Leadership
John Colborn
Vice PresidentJohn Colborn is vice president of operations, a global role that includes overseeing all foundation operations, information technology and grants administration.
John joined the Ford Foundation in 1998 as a program officer in Economic Development where his grant making focused on workforce development and community colleges. During his time there, he rose to deputy director. In 2006, he was named director of program operations, a key foundation role that included overseeing grants administration and management and program strategy and analysis, and serving as a liaison between the legal and finance departments.
In his current position, which he assumed in 2010, John oversees operations in the foundation’s New York headquarters and its 10 regional offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He manages policies and processes for grant approvals, knowledge management and organizational taxonomy, program budget preparation and program planning. He also supervises the Information Technology and Facilities Management departments.
Prior to joining the foundation, he worked for more than 12 years for a variety of nonprofit organizations. From 1992 to 1998, he served as director of the Jobs Initiative at The Reinvestment Fund in Philadelphia. His professional experience also includes stints in affordable housing development, community organizing, and trade association management.
John has been active in several foundation-related affinity groups, including networks of funders focusing on community colleges, program-related investments and workforce development. He currently sits on the board of directors of the Foundation Center. He holds bachelor’s degrees in government and economics from Oberlin College and earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.
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