Equals Change Blog

In the wake of high-profile data breaches at Cambridge Analytica, Yahoo, Equifax, and other companies, privacy issues are increasingly the focus of attention and conversation. But privacy is a complicated issue—and often a contested one.

Later this year, our esteemed program vice president, Xav Briggs, will depart the foundation to return to the frontlines of social change.

We are always working to improve our grant making process, and to make sure our systems are efficient, easy to use, and accessible to everyone.

Based on feedback from our grantees, we have begun a number of initiatives to help improve our impact as grant makers, improve our responsiveness, and share what we're learning.

We’re excited to announce thirteen new research grants being made by the Ford and Sloan foundations, focused on the sustainability, maintainability, and security of open-source digital infrastructure.

Philanthropy is not immune from the plague of inequality, Darren Walker writes in his annual letter. If we are to be legitimate participants in the fight against it, there is urgency to our embracing this truth.

The fall of this iconic company is the cautionary tale of a volatile economy—and also a definitive example of how private capital can do well while doing much better for affected workers and their families. 

Our new report, Changing Grant Making to Change the World, offers a set of early lessons from our BUILD program, to help other grant makers who are interested in changing entrenched systems and supporting nonprofit sustainability.

As we approach 2020, there are serious challenges facing the census. Learn about what's at stake, and how you can work to assure a fair and accurate 2020 census.

The renewed building will be a unique asset for champions of social justice across sectors and geographies—a vibrant, fully accessible hub with 54,000 square feet of meeting space for use by people and organizations advancing change in the US and globally.

Addressing the future of work is central to our mission, and also essential to the stability and success of our democracy.

Here's how mapping technology are helping Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities in Brazil prove that they are the best #Guardiansoftheforest

In Indonesia, the convergence of policy and technology is improving the lives of millions of people.

How can we ensure that large numbers of trees are able to reduce emissions and suck up more carbon? One important answer is to give indigenous peoples and traditional communities greater rights to the forests where they live.

When we make diversity, equity, and inclusion a staffing priority, our work has greater impact.

Many in philanthropy are investing in opportunities to help build the Public Interest Tech field. Here are some of the opportunities available right now.

We were excited to bring a delegation of disabled activists to the the 62nd session of the Commission for the Status of Women in New York City—and surprised by some of the challenges involved.

Joy Buolamwini is fighting the “coded gaze” - a term she uses to describe bias in algorithms that can lead to social exclusion and discriminatory practices. She is one of the many people in #PublicInterestTech working on algorithmic justice.

Today marks 100 days since human rights activist and Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco was brutally executed, alongside her driver Anderson Gomes.

After her death, the Ford Foundation joined efforts with two other global foundations—Open Society Foundations and the Kellogg Foundation—and a Brazilian one, Instituto Ibirapitanga, to grant a combined total of ten million US dollars to Fundo Baobá in honor of Marielle’s life and struggle. 

Advances in emerging media are swiftly reshaping the landscape of storytelling, at a level and pace unseen since the invention of the moving image.

Follow a sci-fi fan’s journey into the field of public interest technology.

A developmental evaluation will explore the difference our BUILD initiative is making—and how.

In an executive order, Governor Andrew Cuomo restored voting rights to over 24,000 New Yorkers currently on parole. It's an important step forward for criminal justice reform, for voting rights, and for racial justice.

Addressing sexual harassment and sexual violence in the workplace among social justice organizations is long overdue.

The Ford and Sloan foundations have come together to support a new wave of research exploring the economics, sustainability, and maintenance of digital infrastructure.

In rural and remote places, increasing numbers of women are mobilizing and becoming leaders in their organizations and communities.

On view now in NYC, the Defend Puerto Rico exhibition uses traditional and emerging media formats and technologies to illustrate the experiences of Puerto Ricans across the diaspora.

We’re grateful to our grantees who took the time and care to respond to our most recent grantee survey with the Center for Effective Philanthropy. They gave us the kind of candid, substantive feedback we rely on to understand where we’re doing well and how we’re falling short—and what we can do to improve.

We’re spreading the word about Public Interest Tech, an exciting field that’s eager for fresh ideas and skills.

10 pressing tech issues and trends that exist at the nexus of technology and social justice.

The right to protest has always been essential to movements for human rights and social justice. But around the world, there is a big gap between the promise of that right, and its reality.

Protecting human rights defenders and social leaders in Colombia—like Temistocles Machado, who was killed last month—remains an uphill battle.

