and any hotel costs associated with shipping should be paid by you. Please notify registration@geofunders.org if you plan to ship materials to the conference, and GEO will connect you with the hotel so that you can coordinate shipping details.

Welcome Reception Guests

Each conference participant is allowed to bring one guest to an evening reception for an additional cost of $60. This charge is fully used to cover food and beverage for the guest, and does not yield any profit to GEO. We ask that you please limit your invitation to an unregistered peer or colleague, spouse/partner, child, family member, and/or friend. Per GEO’s No Solicitation policy, we ask that you and any guest you bring please refrain from soliciting other participants for business or grants. Please contact registration@geofunders.org if you have any questions about this policy or wish to register a guest.