Ford Foundation elects Fatima Goss Graves to trustee board

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Ford Foundation announced the election of Fatima Goss Graves to its board of trustees. Ms. Goss Graves is the president and chief executive officer of the National Women's Law Center and president of the National Women's Law Center Action Fund.

"We are thrilled to welcome Fatima Goss Graves's perspective and expertise to the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees," said Ursula Burns, Chair of the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees. "Fatima's track record speaks for itself, her strategic vision, fearless advocacy, and proven ability to drive meaningful organizational and systemic change make her an invaluable addition to our Board of Trustees."

Goss Graves is a nationally recognized expert on gender justice, law, policy, and culture change. As an attorney, she has spent her career fighting to advance opportunities for women and girls, including income security and COVID relief, equal pay, health and reproductive rights, education access, workplace justice and ending sexual harassment and violence – with a focus on women and girls of color.

"Fatima Goss Graves possesses a sharp legal intellect, exceptional sector insight, and a steadfast dedication to justice," said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. "I could not be more excited to welcome her to the Board of Trustees. Across Fatima's career, her strategic vision and formidable advocacy have broadened pathways for communities everywhere, particularly women and girls of color. Her presence and insights will be invaluable as we enter the next chapter of the Ford Foundation."

"I am deeply honored to join the Board of Trustees and work alongside the Ford Foundation's extraordinary leadership," said Fatima Goss Graves. "I have dedicated my career to ensuring that all people can live with safety, dignity, and full agency over their lives and that women and their families have what they need to flourish. I am eager to bring that same commitment to Ford's vital mission in the years ahead."

Goss Graves has testified on complex policy matters at the state and federal levels of government in the United States and has been legal and social commentator on CBS, MSNBC, BBC, CNN, PBS, and NPR, and numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.

In addition to the Ford Foundation, Ms. Goss Graves serves on a number of boards in advisory and governance capacities. Based in Washington D.C., she is a graduate of UCLA and Yale Law School.

Ford Foundation trustees are elected by the board and serve six-year terms. Trustees set broad policies relating to grantmaking, geographic focus, investments, governance, and professional standards, and they oversee independent audits. The foundation's trustees come from around the world and have extensive experience in higher education, business and finance, technology, law, government, civil society, and the nonprofit sector.

Learn more at www.fordfoundation.org.