To mark the release of the World Inequality Lab’s 2018 World Inequality Report, some of our staff from around the world reflected on what inequality looks like in their regions, and some of the work they’re supporting to help disrupt it.

In a New Year's message, Darren Walker reflects on why justice is more important than American "greatness", and how that impacts our work.

In our “post-truth” world, we are all overwhelmed by information. In-person interactions struggle to compete with the ceaseless barrage of push notifications popping up on our mobile devices. Attention, trust, and full presence are now among our scarcest resources.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

Todo comenzó con un grupo de chat entre amigos en WhatsApp, quienes buscábamos la manera de ayudar a los afectados por el terremoto.

A growing number of foundations around the world are experimenting with new approaches to philanthropy. Our new paper explores what we can learn from them.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

The Ford Foundation’s tech fellows work at the intersection of social justice and technology. Each of them is embedded within one of our program areas, lending their expertise on a particular set of issues along with their ability to understand and solve problems through a tech lens.

Kevin Ryan joined the Ford Foundation’s Equitable Development team earlier this year, leading our grant making in Detroit. Here, the Detroit native talks about his family’s history in the city and region, the changes he’s seen in Detroit over the years, and the shape and scope of the foundation’s grant making there.

It quickly became clear that our focus on inequality demands that we think seriously about disability issues.

It all started with a WhatsApp group chat between friends looking for ways to help those affected by the quake.

At the Ford Foundation, we believe that funders can do more to help social justice organizations become durable, resilient, effectively networked with each other, and better able to enact real change over time. And a growing number of funders share that belief.

Universal free school lunch is a simple but radical idea. It removes stigma, improves children’s health and education, and helps low-income families make ends meet. Because it is one system, it also simplifies administrative processes, allowing schools, principals, and teachers to focus on teaching.

El presidente de la Fundación Ford, Darren Walker, nos pide que tengamos el valor moral de defender nuestros valores democráticos más esenciales.

Earlier this summer, the Ford Foundation launched an interactive tool called Your American Dream Score, which aims to help each of us examine the factors that have helped us succeed or held us back, and to start conversations about the role of inequality and opportunity in our lives.

Ford Foundation President Darren Walker calls on us all to have the moral courage to stand up for our most essential democratic values.

The people responsible for the safety and health of our loved ones are paid less than parking lot attendants, and rarely receive health insurance or other benefits. According to PHI, home care workers in the US, like Vilma, are 89% female and make a median annual income of $13,300.

The “American Dream”—one of the country’s most foundational principles—has long made a simple promise: Hard work leads to success. But what happens when large swaths of American society don’t buy into it?

Privilege is very comfortable. But fighting the kind of inequality that leads to great suffering for so many will require disrupting that privilege, and breaking down some of the barriers that enable and preserve it.

There are millions of workers around the world who are working and living at the periphery of the formal economy. We call these workers informal workers.

Around the world, corporations are using Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to silence environmental activists. 

Darren Walker reflects on four of his commencement speeches, addressing how around the world, democracy and democratic values are under siege, and our responsibilities to protect democracy. 

The Internet is increasingly automated, sometimes by programs that have ill intentions toward social justice organizations. Learn what you and your organization should be aware of if you use the Internet. 

Despite similar crime rates, the US incarceration rate is more than five times that of comparable countries. Out of every 100,000 Americans, 693 are in prison—a number that has multiplied in the past four decades.

The Ford Foundation will continue to be a major funder in this field, supporting human rights actors and practices within all our efforts to overcome inequality.

In 2015, the Ford Foundation decided to "walk our talk" and start a professional development program for formerly incarcerated people. Our HR department explains what the process was like. 

Ford Foundation shares some lessons for organizations considering starting a hiring program for formally incarcerated people.

Your American Dream Score aims to help us examine the many experiences, systems, and institutions that have helped—or hindered—our path to where we are today, and to jump-start honest discussions about the role of inequality and opportunity in our lives.

In their new book, Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future, MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito and journalist and MIT visiting scholar Jeff Howe lay out new “rules” for surviving and advancing in this age of rapid technological change.

The global refugee crisis poses a range of challenges to host countries but also economic and cultural opportunities. Policy solutions that ensure refugees’ dignity and help build their skills, talents, and assets will ensure that migrants can live full lives and contribute to their new communities.

