Comparison · 16 material differences
Commonwealth Club World Affairs vs Level 20
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Commonwealth Club World Affairs
The general public in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through broadcast and podcast distribution, a national audience; membership is open to anyone
Networking organization
Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
What the records say
- Geographic restriction — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: No published geographic restriction; Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe.
- Industry restriction — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: No published industry restriction; Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry.
- Annual dues — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: $135 a year; Level 20: £0 a year.
Side by side
| Commonwealth Club World Affairs | Level 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 1903 (Founded on 3 February 1903 by San Francisco Chronicle agriculture editor Edward F. Adams, per the Club's own history.) | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | San Francisco Bay Area — headquarters at 110 The Embarcadero plus volunteer-run regional chapters in the East Bay, Marin County, Napa Valley and the Peninsula, and a Silicon Valley programme; national reach through radio, television and podcasts | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London |
| Members | 20,000as of September 2026 | 7,250as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | Not published as a number. The Club names volunteer-run regional chapters in the East Bay, Marin County, Napa Valley and the Peninsula alongside its San Francisco headquarters and Silicon Valley programming, but gives no total. | 13 |
| Primary audience | The general public in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through broadcast and podcast distribution, a national audience; membership is open to anyone | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles |
| Typical member | Members are the general public rather than a screened cohort. The published tiers accommodate individuals, two people at one address, small groups, students and educators, single-issue supporters through the Climate One programme, and companies buying access for employees. A Leadership Circle from $1,000 upwards functions as a donor programme with escalating access to speakers. | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. |
| Qualification | ||
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Membership is bought online by selecting a plan; auto-renewal on the annual renewal date is an option at signup. Student and educator applicants apply through a separate form. There is no sponsorship, interview or committee review. | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. |
| Selectivity | Not selective. Membership is open to all and most events are also open to non-members who buy tickets. | Not publicly disclosed for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $135 a yearIndividual membership, annual plan ($13 a month monthly, cancel anytime). Includes one 30 percent discounted ticket per event, excluding special events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry" — Annual Review 2025verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed; no joining fee appears alongside the published dues.verified September 2026 | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. |
| Membership term | Annual or monthly; annual memberships can be set to auto-renew and monthly plans can be cancelled at any time | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Hundreds of events a year, in person and online, at the San Francisco headquarters, the regional chapters and Silicon Valley | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions |
| Peer forums | Member-led forums organised by subject, plus volunteer-run regional chapters; no confidential facilitated peer forum | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts |
| Confidentiality | None; programmes are public and are broadcast on radio and television and distributed as podcasts | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | No | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Family programming | Partial | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Partial | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Partial |
| Investment discussions | No | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | No |
| Networking emphasis | Low | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Commonwealth Club World Affairs · Level 20