Jeff Waldron

Jeff is a strategic business partner, leadership advisor, and executive search consultant for philanthropy and social ventures. He has worked across a suite of issues impacting society and our planet with a special focus on effective giving, climate, equity and justice.

Jeff shows unmatched commitment to mission-driven organizations and genuinely believes in the power of movements and people to change the world. He is one of the leading search practitioners in the United States, and for more than two decades has partnered with the world’s most prominent philanthropies and nonprofit organizations operating at the cutting-edge of the sector. Jeff has been retained by family offices from around the globe to help them create new structures and leadership capacity to increase their philanthropic commitments and impact.

His skillful application of organizational best practices, big picture thinking, and pragmatic approaches to tough decision-making are hallmarks of his collegial, results-oriented work ethic. Jeff brings a suite of structuring and design tools to assist organizations with complex projects at the executive leadership and board levels. He is known for his ability to provide thoughtful, consultative guidance and holds deep recurring advisory engagements with some of the world’s highest profile philanthropies, NGOs, and social enterprises. These organizations have relied on Jeff to lead the scoping, structuring, and recruiting for critical leadership transitions and board composition projects.

In addition to his 20+ years with Waldron Search, now GoodCitizen, Jeff spent more than five years serving at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) in Rome, Italy in various leadership roles, including as its Acting Director-General, where he worked closely with governments and international agencies to grow IDLO’s strategic capacity to implement its crucial programs for beneficiaries worldwide.

Based in San Francisco, Jeff’s volunteer work and charitable commitments keep him deeply engaged in the global community, including service on the International Development Law Organization’s Board of Directors, service on Upwardly Global’s Ambassador Group, and advisor to Legal Aid at Work. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Areas of Expertise: Philanthropy | Funders Collaboratives | Founder Transitions | Systems Change | Boards & Governance