The US tax code is upside down—spending on tax benefits for wealthy Americans is significantly higher than on federal agency programs that benefit Americans who need help the most. A commonsense tax code would benefit all Americans and minimize wealth inequality.

El Salvador's Congress voted to prohibit metallic mining, putting aside their differences to protect human health and the environment.

The Ford Foundation is committing up to $1 billion from its $12 billion endowment over the next 10 years to the nascent investment field known as mission-related investing.

Attitudes around drug use are changing and the "War on Drugs" has failed—especially in communities of color. Updated policy is needed to create a more humane drug policy. 

Bringing the Truth Home tells the story of the 34 miners shot down in Marikana during their strike for a living wage in 2012, attempting to right the prevailing narrative. 

US Olympic medalist and entrepreneur Ibtihaj Muhammad on her experience as a woman of color, a Muslim American, and a female athlete today

Consumer Reports launches open-source consumer privacy effort called the Digital Standard, supported by the Ford Foundation.

It has now been a year since the courageous environmental activist and indigenous leader Berta Cáceres was murdered in Honduras, and those responsible still have not been brought to justice.

Communitas is the Coalition for Sustainable Cities and Regions in the new UN Development Agenda.

JustFilms, part of Ford’s Creativity and Free Expression program, is a longtime partner of the Sundance Institute and supported seven films in 2017.

The power of the Women’s March can't be sustained without people coming together to resist the sources not only of their own oppression but also of each other’s.

The Ford Foundation is looking for technologists to join our grant-making teams and help them advance social justice and challenge inequality.

Each week, nearly one-third of the US population visits a Walmart store. As is the case with nearly half of all Americans, many of these shoppers have $400 or less in savings. In fact, one in six Americans says he or she is unprepared for a financial emergency, and only half feel financially secure. A third say they have no savings at all, according to a recent Pew survey.

Q&A with URGE executive director Kierra Johnson on how gender, reproductive rights, and sexual health issues impact a person’s life.

How can creative and documentary work help build a fairer and more just society?

We need an immigrant rights movement that decreases fear and expands opportunities for all.

10 pressing tech issues that exist at the nexus of technology and social justice.

In a New Year's message, Darren Walker reminds us that we share a human aspiration to live in dignity.

The Ford Foundation's Elizabeth Alexander speaks with actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith about Smith's new play, Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, examining the school-to-prison pipeline.

Today’s divisive climate makes it more urgent than ever to lift up vibrant art and creative expression that unifies and humanizes people through stories, art, and cultural practice.

The Ford Foundation recognizes four grantees that recently received special awards for their outstanding work and dedication to advancing human rights in Mexico and Central America.

The Ford Foundation recognizes four grantees that recently received special awards for their work and dedication to advancing human rights

Ford Foundation program officers reflect on the progress made in the past year since the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted, the roles of business and indigenous land rights in combating climate change, and how countries are moving from planning to implementation.

According to a new research report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy, 67 percent of foundations say they should listen more to grantees.

CGAP and the Ford Foundation commissioned case studies in Colombia, Peru, Ethiopia, and India exploring the Graduation Approach.

The Culture Lab and Race Forward offer five questions and a tool kit to help social change and media makers become better storytellers. 

Stereotypes and stigma make black female students vulnerable to mistreatment and criminalization in school.

Darren Walker writes about finding hope amid the global challenges of 2016.

Protecting our forests and restoring indigenous peoples' rights over their land will keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and slow the rate of global climate change. 

Derechos indígenas a la tierra: Una solución efectiva y de bajo costo ante el cambio climático, y justo a tiempo

America Divided, a new documentary series from EPIX, explores narratives around inequality in education, housing, healthcare, labor, criminal justice and the political system.

Ford Foundation staff recap Episode 5 of America Divided and discuss domestic workers' rights and voter suppression

Ford Foundation staff recap episode 4 of America Divided and discuss the influence of big money in politics and protecting the rights of undocumented immigrants. 

South African cities illustrate how urban policies can be effectively implemented but also destructive to the communities they should be serving.

Ford Foundation's director for Equitable Development, Don Chen, explains how the global community can ensure that Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda live up to expectations.

The Ford Foundation recaps episode 3 of America Divided, a docu-series about rising inequality in the United States.

The documentary When Two Worlds Collide captures the conflict between indigenous communities determined to protect their tribal lands, and government-supported business interests eager to open those lands up to oil drilling, mining, and clear-cutting.

The Ford Foundation and its grantees weigh in on the opportunities and challenges of the upcoming Habitat III conference in Quito.

