Darren Walker announced as Director’s Award recipient of the 2018 National Design Awards

Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, has been announced as the Director’s Award recipient of the 2018 National Design Awards. The Director’s Award is chosen by Caroline Baumann, director of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in recognition of outstanding support and patronage within the design community. 

“With a courageous vision for fighting social inequality, Darren has long been a champion of design as a democratizing force for good and a problem-solving catalyst for change,” Baumann said. “I am delighted to recognize Darren for his inspiring leadership and unwavering support of organizations across all spheres of influence who are working to build an inclusive and strong civil society around the world.”

As president of the Ford Foundation, Walker oversees an international social justice philanthropy with a $13 billion endowment and $600 million in annual grant making. For two decades, he has been a leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Before joining Ford, Walker was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing global and domestic programs including the Rebuild New Orleans initiative after Hurricane Katrina.