ABFE Member News: Ford Foundation President Darren Walker Announces Departure in 2025

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Darren Walker as he prepares to step down as President of the Ford Foundation. The Associated Press has released an article titled “Darren Walker’s Ford Foundation Legacy Reached Far Beyond Its Walls,” featuring remarks from our President and CEO, Susan Taylor Batten, honoring Walker’s transformative work and lasting influence.

Susan Taylor Batten, president and CEO of ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, called Walker a “student of philanthropy,” who understood the importance of building the infrastructure and institutions of the sector.

“There wasn’t anybody more authentic than Darren Walker. He was very clear about his identity. And, again, I believe representation matters, and so I remember when he got the position at Ford, we celebrated,” she said. ABFE has long advocated for philanthropy to pay attention to the issues of the Black community and for the inclusion of African Americans and other people of color within the leadership of philanthropic organizations. To that point, Taylor Batten said the data shows some improvement.

“We still have a lot of work to do in this sector as well as others,” she said. “But, he clearly paved the path for others to come after him.”