Data scientist Cathy O’Neil shows in her revealing book, Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality, that math and mathematical algorithms are not as neutral and unbiased as we think they are.

Alberto Cerda Silva speaks with David Kaye, the United Nations special rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, about how the Internet is changing the right to free speech, press, and expression.

David Kaye, the United Nations special rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion

The Ford Foundation recaps episode 2 of America Divided, a docu-series about rising inequality in the United States.

A new report released by Upturn examines how philanthropy can harness data at scale , what risks big data pose to foundations, and how to address these risks.

The first episode of America Divided, a new documentary series from EPIX, explores three issues of American inequality: our nation's broken criminal justice system, the Flint water crisis, and housing issues in New York City. 

Despite being the fastest growing ethnic group, Latinxs are the least represented group in the arts. Teresita Fernandez speaks with the Ford Foundation about why Latinxs are critical to the future of the arts. 

For the first time since 1999, we have seen improvements in incomes, poverty reduction, and health coverage all in one year.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, discusses why he created the web, why access to the Internet is a human right, and what it really means for the Internet to be open “for everyone" following a screening of Foreveryone.net, a documentary by Jessica Yu about his great invention. 

Ford Foundation's Kavita Ramdas authored a poem inspired by her time with feminist activists from around the globe who are living with disabilities.

Darren Walker on how ignorance can fuel inequality, and learning from our oversights can forge a way towards justice.

The Ford Foundation has a rich history of supporting scholarships and fellowships that have a focus on social justice, including our International Fellowships Program.

China's growing relationship with and participation in the Global South raises questions about the role of gender and sexuality issues in foreign aid, investment, and development in the region. 

A pesar de que los grandes acuerdos intergubernamentales son negociados y adoptados por los gobiernos nacionales, son las autoridades regionales y locales quienes entienden mejor las necesidades y desafíos locales y son, en última instancia, los responsables de establecer un desarrollo equitativo en sus regiones.

Evan Mawarire's Facebook video lamenting the worsening economic crisis and political repression in Zimbabwe sparked an online revolution, #ThisFlag. Mawarire urged Zimbabweans to reclaim their aspirations and reminded them that the power to change the status quo is in the hands of citizens. 

Javier Ciurlizza, the Ford Foundation’s Andean Region representative, discusses the strategy behind the opening of a new regional headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia, inequality in Colombia, the historic peace agreement, and what’s ahead for the region.

Raising the minimum wage positively impacts all Americans and the broader economy. Workers are making gains in raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick days and paid family leave, and cracking down on wage theft, but there is still progress to be made. 

El 5 de septiembre de 2016, la Fundación Ford abrirá una nueva oficina regional en Bogotá (Colombia), la cual se convertirá en la sede central de nuestras labores en la Región Andina. Javier Ciurlizza, director de la fundación para esta región, habla sobre la estrategia que motivó el traslado, así como la desigualdad en Colombia, el histórico acuerdo de paz y lo que le espera a la región en el futuro.

Big data drives much of our daily lives, but without proper oversight, the use of data by government agencies can exacerbate existing inequality and harm communities. 

Access to the Internet is critical for freedom of expression in modern societies and for enjoying cultural, social, and economic rights. Government's role in protecting this human right includes not blocking free speech, but also providing the disenfranchised with a voice.

The second class of Ford-Mozilla Open Web Fellows aims to support the next generation of public interest technologists who leverage their technology-related expertise to serve the public good.

A Q&A with Roosevelt Institute President Felicia Wong on how to create a  US economic system that supports strong growth and shared prosperity for all.

The 2016 Olympics promised benefits for all of Rio’s citizens, but instead ended up violating human rights, increasing public debt, and further segregating the city's most vulnerable populations. 

While millennials are concerned about what’s going on in the world today, somehow HIV/AIDS, a disease that intersects with issues like LGBT rights, mass incarceration, gender equality, and war, has fallen off their radar.

Despite an increasing emphasis on diversity in organizations and corporate America, leadership roles are overwhelming still white and male.

Ford Foundation intern reflects on the current state of internships, are they more about prestige than learning?

Real change will require hard work by every one of us who values fairness and safety. Activists must be willing to sit down with police and politicians to propose specific solutions. Police officials must listen and find the will to implement them.

If we change the approach to development, large sporting events like the Olympics can reduce, rather than drive, inequality.

