One of the biggest names in philanthropy belongs to a woman who has been making waves behind the scenes for a very long time. Jane Wales is a bit of a household name in the philanthropic sector, and has an impressive roster of high-level experience and accolades.
Wales previously served during the Clinton Administration as special assistant to the President and senior director of the National Security Council. She has chaired the international security programs at charitable organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the W. Alton Jones Foundation. She has also directed the Project on World Security at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and serves on the board of directors for a plethora of companies and philanthropic foundations.
She is President and CEO of the World Affairs Council, and also serves as Vice President of Philanthropy and Society at the Aspen Institute. Wales is also the host of the nationally syndicated National Public Radio show It’s Your World. Most recently, Wales founded and serves as CEO of the Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF), a network of high net-worth individuals that are committed to international humanitarian work and philanthropy. According to its website, the GPF is a
“Project of The World Affairs Council of Northern California, [that] aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes, and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their work.” It’s Wales’ most direct philanthropic effort yet, and works towards advancing many international causes.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Eliza Anyangwe asks Wales about the typical demographics of philanthropy, to which she replies, “The demographics of philanthropy have really changed and that’s most exciting,” citing young, mid-career, and globally aware people as being at the forefront of philanthropic work. Wales herself certainly shatters the traditional image of a white male being a philanthropic leader, as Anyangwe suggests; her role in organizing and directing dozens of large-scale philanthropic efforts is utterly astounding.
Learn more about Jane Wales and her philanthropic reach at Global Philanthropy Forum’s official website.