Announcing the Results of the Common Good Challenge: Meet the Winners!
Anna María Chávez
President & CEO, Arizona Community Foundation

Anna María Chávez is the President & CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation, a statewide community foundation whose mission is to lead, serve, and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better Arizona. Founded in 1978, ACF is the state’s largest statewide grantmaker and independent provider of college scholarships with over $1.4 billion in charitable assets under management held in more than 2,000 funds. Headquartered in Phoenix and with six regional offices throughout the state, ACF has distributed more than $1.2 billion in grants, scholarships, and loans throughout Arizona, across the United States, and internationally.

Chávez brings over 25 years of experience in education, government, technology, and nonprofit organizational leadership and management to her role as ACF’s President & CEO. Born and raised in the small town of Eloy, Arizona to Mexican-American parents, she learned at an early age the importance of being a leader in her local community. Her desire to transform the world through servant leadership led her to Yale University, before pursuing a juris doctorate at the University of Arizona.

She held numerous posts in President Bill Clinton's administration, and later returned to Arizona to serve Governors Jane Hull and Janet Napolitano. Her success led to her appointment as the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA and CEO of the National School Boards Association. Prior to ACF, Chávez served as the Chief Impact Officer of EdTech company Encantos. In 2016, she was recognized as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine and in 2021 was named one of the top 50 over 50 Women Leaders by Forbes Magazine.

Evaluation panel
When you accept, you agree to store cookies to help give you the best experience on our site. See Preferences to change preferences at any time, Read our Cookie Policy for more details.