John Tyler

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

John Tyler has been general counsel and secretary for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation since 1999 and its chief ethics officer since 2012. He also serves as a liaison to philanthropy generally, including by serving on boards such as The Philanthropy Roundtable, the co-chair of the Roundtable’s public policy working group, the Council on Foundations ethics task force, and formerly on NYU’s National Center on Philanthropy and the Law (advisory), and numerous tenures for Independent Sector’s Public Policy Committee, projects for the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, co-chair of the Policy Task Force of the Generosity Commission, the Council on Foundations Ethics Task Force, among others. The list of nonprofit boards on which he has served and/or been an officer is extensive.
John also is a regular author and frequent speaker and guest lecturer on topics relating to the charitable sector and philanthropy, including governance, compliance, transparency, public-private partnerships, impact investing, and distinctive aspects of social entrepreneurship/enterprise. In the latter categories are publications and presentations that address fiduciary duties, regulation, social impact, and clarity about priority of purpose and accountability. Many of John’s two dozen plus academic articles are available through SSRN https://ssrn.com/author=723109.  
John also is a lecturer at Columbia University where he teaches two master’s level courses, both of which he designed, for its Masters in Nonprofit Management program in the School of Professional Studies: one on foundations and the other on social purpose businesses.  
Before joining Kauffman, John was a partner with one of Kansas City's oldest and largest law firms, where his practice focused on commercial litigation. John received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame. In 2018, Missouri Lawyers Media recognized John as an inaugural recipient of its Top Legal Innovations award for emerging practice areas.