After more than 25 years of exemplary leadership defined by an unwavering vision, strong partnerships, and a collaborative spirit, Michele Lord is today announcing her decision to retire from her role as NEO Philanthropy President in December 2026.
Throughout 2026, Michele Lord will remain focused on NEO’s critical work to resource movements in order to meet this consequential moment and support leaders who can chart a course toward a more just and equitable future.
“We are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary dedication of Michele to the building and sustaining of movements to enhance freedoms and expand opportunity,” said Kerrien Suarez and Kristen Ruff, Co-Chairs of the NEO Philanthropy Board of Directors.
When Michele Lord stepped into the role of President of what was then called Public Interest Projects in 2001, it was a small, single-staffed organization. Today, NEO Philanthropy is an indispensable, trusted partner for both social-justice-minded movements and funders in areas such as immigration, democracy, reproductive rights, and issues of justice and equity. This transformation was guided by Michele’s North Star to show up as a reliable collaborator, prioritizing people and movements over numbers and outputs. Her contribution is not just to NEO, but to the broader field of philanthropic intermediaries.
“It has been a privilege and honor to lead NEO Philanthropy’s efforts to meet the evolving needs of social justice movements,” said Michele Lord. “I am incredibly proud of the significant progress made by too many movement leaders to count. Every ounce of that hard-fought progress shows up in the improved lives of our communities. The work to achieve meaningful change is always deeply contested, but we have to remember how progress has ever been achieved in the first place.”
Throughout Lord’s leadership, NEO has served as an instrumental bridge between funders and social justice movements. As an early champion of collaborative funds, NEO helped to pioneer a new way for foundations to join efforts with the aim to generate greater, and more lasting, impact. The Four Freedoms Fund was created in 2003 to support immigrant rights by investing at a local level in immigrant-led organizations. With more than 20 years of investment, an outlier in collaborative philanthropy, the support for immigrant justice movements remains more necessary than ever with the present influx of cruel, anti-immigrant policies.
Much of what is now considered cutting-edge in philanthropy has been the standard way of operating as NEO developed its practices. The orientation focused on being mindful of what foundations could not do on their own and Michele Lord proved time and time again to be able to make the impossible possible.
Strong partnerships, robust collaborations, and participatory processes have been a touchstone for NEO Philanthropy under Michele Lord’s leadership and have cemented NEO’s legacy as a trusted philanthropic intermediary. NEO now brings deep partnership to the table in resourcing movements with 70+ fiscally-sponsored projects, along with the compliance, administrative, operational, and legal expertise necessary for project partners to execute their programming and achieve their vision.
NEO has continuously met the moment when specific needs emerged. Amid a barrage of attacks on voting rights and civil rights, State Infrastructure Fund (SIF) was created as a collaborative fund in 2010 with a focus on building permanent civic engagement infrastructure. With a range of funders joining together, SIF has led critical work to support the long-term sustainability of state-based networks of nonpartisan organizations to increase voting participation, enhance civic engagement, and protect voting rights.
“What has made all the difference in the evolution of NEO to be an indispensable partner in the strengthening of movements has been the incredibly talented and dedicated staff,” said Michele Lord. “We have an incredible leadership team in place, are in a strong position as an organization, and have a proven reputation as an important player in the social justice sector. I am certain that the next leader of NEO will be able to advance this critical work even further given how much the social justice movements are needed.”
A national search for NEO’s next leader will be announced in early 2026. Michele Lord will remain in her position as a successor is brought onboard as part of an intentional transition process. The Board of Directors has selected a collaborative team led by Melissa Madzel, Do Good Connections, and Carlyn Madden, Good Insight, to guide NEO’s board and staff through the process.
“We have worked closely with Michele to develop a transition plan that will set NEO up for success without slowing the pace of any of the critical work,” said Suarez and Ruff. “Our aim is to find a leader with a strong commitment to the mission of the pro-justice fields it supports.”