Reflecting on the International AIDS Conference in Durban, Delane Kalembo speaks to the role that religious leaders and faith-based organizations play in turning the tide on HIV in Africa.

Foundation presidents acknowledge the courageous organizations working every day to push past despair and create change. #reasonsforhope

The global inequality of opportunity is what's driving the current migration crisis.

In a world where building connections is everything, paid internships offer young people of all different economic and social classes the opportunity to prepare for the future without having to sacrifice financial stability.

Ford Foundation interns weigh in on President Darren Walker's New York Times op-ed "Why Internships Are Not a Privilege."

Internships help disadvantaged students tap into the advantages that so many of their peers already have.

Habitat III—the United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development—will take place in Quito, Ecuador this October.

Leaders from the Middle East and North Africa must figure out how to make their cities more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable as they grapple with devastating conflicts, mass displacements of people, widespread inequality, and rapid population growth.

The Movement for Black Lives has created an opportunity for philanthropy to see and learn from new and dynamic forms of social justice leadership and infrastructure.

There is a close link between child marriage and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Yet the interventions designed to respond to these two issues are often not integrated. 

We remember Alison Bernstein, former vice president of Creativity and Free Expression

Fighting laws like the one invalidated by the Supreme Court means playing defense. 

The worst-hit countries were Brazil, Colombia, and the Philippines, and nearly 40 percent of victims were members of indigenous groups. 

The ceasefire between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas ends 50 years of conflict and creates an opportunity to make Colombia more safe, just, and equal.

El cese al fuego entre el gobierno colombiano y las guerrillas de las FARC crea una oportunidad para aumentar la seguridad y la igualdad. 

The Ford Foundation's new strategy to support institutions and networks, and to strengthen civil society, ensuring that the courageous people within it have what they need to fight for a more just and equitable world.

A framework for achieving more meaningful and active voter participation. 

Strong net neutrality rules in the US ensure that we will continue to have access to a free and open Internet—one that will remain an engine of free expression, economic growth, and innovation.

Just and inclusive cities put people first, and put equity and social justice at the center of policy and design.

JustFilms director Cara Mertes spoke to filmmaker Morgan Neville about his film, The Music of Strangers.

Google’s ban eliminates a major way for payday lenders to entice consumers, but industry and government leaders need to address the underlying reasons why people turn to payday loans in the first place.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and Lee-Anne Walters, key players in exposing the Flint water crisis, discuss the root causes of the crisis and implications for other cities across America.

an excerpt from The Shrinking Space for Civil Society: Philanthropic Perspectives From Across the Globe, a new report from the European Foundation Centre (EFC)

Filmmakers Kelly Duane de la Vega, Katie Galloway, and Kevin Bilal Chatman discuss mass incarceration, and their experiences making the documentary, The Return.

Unlike traditional scholarships based primarily on academic achievement, social justice fellowships use non-traditional ways to recruit talented individuals and extend higher education opportunities to leaders from marginalized communities.

New York City school suspensions are down by one third, great news for students, parents, and "restorative justice".

Tech startups can take risks with new technology, while large incumbent financial institutions have the resources to go to scale, the result can be increased financial inclusion.

The Ford Foundation and the OECD recently brought together 21 mayors from around the world to discuss what cities can do to tackle inequality and promote inclusive growth.

America’s racial demographics are changing and there are major implications for elections and the political process.

Indigenous peoples are stewards of their ancestral land, vital to keeping our planet healthy and fighting climate change.

Si bien cada vez se está prestando mayor atención a los derechos indígenas, la mayoría de las personas aún no entienden estas cuestiones y cómo están conectadas con sus propias vidas. Pensé que sería útil explicar los principios básicos en materia de derechos indígenas: qué son, exactamente por qué están siendo amenazadas estas comunidades, y por qué desempeñan un papel fundamental en el abordaje del cambio climático. 

Program Officer Barbara Raab interviews International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Director Gerard Ryle on the Panama Papers.

Taking lessons from public health, five ideas that can help Americans improve their financial literacy and wellbeing. 

Author Steve Phillips offers some bold ideas to address inequality and close America's racial wealth gap

#PopJustice reports show how entertainment and pop culture can advance social change.

Davis Reiland, CEO of Sunrise Banks on the importance of access to small-dollar lending.

Twitter conversation with Nigerian actress and award-winning filmmaker Stephanie Okereke Linus about her film, Dry.

Upcoming censuses in Colombia and Peru present opportunities for greater inclusion, for every person to count and be counted.

