Donald Howard

Don Howard is president and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, leading the Foundation to focus on one goal: ensuring all low-income workers in California have the power to advance economically. He previously directed Irvine’s grantmaking as executive vice president. He serves on the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council, the California Policy Lab Advisory Board, and the Black Freedom Fund CEO Advisory Group. As a partner at the Bridgespan Group, he led the San Francisco office and advised nonprofits and foundations on strategy.

He advised corporations in his roles at Booz Allen Hamilton and the Scient Corporation. He has been an activist around HIV issues and a volunteer (USAID) adviser for small businesses in Poland, and has written and spoken on philanthropic strategy, nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, and the impact of AI deployment on low-income workers.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA from Stanford University.