Presidents’ Council Mission and Long Term Vision
Convened by the Presidents of the Ford and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations, the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy consists of 16 foundations who have committed to work together to advance inclusion.
The Disability & Philanthropy Forum is an emerging philanthropy serving organization created by the Presidents’ Council.
Each member of the Council is at a different stage of its learning journey toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities both internally and in grantmaking, and all are committed to share our learning. The focus of the Council’s collective action is the philanthropic sector, but our aspiration is that as our sector becomes more equitable, we will influence society to dismantle structural ableism and move toward equity.
Mission
Coordinate philanthropic leadership to advance disability inclusion in philanthropy.
Long Term Vision
The philanthropic sector will integrate disability rights and justice seamlessly into its agenda by increasing:
- A culture of inclusion — Disability-inclusive policies and practices that amplify the agency of people with disabilities and remove barriers to full participation.
- Disability participation — Increases in the numbers of disabled staff and board members in philanthropy.
- Disability grantmaking, including:
-Disability-Specific Grantmaking to Disabled Persons Organizations (DPO) and to non-disability organizations for projects that specifically address disability (for example a grant to a criminal justice organization to address issues of disability in the carceral system).
-Disability-Inclusive Grantmaking that intentionally addresses the intersections of disability as a secondary issue within all program areas and populations.
For further information about the Council contact Emily Harris, Consultant, at emily.harris@disabilityphilanthropy.org.
Theory of Change
To achieve this long-term vision, each Council Foundation commits to embark on an internal journey to inclusion, share our learning with other foundations and work collectively to move our sector to a disability-inclusive future. Learn more about how we define our internal journey and our plans to influence the sector by reading our Theory of Change.
Members of the Council
- Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO, The California Endowment
- Judy Belk, President and CEO, The California Wellness Foundation
- Andrea Sáenz, President and CEO, The Chicago Community Trust
- Sam Gill, President and CEO, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
- Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation
- Chris DeCardy, President, The Heinz Endowments
- Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Rip Rapson, President and CEO, The Kresge Foundation
- John Palfrey, President, MacArthur Foundation
- Elizabeth Alexander, President, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- Kym Eisner, Executive Director, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
- Ana L. Oliveira, President and CEO, The New York Women’s Foundation
- Mark Malloch-Brown, President, Open Society Foundations
- Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO, Weingart Foundation
- John Taylor, President, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
- Ryan Easterly, Executive Director, WITH Foundation