The trustees of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund have selected Mari Kuraishi, co-founder and president of GlobalGiving, to be the Fund’s next president.
GlobalGiving is a pioneering global crowdfunding platform for vetted, community-led organizations. Since its founding in 2002, the Washington, D.C.-based company has supported more than $340 million in giving by more than 814,000 donors to more than 20,000 projects worldwide.
Under Kuraishi’s leadership, GlobalGiving was cited by Forbes as one of the “Ten Startups Changing the World,” and named a Top 10 place to work in DC on Glassdoor.com because of its commitment to core values, talent development, and clear success metrics.
“Mari’s energy, vision and experience in innovative philanthropy were the essential attributes we desired in the Fund’s next president,” said Jessie Ball duPont Fund trustee Leroy Davis, chair of the search committee. “We are confident that she is the right person to lead the Fund in its next chapter.”
“I am honored to have been selected by the board to take over the helm of the Jessie ball duPont Fund,” Kuraishi said. “The Fund’s accomplishments over the last 40-plus years, its catalytic role in collaborative place-based philanthropy, and its fidelity to Mrs. duPont’s vision form an exciting foundation for the next chapter.”
Prior to co-founding GlobalGiving, Kuraishi led the Corporate Strategy Group at the World Bank where she was responsible for setting corporate priorities and engendering business innovation for an international financial institution dedicated to fighting poverty worldwide; and was the country anchor and officer for the bank’s Russia program, where she coordinated a sovereign lending program at its Washington, D.C., headquarters.
She is chair of the board of directors for GuideStar, USA; chair of the board of directors for DataKind; chair of the board of directors for APOPO US; and a member of the board of advisors for the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.
Kuraishi earned her bachelor’s degree in Modern European History and master’s degree in Russian Studies from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mari to the Jessie Ball duPont Fund,” said Marty Lanahan, chair for the trustees. “This is an important time in the Fund’s history and she has the leadership style, unique qualities and strategic perspective necessary to expand the Fund’s collaborative philanthropy and impact.”
Kuraishi will begin her duties with the Jessie Ball duPont Fund in January 2019.
