Tim Walter
CEO/Executive Director, Association of Small Foundations

Tim Walter is the CEO of the Association of Small Foundations, a group of over 3,100 foundations with few or no staff, representative of the vast majority of foundations in the U.S. The members of the association steward $67 billion in assets and distribute approximately $3.15 billion in grants per annum, most in their local communities. About 2,000 of the members are family foundations; many are new. The Association is primarily an educational organization helping donors and board members to achieve higher levels of impact in their philanthropic work and to run their foundations more smoothly. Tim joined ASF in 2001 as COO and has led the organization since 2003; during this time the organization has more than doubled in terms of budget and staff.

In addition to his leadership roles, he speaks and writes frequently on foundation governance, leadership, and the state of the field. He joined ASF in 2001, following eight years with the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, from where he traveled nationally and internationally as an award winning expert on community and economic development for small towns and rural areas. His earlier career included positions with General Electric and in mergers and acquisitions for C. Itoh, a Japanese trading company. Tim holds degrees from Duke University and the Yale School of Management.