About

Alexander Irwan is the acting director of the foundation's Jakarta office, with a focus on promoting the participation of poor and marginalized groups in public decision making, and particularly on strengthening the budgeting and accountability of nongovernmental organizations to improve their standing when seeking government transparency. His grant making has encouraged collaboration between central and local government, NGOs, and grassroots groups to develop models that can be replicated in other districts and cities in Indonesia.

Before joining the foundation in 2006, Alex was executive director of the Tifa Foundation, an Indonesian philanthropic organization focused on human rights and governance issues. Alexâ??s concentration on good governance began when he joined the World Bank in 1998 and later worked as a United Nations Development Programme adviser for the Partnership of Governance Reform.

Alex holds a PhD in sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton; a master's degree in development studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague; and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.