MFF’s John Farnam to step down as managing director by the end of 2024

After 15 years of innovative grant making and strategic leadership at the Morgridge Family Foundation, John Farnam is stepping down from his role as managing director at the end of the year. Beginning in 2025, he will serve as senior advisor.

During Farnam’s tenure, the Foundation invested over $167 million in grants and fostered partnerships across all sectors, from education and workforce development to child welfare and health and human services. Farnam helped enhance the Foundation’s impact on a national and international scale. His expertise was instrumental in advancing the Foundation’s mission and objectives, and also resulted in significant recognition both for the Foundation and for him personally.

Earlier this year, Farnam was voted the 2024 9News Leader of the Year for Denver. His expertise has been sought out as an Aspen Institute Fellow, a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, and an advisor to the Colorado Governor’s Leadership Committee on COVID Relief. In 2022, he earned an executive certificate through the prestigious Chief of Staff Fellowship at the University of Oxford, and in 2023, he was one of just 60 leaders from 20 countries to complete the inaugural Chief of Staff Association Program through the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program. He now serves as the Morgridge Child Welfare Fellow for the Common Sense Institute, where he co-authored the groundbreaking paper Untapped Potential: Economic Costs of Colorado’s Foster Youth, which was the first to calculate the individual and social costs of Colorado youth who age out of foster care.

Beyond his work at the Morgridge Family Foundation, Farnam has a rich history of leadership in the nonprofit sector. He has served on numerous boards, including the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, Denver Academy, and MindSpark Learning.

“We extend our deepest gratitude for John’s dedication, vision, and unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the world,” said Carrie Morgridge. “His legacy will continue to inspire and guide the work of the Morgridge Family Foundation and countless other organizations.”