Los próximos censos en Colombia y Perú presentan oportunidades para una mayor inclusión, para que cada persona cuente y sea contada. 

We asked the delegates at the UN for the 60th session of the Commission for the Status of Women to tell us what inequality means to them.

An interview with filmmaker Nelson George on his experience documenting Misty Copeland's historic rise to become the world's first black principal dancer at a major international ballet company.

Improving upward mobility without addressing income inequality is a dodge, according to Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute.

A group from our Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice team traveled to Washington, DC to join a rally with thousands in support of women's reproductive rights.

With increasing xenophobic political rhetoric and brazen incidents of violence against American Muslim, South Asian, and Arab communities, the Ford Foundation hosted a dialogue with leaders to strategize ways to advance inclusion. Here are the highlights from the discussion.

Director of Natural Resources and Climate Change David Kaimowitz reflects on the courageous life and work of indigenous rights leader Berta Cáceres

 A Q&A with Internet freedom advocate Rebecca MacKinnon

An interview with the filmmaker of Wilhemina's War, the story of an African American grandmother living in the rural south and fighting to help her granddaughter survive the health risks and social stigma of living with HIV.

To mark Black History Month, we asked three racial justice advocates to reflect on what it means to commemorate and celebrate black history in a moment when racial justice is at the center of the national conversation.

Interview with the filmmakers of (T)ERROR on the very real consequences of counter-terrorism surveillance and what we’re willing to sacrifice in the fight against terrorism.

While tipping remains a favored practice in the United States, it has created a system of unfair pay that disproportionately affects women and people of color—a system that has roots in America’s ugly history of slavery and racial discrimination.

The Ford Foundation is looking for technologists to join our grant making teams and help them advance social justice and challenge inequality.

Interview with filmmaker Stanley Nelson on his Black Panthers documentary and its relevance to #BlackLivesMatter and racial tensions today.

What Flint can learn from a new generation of civic activism and engagement among diverse Detroit communities.

Ford staff recount their most memorable social justice moments from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

43 years after Roe v. Wade, reproductive justice is as important as ever, and goes beyond the right to abortion and contraception.

Paul Polman, Rajiv Joshi, and Martin Whittaker on how capitalism and the 1% can help fight inequality.

As world leaders, CEOs, and intellectuals make their way to Davos for the World Economic Forum, let’s not have yesterday’s conversation about inequality.

JUST Capital CEO Martin Whittaker answered five questions about the agenda at Davos and the role of business in building a more fair and equitable world.

Darren Walker announces the launch of #InequalityIs, a conversation about inequality in all its forms.

Foundation staff weigh in on Obama's final State of the Union, and  his takes on criminal justice reform, raising the minimum wage, climate change, discrimination, and inequality

Michelle Alexander speaks candidly to Ford Foundation staff about the state of racial justice in America.

The New Yorker profiles Darren Walker and his leadership in rethinking philanthropy and defining a new strategy to combat inequality.

Forty percent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married before they turn 18.

We're transforming our landmark building into a center for philanthropy and civil society.

Demos President Heather McGhee asks whether it is enough to bend the arc of justice, or if it needs to break.

Cara Mertes reflects on 5 years of JustFilms, and looks ahead to the next phase of immersive storytelling.

Farhana Khera, President of Muslim Advocates, discusses the need to build coalitions with other movements to bend the arc of justice.

Ford Foundation awarded the Kumquat Prize by Chinese NGOs.

 If we’re going to speak about the power of storytelling then I guess I should tell a story—or rather, my story.

Studies show big data can lead to racial bias, algorithms develop prejudices.

Author and activist Cida Bento has been named one of the top "diversity figures in public life" by The Economist.

Landesa honored with Hilton Humanitarian Prize for "extraordinary contributions to alleviating human suffering"

How can lessons from gentrification around the world inspire change in Egypt?

Digital technologies present critical challenges to equity, opportunity, and security—activists and advocates must make technology a cornerstone of their work.

With the announcement of our new programs, we know many of you have questions. We answer some of them here.

Today, the Ford Foundation’s two-year transition is over. Darren Walker explains the details of FordForward.

Ford's president takes question on a live facebook chat.

FCC votes to cap the rates and fees that companies charge for phone service in prisons and jails.

A new tool from the Foundation Center—"Foundations Funding US Democracy”—allows funders and civil society organizations to align, collaborate, and coordinate better.

