Kathy Reich
Director, Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD)
Kathy Reich leads the Ford Foundation’s BUILD initiative in the United States and in the foundation’s 10 global regions. BUILD is a 12-year, $2 billion initiative to strengthen key institutions around the world that fight inequality. Kathy manages a team of 10 people, guiding Ford’s efforts to support the vitality and effectiveness of institutions and networks that serve as pillars of broader social movements. To date, the BUILD program has supported more than 450 organizations in 38 countries; about half of the organizations are based in the United States.
Before joining Ford in 2016, Kathy worked for 15 years at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, most recently as organizational effectiveness and philanthropy director, where she led a cross-cutting program to help grantees around the world strengthen their strategy, leadership and impact. Prior to that, she was policy director of a non-profit, served as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill, and worked for state and local elected officials in California.
Kathy is a Senior Fellow of the Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and she has served on several non-profit boards. She is currently on the board of Repair the World. Kathy is a frequent writer and speaker on issues related to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
