Why Leadership Changes at the Top Foundations Matter for Your Fundraising
When a foundation names a new president, it's easy to file it under sector gossip and move on. But for nonprofits, a leadership change at a major funder is one of the most actionable signals you can get. New leadership often means new priorities, new giving areas, and a fresh window to make your case. Knowing when that window opens is part of fundraising strategy, which is exactly why we track it.
Our latest report, Who's New in Philanthropy: Top 100, follows the leadership changes reshaping national philanthropy right now. Here's a look at why it matters, and a few of the shifts worth watching.
New Leadership Signals New Priorities
Take the Ford Foundation. Heather Gerken became president in November 2025, and her background in democracy and constitutional law has already brought a greater emphasis on elections, the rule of law, and democratic institutions. For an organization working in those areas, that's not trivia. It's a signal that a major funder's attention is moving toward your work, and a reason to pay closer attention to Ford's evolving priorities.
That's the pattern worth internalizing: when a funder changes leadership, their funding focus often changes with it. A new president brings their own convictions, their own networks, and their own sense of what matters most. The organizations that notice early are the ones positioned to build a relationship before the new priorities are set in stone.
The Changes Worth Watching Right Now
Beyond Ford, our report tracks significant leadership transitions across the national landscape. Major changes have taken place at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Heron Foundation, and the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced that Ian H. Solomon will assume leadership in September 2026, and the Walton Family Foundation entered its own leadership transition after executive director Stephanie Cornell stepped down at the end of 2025.
Each of these represents a potential shift in strategy, priorities, and opportunity, and for the right organization, an opening.
How to Use This Information
Tracking leadership changes only helps if you do something with the information. When you learn a relevant funder has new leadership, it's worth a few steps: read everything you can about the new leader's background and public priorities, watch for updated giving guidelines in the months that follow, and consider whether the shift creates an opening to introduce your work. A leadership transition is often the most receptive moment in a funder's cycle, before priorities harden and before the new team's calendar fills up.
Staying current on who's moving where is about timing.
The funders most likely to support your work are always changing, and the organizations that pay attention are the ones ready to make their case at exactly the right moment. That's the difference deep, ongoing funder research makes, and it's a core part of how we help our clients build the right relationships at the right time.
Want help turning funder intelligence into a fundraising strategy? Access Philanthropy advisors offer free 30-minute conversations, no forms and no pressure. Reach out at hello@accessphilanthropy.com or complete the form.
