Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, and his wife Patti received the first Ford Family Notre Dame Award for International Development and Solidarity in July 2009. The award will be presented annually by the Ford Program in recognition of significant contributions to the promotion of international human development through research, practice, public service, or philanthropy. 

The Chambers, who began their philanthropic work with at-risk youth in Newark, NJ more than two decades ago, have in recent years expanded their efforts to address extreme poverty globally. Ray Chambers is a cofounder of Millennium Promise and Malaria No More, among other organizations.