Stories

The Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade is a giant step backward for reproductive justice and gender equality. We remain in steadfast support of the advocates, experts, and organizers who are advancing reproductive justice across the United States.

Two years ago, we launched our social bond to provide relief to nonprofits during the pandemic. We check in with some of these organizations, now thriving as they continue their fight for workers’ rights, racial justice, vaccine equity and more.

For Juneteenth, Darren Walker spoke at Monticello—home of Thomas Jefferson—about America’s greatest ideals and the paradoxical, enduring legacy of slavery in America.

For centuries, cultures across the world have recognized the fluidity of gender and celebrated gender nonconformity. To advance justice and truly achieve equality, we need to understand the systems and structures throughout history that have boxed people into false binaries and expand our definition of gender.

The disability community is a powerful ally in the fight for voting rights, but its needs are often overlooked at polling places. When disabled voters partner with the civil rights movement and have the accessibility they need at the polls, they can become an even more powerful force to advance justice and democracy.

BUILD started as an experiment to reimagine philanthropy and has become our most impactful grantmaking to date. Our hypothesis that nonprofits would thrive with longer, larger, and more flexible grants had not only been proven—it defied our expectations. We share what we've learned so far in a new report.

For years, filmmakers of color have provided mentorship and mutual support to support the next generation. JustFilms grantee Color Congress is furthering this legacy. It’s a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to build a strong, vibrant and diverse ecosystem of documentary organizations so these films can become a more powerful force for social change.

Economic justice organizations are always subject to volatility due to the economy’s cyclical nature. But when faced with a pandemic, they have struggled to survive. Thanks to BUILD’s unique approach to funding, they have become armed to take on today’s challenges and build a worker-led economy.

As Russia escalates its attacks on Ukraine, we are being confronted once again with the defining conflict of our time: the great contest between authoritarian rule and democratic values. Ukraine holds a warning for the world over and we must act now to protect the future of global democracy.

As part of our efforts to advance a more just, multiracial democracy, we are merging our Cities and States program with our Civic Engagement and Government work in the U.S. to become a single, expanded area of impactful grantmaking.

In 1979, Franklin Thomas became the first Black president of the Ford Foundation, taking the helm of the philanthropy at its most perilous hour. Over the next 17 years, he would transform the foundation, establishing himself as an iconic figure not just in Ford’s history but around the world through his efforts to drive human progress and advance justice.

In a rapidly diversifying South, these leaders are advocating for a new vision for the region—rooted in equity, justice, and belonging for all.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center is the beating heart of the Black community in New Orleans. When activist and poet Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes took over in 2020, she faced an uphill financial battle. Through a BUILD grant, she found the support, tools and words to succeed.

What does it take to advance justice around the world? Leaders unafraid to take on the challenges ahead. More than a year into the Ford Global Fellowship, we reflect on what we’ve learned from our Ford Global Fellows on how to help leaders survive—and thrive—during this historical moment.

The intersecting crises of climate change and inequality threaten to make an outmoded vision of perpetuity, at best, obsolete—and, at worst, destructive. We must join together, with urgency and purpose, to ensure the work of justice lives on in perpetuity, as does the planet on which our very survival depends.

Around the world, Black feminists are leading intersectional movements for social justice—but they are drastically underfunded. The new Black Feminist Fund will support this powerful global community long overlooked by philanthropy. The fund’s three founders outline why now is the time to back Black feminists.

Too often, stories of oppression and resistance in the American South are told by people who are not from or connected to the region. Press On was created to elevate the region’s underrepresented stories and diverse voices, carrying social justice forward and advancing a new movement of journalism.

Women With A Vision has become a force to be reckoned with across the American South. Comprised of all of 11 women, the organization took the fight for abortion rights to the Supreme Court, fought to overturn a 200-year-old law that discriminated against sex workers—and that’s just the beginning.

The Neutral Ground, a documentary produced by CJ Hunt and Darcy McKinnon, chronicles the fight over four Confederate monuments in New Orleans while confronting America’s refusal to acknowledge and reckon with systemic racism.

At Ford, we’re no strangers to the heat. But we know what we’re fighting for—a democracy that fulfills the American founding ideal of representation. Inclusion is patriotic, and together, we can build a truly equal society that extends the promise of America to all.

A son of the South, Darren Walker reflects on the US South, both past and present, and its role in catalyzing social justice movements that have shaped the region—and America at large.

When a South Africa organization suddenly found itself without a leader, its top researcher stepped up and steered the organization through the crisis—all with a little help from BUILD.

The Always Essential campaign brings together a broad, game-changing coalition of activists, organizations, and working people to advance economic justice, and improve wages, working conditions and bargaining power for essential workers. Pandemic or no pandemic, working people are Always Essential.

On the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Darren Walker reflects on his death as a reaffirmation of our shared humanity and calls for us to carry on the work to dismantle systemic racism in solidarity.

Care work makes all other work possible, but it’s not treated that way. For years, advocates have called to redefine care in America and reimagine an economy that works for everyone, especially essential workers. A new fund, seeded by Ford, builds on those efforts to support a future grounded in care.

Derek Chauvin’s verdict is a victory for accountability and shows what’s possible if we keep doing the work of dismantling systemic racism and transforming public safety. This work remains urgent—and requires tenacity.

Vartan Gregorian’s life and career helped shape higher education and philanthropy—and had a profound impact on Darren Walker.

How does a social justice organization successfully expand across the US in a few short years? See how BUILD helped Alliance for Safety and Justice become resilient enough to make a bold expansion work, taking their successes in California across the country.

We share a singular and sacred duty to protect the right to vote—to safeguard our government of the people, by the people, for the people. In response to Georgia’s restrictive voting laws, Darren Walker joins more than 700 leaders in defense of democracy to protect every American’s right to vote.

