forgood's Client Council 2026: Breaking Silos. Building Impact.
On 12 March 2026, forgood hosted its annual Client Council event in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Industry leaders and CSI Managers came together to celebrate their achievements over the past year.
Our theme for the 2026 edition was "Breaking Silos. Building Impact."
We challenged our attendees to think differently about partnerships, integration and impact.
Key takeaways
- Over 78 000 users registered on our forgood ecosystem (forgood's client and public platform).
- 113 378 connections made to date.
- Richard Pfaff, Head of Social Impact at Tshikululu address the power dynamics that often shape relationships between corporate funders and the non-profits they support.
- Transformation specialist, Gcina Mahlaba spoke to CSI, ESG and SED coming together to solve common goals.
2026 award winners
The following clients were recognised for their achievements between January 2025 and December 2025:
REGISTRATIONS
Refers to the number of employees who registered on the Employee Volunteering platform.
Category A (1 – 1,499 employees)
- Runner-up: IDC.
- Winner: Assore.
Category B (1,500 – 9,999 employees)
- Runner-up: Liberty.
- Winner: AlexForbes.
Category C (10,000+ employees)
- Runner-up: Momentum Group.
- Winner: Standard Bank.
CONNECTIONS
Refers to the number of volunteering connections made.
Category A (1 – 1,499 employees)
- Runner-up: Redefine.
- Winner: Assore.
Category B (1,500 – 9,999 employees)
- Runner-up: African Bank.
- Winner: Vodacom.
Category C (10,000+ employees)
- Runner-up: Sanlam.
- Winner: Standard Bank.
UNIQUE PARTICIPATION
Refers to the percentage of individual employees who engaged in at least one unique volunteering action.
- Runner-up: Royal Bafokeng Holdings – 69%
- Winner: Assore – 71%.
HIGHEST GROWTH: REGISTRATIONS AND CONNECTIONS
This year, we introduced two new awards recognising growth and celebrating the clients who achieved the strongest percentage growth in registrations and connections compared to last year, relative to their baseline.
And interestingly, this year both awards went to the same organisation:
Winner: Liberty
- 354% growth in registrations; 704 registrations this year vs 155 in 2024.
- 86% growth in connections; 1355 connections this year vs 728 in 2024.
CAUSE OF THE YEAR
This year we introduced a brand new awards category dedicated to our AMAZING Causes: The forgood Cause of the Year Award.
We want to shine a light on the Causes who make it easier for them to create that impact. They are the heartbeat of everything we do, and it's time they had their moment on stage!
We are excited to announce our Cause of the Year is The Sweethearts Foundation.
hey turn recycled waste such as bottle tops and bread tags, into custom wheelchairs for people in need across South Africa. A powerful example of the circular economy in action.
Here's why they took the crown:
• 98.75% response rate across 455+ connections - unwavering dedication to volunteers and donors.
• 3+ client events with standout service and professionalism.
• Innovation station-they brought fresh ideas to sorting activities and pre-delivered items for employee events.
• Real impact: 600+ wheelchairs gifted.
• 130+ tonnes of waste recycled.
Another memorable Client Council event, here’s to an even bigger and better gathering next year!
Click HERE to view the full gallery.
Photo credit: Tshepang Mokoena (Tshepang Stories)
