Global Earth Repair Convergence - 2028 at Fort Worden
Global Earth Repair Convergence 2028 — greening the planet to cool the planet
The Global Earth Repair Convergence returns to Fort Worden Historical State Park in Spring 2028: five days, in person and online, bringing together Earth repairers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, farmers, artists, and grassroots organizers to share practical, accessible ways to regenerate land, water, and climate. Co-hosted by the Global Earth Repair Foundation and United Earth Networks, the 2028 edition builds directly on the May 2026 convergence, which drew more than 500 people in person and thousands more online.
Project snapshot
2026 results are from the published event record; 2028 budget figures are a working estimate modeled on 2026 and should be reconciled with actual 2026 financials before submission.
- Co-hosts
- Global Earth Repair Foundation · United Earth Networks
- UEN lead
- Marc Katsky, Strategic Director · [email] · [phone]
- Location
- Fort Worden State Park & Conference Center, Port Townsend, WA — Salish Sea bioregion
- Dates
- Spring 2028 — [5 days, Thursday–Monday, TBD]
- 2026 track record
- 500+ in person, thousands online, 120+ presenters, 10 tracks
- Total 2028 budget
- $400,000 (estimate)
- Projected registration income
- ~$150,000 (600 in-person + online passes)
- Philanthropic gap
- $250,000
- Fiscal sponsors (2026)
- EcoRestoration Alliance · Buckminster Fuller Institute — confirm for 2028
- Collaborators
- Regenerate Cascadia · Finnriver Farm & Cidery · HubCast Media · [others]
- Prior convergences
- 2019 conference (500 participants) · 2022 online summit (500 online) · 2026 Fort Worden
- Brief updated
- September 23, 2026
The opportunity
Language ready to lift into a letter of inquiry or proposal narrative.
Need
Trees, plants, soils, and the water cycle offer some of the quickest, cleanest, and most accessible ways to cool the climate and regenerate the planet — yet the practitioners doing this work are scattered, under-resourced, and rarely see their efforts as part of one global movement. Grassroots restorers, Indigenous land stewards, and communities in the Global South in particular lack a shared space to exchange methods, find funders, and build alliances.
Our approach
Five days, hybrid by design. Day one opens with field trips (Elwha River restoration, Chimacum Ridge Community Forest) and an opening gala; three days of concurrent sessions run across ten tracks — regenerative agriculture, forests, oceans, fungi, water, Indigenous leadership, permaculture, new economics, art/music/ceremony, and community and governance; the final day closes in the Olympic Rainforest and a circle focused on implementation. Online programs run in parallel for North America, Africa, and Brazil/South America in Portuguese and Spanish, with recordings available for a year.
Who it serves
A target of 600 in-person participants and several thousand online; 120+ presenters; representatives of hundreds of grassroots organizations; an Indigenous track and caucus; Global South participants on free scholarships; local residents of Jefferson, Clallam, Kitsap counties and Whidbey Island through discounted day passes; and families through a kids' program.
Why now
2026 proved the model at Fort Worden: the venue, the partner network, and the audience are in place. Committing funders by mid-2027 lets the team lock the Fort Worden venue, confirm international speakers and visas, and open scholarships early — the decisive factor in who can attend. The 2028 convergence also becomes the flagship public moment of the Spaceship Earth Campus program cycle at Fort Worden.
Funding opportunities
Every revenue path, with amount, funder benefit, and next-step owner. Sliding-scale ticketing keeps the event accessible; sponsors and grants close the gap.
