Tracy Sturdivant to lead Ms. Foundation as new president and CEO

Tracy Sturdivant Named New Leader of Ms. Foundation, Poised to Expand Gender Justice Coalition

In a significant leadership transition at one of America’s pioneering feminist organizations, Tracy Sturdivant has been named the next president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, the nation’s first philanthropy run by and for women. The foundation introduced Sturdivant during its annual New York City gala on Tuesday, where prominent activists including #MeToo founder Tarana Burke received honors.

Sturdivant will succeed Teresa Younger in a rare example of a Black woman replacing another Black woman at the helm of a major nonprofit. What makes this transition even more noteworthy is the strong financial footing Sturdivant will inherit – the foundation has built an endowment exceeding $100 million during Younger’s tenure.

“We’re not in crisis,” Younger noted in a statement prior to the announcement, adding that the organization is “ready for what’s to come” under Sturdivant’s leadership. During Younger’s time as president, the foundation deliberately centered its work on women and girls of color, establishing a firm foundation for its next chapter.

The Detroit native brings significant experience to her new role. Sturdivant previously founded The League, a nonprofit focused on inspiring civic engagement through culture. She also worked with past Ms. Foundation president Marie Wilson on the White House Project, which aimed to advance women’s leadership across all sectors.

“We need all hands on deck to make sure that we’re supporting women in the midst of what I call this perfect form of instability that they’re experiencing,” Sturdivant told The Associated Press in an interview.

Sturdivant envisions expanding the coalition of individuals committed to gender justice, particularly at a time when many funders are reducing their support for Black-led nonprofits. She aims to balance “unapologetically” supporting marginalized groups while simultaneously creating a more inclusive movement for economic equality and bodily autonomy.

Narrative change will be a central focus of Sturdivant’s leadership strategy. She believes this approach has become increasingly necessary as conservative movements across the United States seek to prohibit funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The Ms. Foundation, with its nearly 50-year legacy since its founding in 1973, has weathered numerous cultural shifts and is well-positioned to engage the next generation of feminists through more modern storytelling techniques.

As an example of the new voices she hopes to elevate, Sturdivant pointed to Blair Imani, a historian and content creator honored at Tuesday’s gala. Imani’s viral web series “Smarter in Seconds” provides progressive education on race and gender issues through accessible short-form videos.

“They are leading the culture and being able to take some of our cues from them, I think, is gonna be really helpful,” Sturdivant said.

Economic justice will also feature prominently in her agenda. Sturdivant is exploring ways to increase grantmaking around equal pay, family leave, and childcare—issues she previously championed as co-founder of the Make it Work Campaign, a three-year initiative to improve women’s economic lives in the United States.

These efforts come at a critical time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, men’s earnings are rising faster than women’s, and the gender wage gap has widened for two consecutive years. A recent AP-NORC poll found that most working women in the U.S. believe they face disadvantages in earning competitive wages, though views on addressing these disparities remain deeply divided along gender lines.

“We’re really talking about what does it mean for folks to be able to lead a life where they are not just surviving but thriving, they feel safe and they’re secure,” Sturdivant explained. “That’s going to be the work of the foundation under my tenure.”

The leadership transition at the Ms. Foundation comes at a pivotal moment for women’s rights organizations in America. With battles over reproductive freedom intensifying and economic pressures disproportionately affecting women, particularly women of color, Sturdivant’s vision of a broader coalition working toward gender justice may prove essential to advancing the foundation’s mission in the years ahead.