Ford Foundation

Communities across America, especially in rural areas, have increasingly seen less money and more problems. With access to broadband, quality medical care, and good jobs dwindling, the heartland of America urgently needs attention. Golden Globe Winning actor, musician, and founder of SixDegrees.Org, Kevin Bacon, and agriculture pioneer and star of the documentary "Common Ground," Gabe Brown joined Charles M. Blow for the latest episode of #IdeasAtFord, where they discussed what it means to build a more healthy, prosperous future for all. Watch the conversation at fordf.org/HeartlandVoices.

Celebrating Equity in Women’s Sports this #WomensEqualityDay! We continue to be inspired by Billie Jean King. More: https://lnkd.in/et73psK9 #IdeasAtFord

Many of us in philanthropy work to address the symptoms of economic inequality (food insecurity, homelessness, etc.) but far fewer of us focus on its systemic causes. As Martin Luther King famously said, "philanthropy is commendable but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary." The Ford Foundation is proud to support a group of academic centers that focus on emerging political economies, and how we can move toward economies and societies that work for everyone. My colleague Heba A. Shnief and I wrote a piece for Alliance magazine about this network, which recently gathered at El Colegio de México in June. https://lnkd.in/eXjUyWT4

Ahead of #LaborDay, we must remember the critical role millions of care workers play in supporting families and communities. Despite the essential nature of their work, these workers who are overwhelmingly women of color face low wages, lack of labor protections, and even exploitation. Across the globe, organizations like the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the International Domestic Workers Federation are building the leadership of care workers, ensuring their voices are central in shaping a just and equitable care economy. Learn how we're supporting innovations in care advocacy, and the role philanthropy must play to invest in these efforts: https://lnkd.in/eZRWf8su

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of joining Eva Jennifer Abel of Oryx Impact, Micheline Ntiru of Delta40 Venture Studio, and Tim Radjy of AlphaMundi Group Ltd at this year’s Africa Impact Summit. It was inspiring to hear their ideas on impact investing and discuss how generating risk-adjusted market rate returns can accelerate Africa’s promising economy. Here are some of my takeaways from our conversation: · As Tim said during our panel, Africa is the greatest growth story of our generation because of its population size, land mass, and upside growth potential · With its young population, fertile land, entrepreneurial population, and natural resources, Africa may be the most overlooked and undervalued investment opportunity in modern history · America’s large presence of people with African ancestry presents interesting opportunities during a time of global supply chain transition from offshoring to friendshoring Thank you to the event organizers and my co-panelists for an engaging conversation. #impactinvesting #sustainablefinance #AfricaImpactSummit

I loved sitting down with HerAgenda.com to talk about feedback, taking leaps, tracking which work energizes (vs. depletes) you, and more! https://lnkd.in/euUefPFv w/ Ford Foundation & Girl Scouts of the USA

I sat down with Christiane Amanpour to discuss the interwoven legacies of social justice and philanthropy during my 11-year Ford Foundation tenure. I remain inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for philanthropy, which challenges us not “to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” As the foundation prepares for a transition in leadership, it is my hope that by elevating and amplifying the voices of people and movements at the margins of society, we make Dr. King’s vision a reality—and continue to move from #GenerosityToJustice.

Hilary Pennington, Ford’s executive vice president of programs, recently interviewed Marlene Sallo, executive director of the National Disability Rights Network, a national organization that advocates for protecting the civil and human rights of all people with disabilities for our #OnWhatMatters series. Learn more about her work advocating for the rights of youth with disabilities in this except, and watch the full conversation at https://lnkd.in/ejQnc97q. 

As Garrett M. Graff writes in an op-ed for The Washington Post, “There’s no question harder for a leader than knowing when to say goodbye.” I spoke to Garrett about my decision to announce my departure from the Ford Foundation in 2025 after an 11-year tenure, noting, “It’s time to hand the baton to someone for whom it will be a steep, exciting, exhilarating experience, to lead.” Read more.

1 in 4 Americans have a disability. Marlene Sallo of the National Disability Rights Network outlined the vast size of today’s disability community and the intersectional approach needed to achieve disability justice in a recent #OnWhatMatters conversation. Watch her conversation with Hilary Pennington of the Ford Foundation about how disability justice is essential to building a multiracial democracy. https://lnkd.in/ejQnc97q