We are pleased to announce that the Onion Foundation has appointed Diana Morris to serve as our inaugural executive director and that she will join our team on February 7, 2022.
Diana, an attorney, has had a rich and varied career in philanthropy over many years, focusing throughout on justice and equity. Working internationally as well as domestically, Diana has often played an entrepreneurial role. She launched the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at the Ford Foundation, served as the inaugural executive director of the Blaustein Philanthropic Group, and, at the Open Society Foundations, founded and directed its only field office in the United States (in Baltimore) and developed the Open Places Initiative, which built civic capacity in Buffalo, San Diego, and Puerto Rico. Most recently, Diana has been a Strategic Advisor at the Nova Institute for Health, which explores the connections among individual, community, and planetary health.
Much of Diana’s past work has been place-based, investing resources to build non-profit organizations and fields that are inclusive and strategic and that have the capacity to bring about significant change. She has addressed a broad range of issues, most recently K-12 education, youth development, addiction, criminal and juvenile justice reform, racial justice, food insecurity and community gardens, immigration, and public art. She has regularly partnered with other funders and government agencies, recognizing their importance in getting successful initiatives to scale.
Before beginning her career in philanthropy, Diana was an Attorney-Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, focusing on refugee policy and protection. She continues to work in the field by providing pro-bono assistance to asylum seekers. Diana holds an A.B. from Smith College and a J.D. from Boston University and is a member of the New York State Bar. She serves on the boards of Health Care for the Homeless in Maryland, Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning, and the Salt Bay Chamber Fest in Maine.
Diana’s enthusiasm for working in Maine stems from extended visits with her husband’s parents, who were residents of mid-coast Maine, and summer camp (for herself and her two daughters). She enjoys kayaking and hiking on Harpswell Heritage Land Trust trails with her family, gardening creatively around rocky ledges, and discovering new music and art venues.