1. Overview:

Futures thinking is not a tool – it is a way of leading.
Futures School is where leaders step into what’s next.
The Philea Futures School is a curated leadership journey for a small group of senior philanthropic leaders. It is not only about tools or frameworks. It is about the quality of the room – and who you become in it. Over nine months, you engage in deep, experience-based convenings with peers who are holding similarly complex questions. Philea convenes the space. The work – and the value – comes from the people in the room.

Why this is worth your time

As a strategic leader, your time is your scarcest resource.

This is not designed to add more to your agenda – it is designed to create the space most leaders don’t have:
  • Space to step back from immediate pressures and think at a strategic level and reimagine what’s possible
  • Space to surface questions and explore alternative futures using anticipation and imaginationSpace to engage with peers who are navigating similarly complex decisions
  • Space to engage with peers who are navigating similarly complex decisions and who are pioneering innovative approaches in philanthropy
  • Space to test assumptions, challenge your thinking and refine your judgement

Interested? Here are some details

Duration: Nine months, participants become part of the Futures Philanthropy community.

Format: a leadership journey, anchored in two immersive, experience-based convenings, complemented by peer-led exchanges and curated sessions.

Dates and Locations:
  • 5-8 October 2026, Tilal Utique, Tunisia (arrival 4 October, optional dinner)
  • 6-8 April 2027 SOON Futures Lab, Copenhagen, Denmark (arrival on 5 April, optional dinner)
  • Invitation to Futures Philanthropy Dialogue Walks ahead of the Philea Forum 2027- a space for all cohorts to meet and exchange informally.
Participation fee

Participation includes a full leadership journey, both in-person convenings and online engagement, as well as the invitation to the Futures Philanthropy community and future invitations to events and convenings beyond the nine-month leadership journey.

Participation is limited to 25–30 leaders to ensure depth, trust and quality of exchange.
  • €6.161,5 Philea philanthropy infrastructure members (inclusive of VAT and accommodation in Tilal Utique)
  • €8.460 € Philea foundation members (inclusive of VAT and accommodation in Tilal Utique)
  • €11,000 Non-members (by invitation only, inclusive of VAT and accommodation in Tilal Utique).
Participants are responsible for covering their own travel and accommodation in Copenhagen. Accommodation in Tilal Utique is arranged by Philea.

Scholarships
A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available to ensure geographic, leadership and thought diversity in the cohort
Scholarships cover all or part of the participation fee
Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation in Copenhagen.

Accommodation in Tilal Utique will be arranged by Philea.

Selection process: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a deadline on 8 June. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 30-minute conversation to explore their leadership context, current challenges and aspirations.

Time commitment: 7 days to attend the in-person gatherings, 5 h preparation time for the gatherings, attending monthly 1 – 1.5 h online exchanges, which are optional.

Participants: curated cohort of 25-30 leaders.


Who is behind the Futures School?

The Futures School is enabled and co-created with our partners Famtastisch Stiftung, la Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Mercator Stiftung Schweiz, SOON Futures Lab and Bikubenfonden, Futures Philanthropy community and the alumni of the Futures School and our thought partner Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.
Applicant Information

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* 1. Name

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* 2. What keeps you busy most days, and what work brings in your primary income?

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* 3. Your current role

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* 4. Where do you currently reside?

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* 5. Your phone number

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* 6. Your LinkedIn profile:

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* 7. Is your organisation a member of Philea?

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* 8. Work email

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* 9. Your assistant's email, if applicable

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* 10. Where did you hear about the Futures School?

Motivation and Context

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* 11. In your own terms, what does “success” actually look like?

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* 12. How would you describe your leadership journey? What societal, planetary or philanthropic challenges do you seek to tackle? What causes are you passionate about? What have you done concretely to address these issues?

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* 13. Through the Executive Leadership Programme, you will be given the space to bring your real-life leadership challenge. What opportunities do you see? What has been hard for you? (max. 200 words) Must be answered by the applicant

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* 14. Please share with us a bit more about the type of learning transformation you are seeking. Is it about certain skills you would like to learn? An attitude you would like to develop? How can the Executive Leadership Programme, in your opinion, help sharpen your judgement, choices and posture? (max. 200 words) Must be answered by the applicant

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* 15. Futures School leadership journey is about bridging established and emerging philanthropy, learning from practice. How does this resonate with you? What knowledge would you like to share? (max. 200 words) Must be answered by the applicant

Participation Cost

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* 16. Will your organisation be able to cover the participation cost of the Futures School?

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* 17. A limited number of scholarships are available to support participation in the programme. If your organisation is unable to cover the full cost of participation, please provide a brief context and why you would need support. If your organisation is able to cover parts of the cost (such as half of the fee, but not the full fee, etc.), please mention this.

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* 18. Since the number of scholarship is limited, by applying for a scholarship, you might be competing with a high number of applicants. If you do not receive a scholarship, would you still be interested becoming part of the cohort at full cost?

Additional information

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* 19. What additional information should we know to better understand your application?

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