Darren Walker has announced plans to step down as chairman of the Ford Foundation by the end of 2025.
Darren Walker
“Our efforts to address the social drivers of inequality with our grantees and partners would not have been possible without the tenacity of our incredible programmatic and administrative colleagues,” he continued. “The Ford Foundation is a business of hope, and my belief that the pursuit of a more just and equal world is its future remains unwavering.”
Mr. Walker earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, where in 2009 he was the recipient of the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the school’s highest honor for alumni.
Walker served as chief executive of the Ford Foundation for 11 years, where he led the foundation’s grant-making efforts, established new programs such as Tech and Society, which was dedicated to building public-good technology, and Ford’s first disability rights program, and led a variety of global campaigns.
As Chairman, he worked with leaders from around the world to help launch initiatives such as the Constitutionalism Fund, which supports local organizations advocating for constitutionalism and the rule of law in South Africa; the Black Feminist Fund, which helps black women-led movements secure the resources they need to advance change; and the Nusantara Fund, which supports indigenous peoples and local communities in Indonesia by improving the allocation efficiency of climate change funds.
Francisco Cigarroa, chairman of the Ford Foundation board of directors, said the longtime president has led the 90-year-old foundation through difficult times with grace, kindness and empathy.
“Darren brings to his role every day intellect, curiosity, strategic vision and an infectious, positive spirit and energy that will leave an indelible mark on the Foundation,” Cigarroa said.
