Heather Gerken .Photo Ford Foundation
“Heather Gerken brings a wealth of experience working across the philanthropic and legal sectors that will only help sharpen the Ford Foundation’s operations and grantmaking,” said Dr. Cigarroa
“In Heather, we have found a thoughtful and innovative leader with a knowledge and passion for justice that is centered on the values of democracy and helping advance human achievement for all citizens. Her life’s work resonates with the mission of the Ford Foundation.”
Gerken currently serves as Dean of Yale Law School and the Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law.
Throughout her tenure, she has prioritized removing economic barriers to the legal profession and expanding access for underrepresented students.
Under her leadership, Yale Law School launched the first full-tuition scholarships for students from low-income backgrounds.
The school also increased veteran student representation from 1% to 10% and saw a significant rise in students who are first-generation college graduates.
Gerken also led Yale’s decision to withdraw from the U.S. News & World Report rankings, responding to concerns that the methodology discouraged support for public interest careers, need-based aid, and students from working-class backgrounds.
“Heather Gerken brings exceptional intellect, inclusive leadership, and a profound commitment to justice around the world,” said Paula Moreno, who served on the Ford Foundation board’s presidential search committee.
“As only the second woman to lead the Ford Foundation, where we reimagine the world through equality and hope, Heather will drive bold innovation and inspire transformative systemic change with urgency and vision.”
Beyond her role as dean, Gerken founded and leads the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project Clinic at Yale Law School.
The clinic enables students to partner with city attorneys on active litigation.
Over nearly two decades, it has contributed to significant victories, including a multimillion-dollar settlement in opioid litigation and the landmark case that legalized same-sex marriage in California.
“It is a profound honor to join the Ford Foundation and build upon the legacy of those who came before me, particularly the astonishing Darren Walker,” Gerken said.
“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working with Ford staff and the board of trustees to protect democracy and the rule of law and further our mission to create a more just and fair world for everyone.”
Her appointment follows a comprehensive national and international search led by the board of trustees and executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.
The process began in 2024 after Darren Walker announced his intention to step down after more than a decade of leadership at the foundation.
During his tenure, Walker oversaw a shift in the Ford Foundation’s mission to focus more deeply on inequality and social justice, while also improving its grantmaking practices and influencing similar changes among peer institutions.
“I extend my warmest congratulations to Heather Gerken as she prepares to lead the Ford Foundation into its next chapter,” said Walker.
“Her experience and dedication to philanthropy and the field of law will undoubtedly propel the foundation’s mission forward.”
Before joining Yale, Gerken served as a professor at Harvard Law School and worked as an associate at Jenner & Block, where she handled voting rights cases and contributed to a notable housing desegregation settlement.
She clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter and Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Gerken holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Princeton University.
She is a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Law Institute, and serves as a trustee of Princeton University and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Her scholarship has been published in outlets such as The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, NPR, The New York Times, and Time Magazine.
She is the author of The Democracy Index: Why Our Election System is Failing and How to Fix It and editor of Race, Reform, and Regulation of the Electoral Process: Recurring Puzzles in American Democracy.
About the Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice.
For nearly 90 years, it has supported changemakers on the frontlines of social progress around the world.
Guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement, the foundation maintains its headquarters in New York City with 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Its endowment stands at $16 billion.
