Colburn S. Wilbur, president of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, will receive one of philanthropy's highest honors - the Council on Foundations' Distinguished Grantmaker Award.

The Council on Foundations will present the award to Wilbur during opening day ceremonies for the organization's 50th annual conference, April 19-21 in New Orleans.

Wilbur has announced he will retire as head of the Packard Foundation on May 3. He will join the foundation's board of trustees.

Wilbur was the foundation's first professional staff person when he was selected by David and Lucile Packard in 1976. He has managed the private Los Altos, Calif.-based foundation to its current position as one of the nation's largest and most influential.

The foundation reported assets of more than $9.5 billion last year, and this year expects to make grants worth more than $400 million.

The Council on Foundations Distinguished Grantmaker honor recognizes "lifetime achievement in philanthropy," according to the group. Past recipients include David and Lucile Packard; Irene Diamond, former president of the Aaron Diamond Foundation; and Franklin Thomas, former president of the Ford Foundation.

The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit association of more than 1,700 private, corporate and community foundations and corporate giving programs.