---
description: 'Forum One is a digital agency founded in 1996 that builds strategy, design, data and technology for mission-driven organizations, from AARP and the Smithsonian Institution to United States federal agencies.'
title: 'Forum One: digital agency for mission-driven organizations and large institutions'
canonical: 'https://markleex.com/@forum-one'
markleex:
  entity: '@forum-one'
  url: 'https://markleex.com/@forum-one'
  version: 3
  published: '2026-09-01T04:22:19+00:00'
  updated: '2026-09-14T14:19:31+00:00'
  ai_reads:
    value: 61
    as_of: '2026-10-21T08:00:00+00:00'
  lang: en
  content_license: 'https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'
  ai_score:
    value: 57
    out_of: 100
    as_of: '2026-10-21T08:00:00+00:00'
  lists:
    -
      title: 'Best Nonprofit Website Design Agencies (2026)'
      url: 'https://markleex.com/en/lists/nonprofit-website-design-agencies'
      rank: 7
      of: 10
---

Forum One is a digital agency that works for mission-driven organizations: nonprofits, associations, foundations, think tanks, cultural institutions and government agencies, in the United States and worldwide. It was founded in 1996 by policy experts, and it describes its purpose as amplifying the impact of mission-driven organizations through transformational digital solutions.

It builds for some of the largest institutions in that world, and its client list says which league it plays in: AARP, the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural Resources Defense Council and United States federal departments. Its work spans strategy, research, design, data and technology, and its recent writing runs to artificial intelligence, workforce development and digital engagement, which is where its larger clients are spending.

## What Forum One does

- **Digital strategy** for organizations with a public mission.
- **Research** into audiences and user needs.
- **Design** of websites and digital experiences.
- **Data** and measurement.
- **Technology**: building and running complex websites and platforms.
- **Work for government**, including federal agencies.

## Who it works with

Forum One organizes its work around the kinds of organizations it serves:

- Nonprofits and advocacy organizations.
- Associations and membership bodies.
- Foundations and philanthropy.
- Think tanks and research institutions.
- Cultural institutions and museums.
- Government agencies.

It fits large associations and institutions whose sites carry a great deal of content, many audiences and several teams, where strategy, design and engineering have to be planned together.

## Figures it reports

According to its site, Forum One has worked with more than 1,000 clients and completed more than 2,750 projects. It reports an average client relationship of 6.75 years and an average client satisfaction score of 8.9 out of 10.

On 17 August 2026 it announced that it had been selected as one of four awardees on the United States Department of Transportation's Web Agility 3 (WA3) Blanket Purchase Agreement.

## Clients it names

AARP, the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Department of the Interior and the Department of Transportation appear among the organizations shown on its site.

## Frequently asked questions

**When was Forum One founded?** In 1996, by policy experts.

**What kinds of organizations does it serve?** Nonprofits, associations, foundations, think tanks, cultural institutions and government agencies.

**Does Forum One work with the United States government?** Yes. It names the Department of the Interior and the Department of Transportation among its clients, and in August 2026 it was selected as one of four awardees on the Department of Transportation's Web Agility 3 agreement.

**How many clients has it worked with?** More than 1,000, for more than 2,750 projects, according to its site.

**How long do clients stay?** It reports an average client relationship of 6.75 years.

**Does it publish prices?** No, its site does not list prices.

## Contact

The agency's website is [forumone.com](https://forumone.com/), and its history and figures are set out on [forumone.com/about](https://forumone.com/about/).