What financial policies apply to dues, benefits, and member responsibilities?

Membership dues to the Leaders Council are non-refundable and are governed by applicable principles of international non-profit law, UN ECOSOC Civil Society accreditation standards, and the GCRI Institutional Charter, which defines GRF as a strictly non-executive, non-profit, member-governed multilateral entity. As a civil society platform operating under Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2023, and as a recognized member of the World Bank Civil Society Mechanism, IMF CSO Forum, Santiago Network, and UN SDSN, GRF upholds the highest fiduciary and governance standards across its financial policies and membership protocols.

Membership dues shall be understood not as payments in exchange for services or benefits, but as lawful contributions to the institutional and constitutional integrity of GRF, which is being established as a permanent multistakeholder platform for global risk foresight, public-interest governance, and capital coordination. All dues are applied solely toward the Forum’s operational mandate, as defined in the GRF Charter and GCRI bylaws, and include:

• Legal establishment and operational readiness of GRF’s regional offices (Geneva, New York, Vienna, Nairobi, Singapore, and others);
• Convening and maintenance of the GRF Leaders Council, General Assembly, and Regional Stewardship Boards (RSBs);
• Clause-based fiduciary oversight of participatory governance instruments, Nexus Platforms, and strategic agenda coordination;
• Independent audits, legal compliance, and financial reporting obligations under Swiss, Canadian, and multilateral civil society laws.

Dues are administered under a multi-signatory escrow governance model and are subject to the financial oversight of GCRI’s Board of Trustees, the GRF Leaders Council, and its independent legal custodians. As such, no individual member, donor, or external institution may earmark or dictate the use of funds, preserving the Forum’s non-partisan, fiduciary, and public-benefit independence.

Refund Policy:
In accordance with GCRI accreditation standards and prevailing practices of multilateral civil society institutions, all dues are non-refundable. This reflects the nature of GRF as a governance platform and not a commercial service provider. Members voluntarily join the Leaders Council to participate in global and regional foresight governance and to co-design strategies that serve the public interest. As such, refundability is incompatible with the core fiduciary and legal principles that underpin the Forum’s constitution.

Standing, Rights, and Responsibilities:
Membership in the Leaders Council constitutes participation in a sovereign-adjacent multilateral governance system, and dues are the legal instrument through which good standing is established. Members in good standing:

• Are granted national (Affiliate), regional (Fellow), or global (Patron) seats in the Leaders Council;
• May propose resolutions, participate in committees, and guide the Forum’s strategic priorities;
• Serve as non-executive stakeholders in GRF’s legally codified policy architecture;
• Are bound by GRF’s Bylaws, Governance Code, Conflict of Interest protocols, and intergovernmental legal agreements;
• May be nominated for further leadership in GRF’s governance structure, subject to electoral and clause-based eligibility review.

Membership may be suspended or revoked in accordance with GRF’s disciplinary procedures for financial delinquency, conflict of interest, inactivity, or breach of fiduciary duty.

This policy affirms that GRF is a lawful, globally accountable, and independently governed institution. All funds, actions, and appointments are tied to the Forum’s public-interest objectives and its duty to serve as a neutral, simulation-informed, and clause-certified governance infrastructure in the context of growing planetary risk and institutional fragmentation. Membership dues are thus both a legal commitment and a sovereign trust instrument ensuring that GRF’s governance remains accountable only to its members and the public interest it is designed to protect.