April 30, 2024
Ms. Foundation Announces Promotion of Ruth McFarlane to Deputy CEO
The nation’s oldest women’s foundation elevates its Chief Advancement Officer to new role that will deepen and extend the Foundation’s overall philanthropic and cultural impact.
NEW YORK (April 30, 2024) – Today, Ms. Foundation for Women, the nation’s oldest women’s foundation, announced the promotion of Ruth McFarlane to Deputy CEO. McFarlane previously served as Chief Advancement Officer since 2021 overseeing development and communications. She first joined the Ms. Foundation in 2019 as Vice President of Advancement. Under her leadership, the foundation has experienced tremendous growth in fundraising revenue, including the launch of the largest capital campaign in the organization’s history, Creating the Future We Deserve, to mark its 50th anniversary.
In her new role, McFarlane will lead the day-to-day financial, operational, and cultural sustainability of the organization and will work directly with Teresa Younger, President and CEO to establish the strategic direction of the foundation going forward.
“I am thrilled to name Ruth to the new role of Deputy CEO,” said Teresa Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women. “Ruth has accomplished so much in her nearly five years at the Ms. Foundation and I look forward to collaborating with her in this new role as a valued thought partner. This elevation is indicative of the foundation’s strong future and continued growth as we work to build women’s collective power in the years ahead. ”
Prior to joining the Ms. Foundation, McFarlane served as the Director of Development & Community Engagement at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Director of Programs at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. Prior to working in the nonprofit sector, Ruth practiced as an international tax and corporate transactions attorney at Linklaters LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be expanding my work at Ms. Foundation as its new Deputy CEO,” said McFarlane. “I am honored to work with an organization that is at the forefront of philanthropy. I’m excited to help guide strategic direction in this new role as we work to bolster our impact, provide more resources, and strengthen capacity for women-led movements that are advancing equity and justice for us all.”
Ruth holds a JD from Cornell Law School and an MSW from University of California Berkeley. She has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Health Access Foundation, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Homeownership SF, and City of Refuge United Church of Christ Oakland.
To learn more about Ms. Foundation and its leadership team, visit ForWomen.org.
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For more than 50 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has shaped women’s philanthropy in the United States, providing a blueprint for the establishment of hundreds of local and regional women’s funds, influencing mainstream culture through nationwide projects such as Take Our Daughters to Work Day, and making grants totaling over $90 million to more than 1,600 grassroots organizations across the country. Through research, advocacy, and grantmaking, the Ms. Foundation is the national model for sustainable, trust-based philanthropic support of women of color-led movements. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age. Learn more and get involved at ForWomen.org