Jim Becker joined the Richmond Community Foundation in 2005, becoming its President and CEO in 2014. He serves on the Advisory Council for John F. Kennedy University’s Sanford Institute on Philanthropy. He was recognized in 2013 as a Contra Costa County Man of Merit, and in 2015 received the United Way of the Bay Area’s Dream Award for his work to end poverty in the community. In 2016, the Richmond Community Foundation received the Foundation of the Year award from the East Bay Leadership Council.
Mr. Becker began his career working for the Minneapolis YMCA. At the request of Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, he served on a children's services panel with First Lady Hilary Clinton, and also served on the State Advisory Board for Child Development and Home Instruction with California First Lady Sharon Davis. Mr. Becker received his BA in Anthropology from Grinnell College, and his MA in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota.