About

David Bass serves as AGB’s executive director for philanthropic governance, providing thought leadership on board governance and leadership best practices that relate to philanthropy in higher education. He oversees the development of programs and resources supporting institutionally related foundation boards, institutional governing boards, and other senior staff and volunteer leaders of colleges and universities. He previously served as AGB’s director of foundation programs and research, authoring the AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Institution-Foundation Partnerships, Illustrative Memorandum of Understanding between a Public Institution or System and an Affiliated Foundation, and Effective Foundation Boards.

In addition to his 11 years with AGB, Bass worked for 12 years at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) where he served as senior director of research, leading a global pilot program of international advancement metrics, and served as director of CASE’s National Center for Institutionally Related Foundations and director of government relations.

Prior to joining the CASE staff, Bass taught as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and the University of Virginia.

Professional Credentials

Bass holds an MBA and certificate in nonprofit management from Johns Hopkins University and an MA with doctoral coursework from the University of Virginia. He studied literature and art history as an undergraduate at the College of William & Mary and St. Andrews University.