Jim was named president and a trustee of the Barr Foundation in May 2014. Since his arrival, Barr has experienced significant growth. Annual grantmaking has tripled and the staff has more than doubled in size. Prior to Barr, Jim spent over two decades at The James Irvine Foundation, including service as president and CEO from 2003 through 2014. Before working in philanthropy, Jim was a high school English teacher. Jim currently serves as vice chair of the Kaiser Family Foundation and as a trustee of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston Public Library, and Eastern Bank Foundation. Jim’s prior board service includes a ten-year term as a Stanford University trustee and as chair of the boards of the College Futures Foundation, KQED Public Broadcasting, Stanford Alumni Association, and Larkin Street Youth Services, and as vice chair of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Jim’s writings on a range of topics have appeared in the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Stanford Social Innovation Review, among other outlets. And he has been a featured speaker, panelist, moderator, or guest at a variety of forums dedicated to a stronger social sector, including the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Communications Network, PEAK Grantmaking, and Inside Philanthropy.
- Jim Canales’ Bio
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Investing in Nonprofits’ Most Essential Assets: Leaders
Historically, less than one percent of foundation giving has gone to leadership development. A recent SSIR blog series offered a forum for foundation leaders, including Barr’s Jim Canales, to weigh in on smart ways to change that equation.
From the President – December 2014
As 2014 draws to a close, three key decisions that will guide Barr into its next era.
From the President – Fall 2014
For us at the Barr Foundation, this past summer has provided an opportunity to give greater definition to the values that guide Barr’s philanthropy.
Strategic Communications at Barr
Exploring how Barr can more fully leverage communications to advance its mission.
Barr’s Rahn Dorsey Appointed Boston’s First Chief of Education
Our colleague Rahn Dorsey has been appointed by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to his cabinet as the City’s first chief of education.
Staffing Updates at the Barr Foundation
Announcement and discussion of changes taking effect this month at the Barr Foundation.
From the President – July 2014
After his first two months at Barr, President Jim Canales shares what he’s been learning and some key themes to guide us on the road ahead.
Time to Reset Philanthropy’s “Default Settings”
In philanthropy, we too often obsess about strategy without attending to one of the things that puts strategy most at risk: culture.