Ms. Foundation for Women names new leader in a time of uncertainty

What you probably already know: The nation’s oldest women’s foundation has a new leader. Tracy Sturdivant is the new president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, an influential New York City-based nonprofit launched in 1973 by Gloria Steinem, Marlo Thomas and other activists to support women-led advocacy and grantmaking. The foundation has made more than $100 million in grants to more than 1,600 grassroots organizations across the country since its founding. The Associated Press reports that Sturdivant wants to expand the group’s influence, which built a $100-million-plus endowment during her predecessor Teresa C. Younger’s 13-year tenure. Sturdivant was named after an extensive national search.

Why it matters: Sturdivant, who has a long history in the social justice movement, founded and serves as CEO of The League, a social impact collective that works to increase public engagement around social issues. Prior to that she co-founded the Make It Work Campaign, an advocacy organization focused on equal pay, paid family leave and childcare. She has worked with philanthropic partners including Melinda French Gates-founded Pivotal Ventures and is the founding board chair of Higher Heights Leadership Fund. She has also served on several boards, including the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Greenpeace and the Ballot Strategy Center.

What it means: Younger is credited with several accomplishments. She oversaw the Pocket Change research series that highlighted the importance of philanthropic giving to organizations that support women and girls of color, and launched the Foundation’s capital campaign in 2023, which raised more than $100 million in honor of its 50^th anniversary. “In this critical moment when so much is under attack,” says Search Committee Chair Kaberi Banerjee Murthy, who will become board chair during the next fiscal year, “Tracy is uniquely qualified to confront what lies ahead.” 

What happens next: The MS Foundation now finds itself at a critical juncture as recent policy developments threaten to undermine the progress achieved by women over the past several decades. It reported $7 million in revenue in 2024 and invested $149 million across 744 enterprises in 152 countries, and its youth training programs that reached more than 25,000 participants across in-person and digital platforms. “Ms. Foundation for Women has always understood that lasting change happens when you invest in women and trust those closest to problems to have the solutions.” Sturdivant says. “We are in a pivotal period for gender equity and human rights in this country, and this Foundation has never been better positioned to be a philanthropic leader.”