Vaid, Urvashi
Ford Foundation President Susan Berresford established the Peace and Social Justice program in 1996 with the mission of improving government performance and accountability, fostering a thriving independent civil society, and promoting human rights. It was comprised of two global units: Governance and Civil Society, and Human Rights. Social activist, attorney and foundation executive Urvashi Vaid joined the Ford Foundation in 2000 as a Program Officer, and in January 2001, was appointed Deputy Director of Governance and Civil Society. Ms. Vaid launched the Collaborations that Count Initiative in 1998 to support cooperation among state-level organizations working for social and economic justice. She also played a role in the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative and oversaw grants to support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organizations. Ms. Vaid left the Ford Foundation in 2005 to head the Arcus Foundation. The Office Files of Urvashi Vaid date from 1982 to 2005 and document her work as a program officer and later oversight of the Governance and Civil Society unit. A portion of the records pertain to the Community Organizing Initiative. Other records include her subject files and records from meetings she attended. Also included in this collection are records from the Peace and Social Justice program's work in Russia and Eastern Europe, which date from before Ms. Vaid joined the Foundation. The records illuminate the Foundation's work promoting local governance and democracy in Russia and Eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Also illustrated is a policy discussion on whether and how to evaluate the success of the Foundation grants issued to Eastern Europe.