Sponsorship tiers
| Tier | Amount | Recognition & benefits | Slots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presenting sponsor | $75,000 | "Presented by" credit on all convergence materials and the global livestream, opening-gala remarks, 10 full passes with lodging, feature in HubCast coverage | 1 | Open |
| Track sponsor | $20,000 | Named sponsorship of one of the ten tracks (e.g. Water, Forests, Oceans), signage in session rooms, 4 full passes, credit on recorded sessions | 10 | Open |
| Global access sponsor | $15,000 | Underwrites the Africa or Brazil/South America online program, including translation; named in each regional broadcast | 2 | Open |
| Scholarship sponsor | $10,000 | Funds about 20 scholarships for Global South, Indigenous, youth, or local participants; named scholarship fund | 4 | Open |
| Gala & field trip sponsor | $7,500 | Credit on the opening gala or a field trip (Elwha River, Chimacum Ridge, Olympic Rainforest); 2 passes | 4 | Finnriver partner — confirm |
| Community & exhibitor | $1,500–$5,000 | Vendor/exhibitor table, program listing, website recognition — sized for local businesses and regenerative enterprises | 30 | Open |
| In-kind | Valued at $[amount] | Lodging, food, transportation, A/V, translation, printing, volunteer coordination | — | Ongoing |
Grant targets & pipeline
| Funder type / target | Program fit | Request | Deadline | Stage | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate & ecosystem restoration foundations | Nature-based climate solutions, water-cycle restoration, reforestation | $60,000 | [LOI-based] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Indigenous-led and land-rights funders | Indigenous track and caucus, travel for Indigenous leaders | $30,000 | [Rolling] | Concept note drafting | GMA + GERF |
| Food sovereignty & regenerative agriculture funders | Regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and soil tracks | $25,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | GMA |
| International development & Global South access funders | Africa and Brazil/South America programs, scholarships, translation | $25,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Washington State and regional tourism / community funds | Visitor economy, Jefferson County community benefit, local day passes | $15,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | UEN |
| Returning 2026 funders | Renewal with 2026 outcomes report | $[amount] | [Q2 2027] | Stewardship | UEN + GERF |
Crowdfunding
Goal: $30,000 — "Bring a Repairer" · Window: Earth Day to early summer 2027
Funds scholarships for Global South and Indigenous participants. Tiers at $25 (online pass for someone who can't afford one), $150 (a lower-tier in-person pass), $500 (a full scholarship with meals), $2,000 (travel for one international presenter).
Major & recurring gifts
Named scholarship funds, multi-year pledges that carry the convergence into a recurring biennial cycle, and monthly "Earth Repairer" sustainers at $25/mo. Stewardship: donor reception at the gala, 2028 outcomes report, and year-long recording access.
Earned revenue
Sliding-scale registration (2026 weekend passes ran $150–$360 adult, with youth, teen, child, local and BIPOC day passes), online passes, exhibitor fees, meal and lodging packages through Fort Worden, and licensing of recorded sessions — projected at about $150,000.
Budget & use of funds
Working estimate for Spring 2028 — $400,000. Replace with actuals-based figures once 2026 financials are reconciled.
Earned
~$150,000 projected from registration, online passes, and exhibitors.
Pending
$[000,000] from returning 2026 sponsors — renewals to open with the 2026 outcomes report.
Gap to close
$250,000 in sponsorship and grants. First priorities: scholarships and speaker travel, which drive who can attend.
Impact metrics
2028 targets set against the 2026 baseline.
Measurement method
Registration and scholarship data (including Global South, Indigenous, youth, and local share), session attendance, online watch time by region, post-event participant surveys, commitments and working groups formed at the implementation circle, and 6-month follow-up on projects launched or funded. Data owner: [name].
Reporting cadence
Pre-event sponsor updates, a public event report within 30 days, a full outcomes report at 90 days, a 6-month implementation follow-up, and funder-specific narrative and financial reports on each funder's schedule.
Document library
Link each item to the live file in the UEN shared drive or the Global Earth Repair collaboration workspace.
Fundraising package
Due diligence & evidence
Contacts & next steps
Named owners for every ask, plus what has to happen before this brief goes to funders.
UEN lead
Marc Katsky · Strategic Director, United Earth Networks
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
[email] · [phone]
Global Earth Repair Foundation
[Name] · [Title]
[email] · [phone]
Role: co-host, program and speakers
Grant Management Associates
[Consultant name]
[email] · [phone]
Scope: prospect research, LOIs, proposals, sponsor renewals, reporting
- Lock the Spring 2028 dates and put a hold on the Fort Worden Conference Center.
- Reconcile 2026 actual costs and revenue, then replace the estimated budget above.
- Confirm the 2028 fiscal sponsor(s) and add EINs.
- Publish or attach the 2026 outcomes report — it is the strongest renewal and new-funder asset.
- Open 2026 sponsor renewal conversations by Q1 2027, and set the scholarship target before crowdfunding launches.