Melanie Bridgeforth
President and Chief Executive Officer
Women's Foundation of Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Appointed: January 2023
Term expires: December 31, 2025
Melanie Bridgeforth has served as president and chief executive officer of the Women's Foundation of Alabama since 2018.
The Women's Foundation of Alabama is a statewide philanthropic engine that is committed to achieving gender equity through core strategies: philanthropy, research, and advocacy. Fueled by individual and community partners, Women's Foundation of Alabama invests nearly $1 million per year to create pathways to economic opportunity, identify data-informed solutions, and shape policies to remove systemic barriers for women and girls. The foundation also focuses on researching the conditions that affect women and advocating for policy and system changes to address them.
A trusted thought leader with a proven track record of success, Ms. Bridgeforth has dedicated her professional career to fighting for equitable systems and sound public policy solutions to create sustainable change in Alabama. Prior to her current role, Ms. Bridgeforth served as executive director of VOICES for Alabama's Children from 2013 through 2018.
Ms. Bridgeforth is a member of the board of directors of the Birmingham Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She serves on the boards of directors of Alabama Giving, Prosper Birmingham, and Instruments of Hope Unity Fund.
She earned her MA in social work and a BA in psychology from the University of Alabama.