Grantee works with government to ensure residents of low-income communities are empowered to participate in the planning of residential areas.

Good Pitch makes the filmmaking community stronger and builds a broader capacity for collaboration.

Remembering the extraordinary Grace Lee Boggs.

In his annual message, Darren Walker explains why now is the time for philanthropy to reimagine the "gospel of giving."

The foundation-supported Center for Popular Democracy’s Fed Up campaign educates the Fed and the public at large on racial and economic disparities.

The pope’s visit to a Philadelphia prison puts a spotlight on the immorality of our justice system and the urgent need for reform.

President Obama announced a major improvement to the federal student aid application process, making it easier for students to tap into needed Pell Grants and other college aid. 

We remember her as an advocate, lawyer and funder who took up tough battles for justice and fought tirelessly for the most marginalized.

Celebrating the transformative work of the National Arts and Humanities Medalists.

Ford partners are working with local communities, the private sector, and government to help residents secure rights over natural resources in the Turkana Basin.

Remembering Lynn Walker Huntley, a champion of civil rights and esteemed member of the Ford Foundation family.

Program officer Kirsten Levingston remembers Julian Bond as a professor and mentor, on a mission seeking racial justice in America.

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, Ford Foundation reflects on the progress and philanthropy's investment in New Orleans and the work ahead.

Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, pays tribute to civil rights leader Julian Bond.

Education and voting are fundamental rights, and they’re also essential opportunities. So when a federal appeals panel ruled against a strict voter ID law in Texas this week—deeming it discriminatory and in violation of the Voting Rights Act—it was an encouraging sign. It was also evidence that there’s still a serious need for our 50-year-old civil rights law. And that disenfranchisement doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

People incarcerated in federal and state prisons will be eligible to receive federal aid to take the college courses that will prepare them to be thoughtful, responsible, engaged members of their communities—and help keep them from returning to prison.

Our support for the student power model and its movements is an investment in the future of social change.

There is genuine momentum to examine justice issues and bipartisan interest in reassessing corrections at both the state and federal level.

Supporting INGOs that are based in the Global South, the Ford Foundation can contribute further to the realization of rights.

Supporting institutions at their core, through critical general support, is the key to building durable, resilient institutions that can take on inequality and advance justice.

As we celebrate Independence Day, we reflect on the lessons about working for freedom and justice over the past months.

State Secretary for Family Farmers created in Maranhão to support and invest in rural communities, especially babassu coconut breakers

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have the right to marry. This landmark decision establishes the right to marry for over 1,000,000 same-sex couples in the US.

We are making some big changes—but what will never change is our commitment to supporting those closest to the problems, engaging collaboratively with every sector, and pursuing the cause of justice and dignity for all people.

Darren addresses three graduating classes at three commencement ceremonies.

Written and directed by Ely Dagher, Waves '98 is first Lebanese film to win Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.

Peer-review grant making provides philanthropy with an innovative way to challenge the donor-grantee power dynamic.

Through concerted, sustained, and multi-pronged programs that empower individuals and open opportunity, it is possible to significantly improve the lives of the poorest people in a number of meaningful ways.

"Radio listening groups" and digital resource centers throughout rural Kenya empower women.

The best thing about Berta Cáceres receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize, and being recognized internationally for her grassroots efforts to protect the environment, is that it means she is still alive.

Lessons learned from Nigeria's election.

An example of true leadership development and community building.

Darren Walker shares his reflections from the celebration in Selma.

A group from Ford traveled to Selma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

JustFilms director, Cara Mertes, shares how CITIZENFOUR is an example of how filmmaking can be an act of justice.

Unlikely partners come together to support the formation of the Coalition for Public Safety, created to reform the criminal justice system.

On February 11, the presidents of the Open Society Foundations and the Knight, MacArthur, Mozilla, and Ford foundations came together with leading figures from government, philanthropy, business, and the tech world to launch a major new partnership, explore shared principles, and get ambitious about the next generation of innovation for social change and progress.

Program officer Barbara Raab recaps the the successes of the event Cracking the Code: Success for Women Digital News Entrepreneurs.

Program officer Amy Brown offers her reflections on a form of financial injustice faced by so many Americans.

Read program officer Anna Shireen Wadia's reflections on how paid leave policies can help break the cycle of inequality.

This event demonstrated how arts and culture, including film, dance, and music serve as a central means of self-expression and political activism for LGBT people of color.

