James Balfanz Email Address

Chief Executive Officer

City Year, an organization that recruits young people for community service in 24 U.S. cities, as well as London and Johannesburg.

Jim Balfanz has served as the President of City Year since May 2010. In this role, he steers City Year’s continued evolution as a performance-driven organization. Balfanz has led City Year’s strategic shift towards addressing the nation’s urban education challenge as a scalable human capital strategy for high-poverty schools. He spearheaded the development of the In School and On Track initiative - City Year’s scale and impact plan to increase the urban graduation pipeline and is focused on developing alumni as leaders and social entrepreneurs who are committed to strengthening our democracy. In partnership with Johns Hopkins Talent Development and Communities In Schools, Balfanz has also played a leadership role in the development of Diplomas Now, the school turnaround collaboration, which was awarded a $36 million i3 award by the Department of Education. Balfanz previously served as City Year’s Chief Operating Officer. During this time, he led the organization through a sustained period of growth that enabled it to grow from 15 to 21 U.S. locations and launch its second international affiliate in London; scale from 1,200 to 1,750 corps members; and increase its revenue by 70%, including a 500% increase in public education funding. He also led the development of City Year’s brand strategy, resulting in a 50% increase in national awareness. Balfanz began his work with City Year in 1993 as a corps member serving at a Head Start program. After his corps year, he joined the City Year staff assuming various roles at national headquarters. In 1997, Balfanz was named the Founding Executive Director of City Year Greater Philadelphia and served as the Executive Director for 8 years, growing to the largest City Year site. Balfanz received his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business Executive Management Program. He is a 2011-2012 Aspen Institute - NewSchools Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Fellow.