Published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy

By Nicole Wallace

After growing up in Jamaica, Diane Samuels came to the United States and worked at the Rockefeller Foundation for 13 years, starting out as a human-resources assistant. She is currently vice president for talent and human resources at the Ford Foundation, where she has worked for almost five years.

Facing several kinds of bias. I have more than one identity. I’m a woman. I’m a woman of color. I’m an immigrant. In philanthropy, we tend to gravitate toward individuals who’ve gone to the Ivy League. I have not gone to an Ivy League school.

The Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

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