John Gulla

John C. Gulla

Executive Director

The Edward E. Ford Foundation

Brooklyn, NY

John Gulla became the executive director of the Edward E. Ford Foundation in 2013. E.E. Ford, in its 66 years of making grants, has distributed more than $125,000,000 through more than 2,300 grants to more than 900 different independent schools and associations throughout the country. Before joining E.E. Ford, Gulla was head of school at The Blake School and prior to that held administrative and teaching positions at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, Isidore Newman in New Orleans and St. Ann’s in Brooklyn. A graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University and Amherst College, he grew up the son of two public school teachers outside Boston. Gulla helped found Fund for Teachers and has served on its board since its inception, having chaired it for many years. He has also serves, or has served, on a number of other boards including High Mountain Institute, ISACS, MAIS, Milkweed Editions, the Minnesota chapter of the ACLU.

Online Courses

Past Webinars

  • AI in Independent Schools: Navigating Legal Risks While Embracing Innovation This item is protected

    October 22, 2026
    Artificial intelligence is reshaping independent schools. Explore key legal and risk considerations, including privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, discrimination, vendor contracts, and regulation, with practical guidance for policy development.
  • Culture and Compensation: How to Empower Your Faculty This item is protected

    October 9, 2026
    Discover how a school transformed faculty compensation from a traditional salary scale to an innovative banded system. Learn how they secured buy-in, sustained momentum over 9 years, and created a model that supports faculty growth, agency, and feedback.
  • 2026’s Back-to-School Legal & Regulatory Update This item is protected

    September 30, 2026
    Join independent school legal experts as they review recent changes to the law and answer your questions about how they may impact your school.
  • Grants Management for Independent Schools This item is protected

    May 26, 2026
    Designed for business officers who manage or oversee grants, this webinar provides actionable tools and templates to strengthen financial stewardship and enhance mission impact through effective grants administration.
  • Enrollment Forecasting as a Strategic Financial Tool This item is protected

    May 8, 2026
    This webinar presents a strategic approach to enrollment forecasting that blends the enrollment team’s relational insights with financial analysis and data modeling. Learn how to strengthen projections using internal data alongside external signals.

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