Mario Bronfman, former representative of the Mexico and Central America office, reflects on the foundation's commitment to Cuba.

Darren Walker offers his reflections: in light of the 2014 shootings of young black men, there is still hope.

Program office Eric Ward explains why now is a pivotal moment for racial justice.

Program officer Louis Bickford deliberates the complex nature of the international human rights movement.

Program officer Jean Ross celebrates 20 years of impact made by the State Priorities Partnership (SPP).

Colombia's indigenous communities finally have the autonomy to govern themselves and manage resources at the local level.

Learn about Ford's commitment to Detroit.

How can we rethink safety, crime, and victimization so resources can be redirected to structures that support individuals, families, and communities instead of trapping them?

The Weekly Five: The hidden costs of being LGBT, a groundbreaking filmmaker, and more...

Frank DeGiovanni, Director at the foundation discusses how we do good business in a global world.

The Weekly Five: A genuine global climate movement, diversity in the suburbs, and more...

All voices should be heard, that's why in partnership with Mozilla, Ford launched the Ford-Mozilla Open Web Fellows Program.

The Ford Forum presents conversations with change makers about their ideas for reshaping our fundamental systems for greater good.

Learn more about the four social justice leaders who received the 2014 MacArthur Fellowship.

The Weekly Five: The most diverse apartment building in America and more...

Program officer Amy Brown shares five things you should know about student debt and social justice.

Fund for Shared Insight is a collaborative effort to make grants to improve philanthropy.

Darren Walker reflects on his first twelve months as president of the Ford Foundation, and provides his thoughts for the future of the organization.

Reflections from program officer Jonathan Barzilay on protecting journalism and journalists.

The Weekly Five: Michael Brown's college, restaurant workers below the poverty line, and more...

The Weekly Five: A "climate swerve," Brazil's first indigenous woman lawyer, and more...

Program Officer Eric Ward shares articles and resources from the Ferguson protests.

President Darren Walker shares his 2014 summer reading list.

The Weekly Five: Photos from Ferguson, John Oliver's genius and more...

Consulta previa--the right of indigenous groups to be consulted on matters that affect them is a very important issue for Latin America.

The Weekly Five: Mainstreaming the inequality convo, transforming Mexico City, and more...

Deforestation is a major cause of global warming, and so we all have a stake in helping indigenous communities defend their resources.

The Weekly Five: Understanding trans rights, lessons in migration from Ecuador and more...

The Weekly Five: Unaccompanied minors, solving poverty, and more...

The federal government recognizes the importance of workplace flexibility, decent wage, and improved policies for working families.

The Weekly Five: Mapping HIV, urban design for safer cities and more...

Read one program officer's process of trying to articulate his work's theory of change.

Learn how and why Ford used crowdsourcing to help frame its new website.

The Green Line didn't just connect the downtowns of the Twin Cities, it built significant opportunities within the communities.

The Weekly Five: The geography of innovation, surveillance meets networks, and more...

Prison education can have a transformative affect on incarcerated people.

The Weekly Five: A case for reparations, tech use around the world, and more...

Contrary to popular belief, telling personal stories about living in poverty can be captivating, and Talkpoverty.org is doing just that. Read about Amy's story.

The Weekly Five: Inequality in higher ed, fast food workers, and more...

Read Darren Walker's response to a series of articles found in the Standford Social Innovation Review where the authors argue that foundations can employ a more nuanced model of strategic giving that better suits the complexities of making change in the real world.

The Weekly Five: Online discrimination, mapping poverty, and more...

In anticipation of Showtime's premier of The Years of Living Dangerously, a documentary series supported by the foundation, Steve Rhee, who works on community rights over natural resources and climate change from our office in Jakarta, discusses the human impact of climate change.

The Weekly Five: Tackling mass incarceration, transgender rights, and more...

Learn how Max Kenner, founder of the Bard Prison Initiative, is trying to fix a broken prison system.

Learn about the Graduation approach, planned interventions that lift people from extreme poverty to sustainable livelihoods.

The Weekly Five: Designing better cities, privacy as luxury, and more...

A recent experiment led by Refund to Savings (R2S) showed that savings prompts on tax prep software helped increase the number of people who saved money and the amount they saved.

For many of us, the Internet is inextricable from almost every moment of our lives—connecting us to work, family, friends and a wealth of ideas. But many still lack that crucial connection and the opportunities that come with it.

The Weekly Five: Low-income housing, press freedom, customizable options for gender identification on facebook and more...