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. Bass 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.

Bass also worked for 12 years at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) where he served as senior director of research, as director of CASE’s National Center for Institutionally Related Foundations and director of government relations. 

Bass taught as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College, Georgetown University, and the University of Virginia. 

Bass holds an MBA and certificate in nonprofit management from Johns Hopkins University and an MA and doctoral coursework from the University of Virginia. He received a BA from the College of William and Mary.