Senior Associate
Cole Wilbur is a Trustee and former President of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. During his tenure as the Foundation President from 1976 to 1999, the Foundation grew from a two-person staff and $8 million in annual grantmaking to a $13 billion foundation with 155 employees and awarding more than $500 million a year. Now, as a Trustee, he is active in support of the Foundation’s environmental initiatives including encouraging smart growth and energy conservation by Chinese policy makers.
Mr. Wilbur has assisted many foundations in strategic planning, board governance, finding and training new executive staff, and making transitions in generations and leadership. He has assisted business leaders and wealthy individuals in South America, Australia, New Zealand, and China to start new foundations and improve their scope and effectiveness.
Mr. Wilbur received the Council on Foundation’s prestigious Distinguished Grantmaker Award in 1999. For a number of years, he served as a COF Mentor, helping foundations throughout the U.S. deal with challenging issues, and in 2005, was COF’s Interim President and CEO. He has been an active member of COF’s Family Philanthropy Program and is currently on the faculty for COF’s Essential Skills and Strategy training programs held twice yearly.
Prior to joining the Packard Foundation, Mr. Wilbur was executive director and CEO of the Sierra Club Foundation, designing and administering this important fundraising arm of the national environmental organization. He also worked in international banking and managed a computer service bureau.
In addition to the Packard Foundation Board, Mr. Wilbur serves on the boards of Colorado College, the Institute for Global Ethics, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, The Stanford Theatre, and Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. He is on the Steering Committee of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and a number of advisory boards.
Mr. Wilbur received both his undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from Stanford University and is the co-author of The Complete Guide to Grantmaking Basics.