In the midst of one of history’s most tumultuous years, president Darren Walker sat down with 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl to talk about the challenges facing the world and how we must reimagine philanthropy to answer the call for justice.

Darren Walker digs deep with authors and thinkers who help us understand our history—and inspire us with big ideas for taking on today’s challenges.

Over the last year, hate-fueled attacks against Asian Americans have spiked by 150 percent in major US cities with the most deadly taking place this week in Atlanta. But anti-Asian racism has been an American fixture for centuries, threatening democracy and the promise of equality.

As a new administration enters the White House, President Darren Walker takes a step back to reflect on the last four years and what lies ahead for America and the future of democracy.

It’s a familiar cycle: money and attention swoop into swing states during an election, then leave without any lasting benefit for local communities. But advocacy groups are shifting the paradigm by building the power of people too often neglected by political machinery.

An enterprising kid, Ford Fellow Adriana Barbosa helped her family make ends meet by selling her great-grandmother’s food. Today, she’s founded a game-changing platform for Black entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive across Latin America.

Drug policies have devastated Black communities. Kassandra Frederique and Drug Policy Alliance understand what’s at stake. One victory at a time, they’re bringing compassion and justice paired with hard data to upend America’s war on drugs.

From COVID-19 to the workplace, Black people face injustice on multiple fronts. Tanya Wallace-Gobern knows what’s at stake and is ready to respond. As the first executive director of the National Black Worker Center Project, she’s demonstrating the expansive power of Black leadership to bring justice.

The US has a long history of denying marginalized people the right to vote—and of those people fighting back and winning. Desmond Meade battled addiction, incarceration, organized opposition and more to restore voting rights to over a million formerly incarcerated Floridians.

Hurricane Maria brought devastation Puerto Rico had never seen. When the federal government’s response fell short, a new vanguard of leaders stepped up, including Glenisse Pagan-Ortiz who is uniting funders with Filantropía Puerto Rico to meet the challenge together.

Who better to fight for migrant women than the daughter of farmworkers? Lawyer Monica Ramirez hasn’t stopped advocating for the Latino community since she was 14. Name a challenge migrant women workers face and she is probably tackling it—from sexual harassment to equal pay to COVID-19.

Restaurant workers have long faced inequality, even before COVID-19 devastated the industry and hit them hard. But Sekou Siby, a former kitchen worker, is cutting through the hurdles they face with the precision of a chef’s knife, taking on wage theft, paid sick leave and more.

When Dorian Warren joined his mother, a public school teacher, to protest as a child, he never thought he’d go on to become someone who transforms communities. Through years of door-knocking, organizing and now running Community Change, he’s delivering big wins on issues that affect every American.

As the world watched America’s Capitol stormed and its very ideal of democracy attacked, president Darren Walker reflects on the white supremacy that has not only plagued US politics for centuries but also thwarted the country’s chances at living up to its promise.

We talk to Giselle Leung from the Global Impact Investing Network, about how investors are playing a key role in the response to COVID-19, and promoting equity in the process.

​As America faces a pandemic of pandemics, the very idea of democracy is being tested. As the country mourns and works to move forward, President Darren Walker makes the case for moral leadership to reimagine a future grounded in equality and justice for all.

Darren Walker reflects on the resolve and righteousness of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her 87-year legacy as a champion for justice, equality and women’s rights.

Low-wage workers have borne the brunt of COVID-19, but the US economy was broken long before the pandemic. Our grantees teamed up with workers across the country to reimagine a future of work that works for everyone.

Black philanthropy is rooted in the traditions of Black and Pan-African communities globally. Today, a growing movement to demonstrate the power of community-based philanthropy is uniting a network of more than 17 million to mark Black Philanthropy Month each August.Their efforts are taking root, and aim, at racial injustice globally.​

How did Camp Jened in upstate New York inspire the political awakening that led to the Americans with Disabilities Act? Crip Camp creators Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht talk about the power of community at the camp—and at the heart of the disability rights movement—and its importance in the fight for justice.

How do we make American news more equitable? This diverse mix of industry leaders has answers.

As the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 30, president Darren Walker reflects on the movement that made it all possible and why integrating disability into the fight for justice is the only path to achieve equality for all.

Integrating inclusion and the values of disability justice into your work, whether as a philanthropy or an organization, is hard, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. We share our journey thus far, the lessons we’ve learned along the way and why our commitment is stronger than ever today.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act, activists Judy Heumann and Katherine Perez share what the law means to them, the evolution of the disability rights movement, and why disability justice is the future.

To shape a future of work that offers opportunity, security, and prosperity for all people and communities, we’ll need to think outside the box.

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.

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

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

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.

Raymond Offenheiser, Oxfam America’s president, explains the benefits of finding common ground with business and the need for global norms to protect rights and the environment across industries.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz champions the inventive ways communities are negotiating the pressures of the global marketplace while protecting traditions and natural ecosystems.

Judith F. Samuelson makes the case for reshaping business education for the 21st century to ensure that CEOs look beyond the financial bottom line.

Otto Scharmer, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says companies and nonprofits must adopt a new mindset and pursue new forms of collaboration.

Rebecca Blank makes the case that strong institutions can improve the functioning of markets and protect social goods.

Rajiv Joshi, managing director of the B Team, a nonprofit group of business and government leaders, says his organization envisions a future in which companies do more than respect human rights and follow environmentally sustainable practices.

Susan Crawford says the Internet has become a luxury item, reinforcing patterns of inequality.

Robert Shiller posits that the most successful societies are also the most inclusive and argues for greater safeguards against wealth destruction in the housing market.

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

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.

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.

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?

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. 

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.

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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. 

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 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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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. 

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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?

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

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

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

Prison education can have a transformative affect on incarcerated people.

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.

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

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