The Barr Foundation’s Board of Trustees announced today that Ali Noorani will become Barr’s next president, effective December 1, 2025, succeeding Jim Canales, who will conclude his 11 ½ year tenure upon Noorani’s arrival. Noorani currently serves as Program Director of the U.S. Democracy Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the nation’s largest private foundations with assets of nearly $14 billion.
“We are thrilled to introduce Ali Noorani as Barr’s next president. His life’s work has been defined by service, and his values are deeply aligned with the values Amos and I hope will always define Barr – including humility, curiosity, and the long-term view that investing in potential and empowering people in communities always requires,” said Barbara Hostetter, Barr Foundation co-founder, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “Throughout the search, Ali’s enthusiasm for Barr’s core issues of arts, climate, and education was palpable, as was his readiness to propel Barr into its next chapter.”
“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Barr Foundation at this moment and to build on its exceptional reputation as an institution that boldly stands in its values of deep and authentic partnership and investment in community,” said Ali Noorani, incoming president of the Barr Foundation. “I look forward to working closely with Barr’s dedicated board, including its co-founders, talented staff, and transformational grantee partners who are a vanguard of progress across New England and beyond. And I am personally thrilled to return once again to Boston, a community I came to know and love early in my career. My wife, Toya, and I are excited to raise our young daughter as a Celtics fan.”
A Rigorous and Comprehensive National Search
Today’s announcement is the culmination of an extensive national search, conducted in partnership with Russell Reynolds Associates. The quality and caliber of candidates for the Barr presidency underscore the compelling nature of this leadership opportunity. Barr’s search began following an announcement in January of Canales’s intent to conclude his tenure by the end of 2025, having led Barr since May 2014. These 11 years marked a period of extraordinary growth in the organization’s impact and grantmaking, and of Barr bringing its voice and leadership to the public square. Through challenges that included a global pandemic, national uprisings for racial justice, and ongoing shifts in the national context, Canales also partnered with Barr’s trustees and staff to affirm the organization’s emphasis on centering racial equity as a core value in its work.
“Ali Noorani will be an exceptional leader for Barr, given our values and aspirations, and in a context that invites us to build the coalitions and invest in the partnerships that will best serve our communities today,” said Jim Canales, President and Trustee and incoming board chair. “Ali brings a broad range of professional experiences, and an instinctual strategic acumen and personal warmth that make him a tremendous asset as Barr seeks to meet the needs of this moment and beyond. I look forward to supporting his leadership and partnering with him in the years ahead.”
In early 2026, Barbara Hostetter will conclude nearly three decades as founding board chair and will remain a trustee. At that time, Canales will assume the board chair role. As previously announced in January, he will also assume full-time responsibilities with Pilot House Associates, the Hostetter’s family office.
An Experienced Nonprofit Leader and Bridge Builder for this Moment
With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Noorani, 52, brings a record of success to the Barr presidency. In his current role as Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 2022, Noorani oversees an annual grantmaking budget of over $40 million, dedicated to fortifying America’s electoral and governing institutions and fostering public trust in democracy. Noorani leads collaborative processes for crafting program strategies, engaging with leaders across the ideological spectrum, and partnering with peer philanthropies that focus at the local, national and global level to advance nonpartisan efforts that strengthen U.S. Democracy. He has also played a pivotal role as a collaborative leader in shaping the foundation’s strategic response at critical moments.
Prior to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Noorani was the chief executive of two separate nonprofits focused on immigration policy. Through Noorani’s leadership, both were propelled to new levels of effectiveness and impact by his creative coalition building, and his proven ability to find common ground and forge common purpose with allies from across the political spectrum and nation. From 2008 to 2022, Noorani served as President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum in Washington. During his tenure, he significantly expanded the organization’s scope and impact, more than tripling its operations and staff size.
Noorani was instrumental in leading the development of innovative organizing strategies that engaged conservative and moderate leaders in the immigration debate – including from faith, law enforcement, and business sectors. From 2003 until 2008 (capping over a decade of working in Boston), Noorani was Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). In this role, Noorani led a coalition of organizations across New England dedicated to protecting access to legal rights and opportunities for immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts.
Prior work in Boston included three years (2000-2003) as Director of Public Health for Codman Square Health Center and Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, and two (1998-2000) as Director of the Greater Boston Urban Resources Partnership within the City of Boston’s Environment Department.
Noorani is the author of two books exploring the immigration topic through firsthand stories of people experiencing and impacted by immigration from many different perspectives – Crossing Borders and There Goes the Neighborhood.
He holds a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health and Epidemiology/Biostatistics from Boston University’s School of Public Health, and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. Noorani serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for More in Common Global and as a member of the Board of Advisors for Welcome.US. Noorani is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has held fellowships with the Aspen Institute, Emerson Collective, and Arizona State University’s Social Transformations Lab. Noorani currently resides in Oakland with his wife, Toya Gavin, and their daughter.
How Local and National Leaders Describe Noorani
“I had the privilege of getting to know and work alongside Ali during his years leading the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. He was a trusted and effective leader here well before his impactful national work with the National Immigration Forum,” said Zamawa Arenas, Founder and CEO of Flowetik and former Boston Foundation board member. “Ali brings deep experience and a remarkable ability to make a positive difference wherever he goes. I’m thrilled to welcome him back and excited to see what his leadership will bring to Barr and its mission of service in our community.”
“In a time of extraordinary turbulence and disquiet, I can think of no better leader to take the helm of the Barr Foundation than Ali Noorani. Ali’s passion, intelligence, experience and humanity make him the perfect steward for the next chapter in Barr’s legacy of investing in the human, natural and creative potential of our communities and our American society.” said Sam Gill, President and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation.
“Ali has been a valuable partner in the democracy field over the past several years, with his insights, terrific ideas and keen wit,” said Nancy Lindborg, President & CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. “I especially appreciate his ability to create coalitions for action, build bridges across differences, and navigate the complexities of this work. Ali has quickly established himself as a leader doing cutting edge work and will be a tremendous leader for the Barr Foundation.”
