Ford Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $732 million (2023)
Success Rate: <1% for unsolicited applications
Decision Time: Up to 3 months
Grant Range: $25,000 - $28.9 million (average ~$206,500)
Geographic Focus: Global (50+ countries, 11 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, and North America)

Contact Details

Website: www.fordfoundation.org Email: office-of-communications@fordfound.org Phone: 212-573-5000 Address: New York, NY Grant Database: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/

Overview

Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States, with assets of $16.8 billion as of 2023. The foundation distributes approximately 1,400 grants annually to organizations worldwide, totaling over $500 million in annual giving. Over the past five years, Ford has awarded $4.2 billion in grants. The foundation's mission centers on fighting inequality by supporting individuals and institutions working to address the underlying drivers of social, economic, and political inequality. Under the leadership of President Darren Walker (2013-2025), Ford has committed to allocating the majority of its grantmaking dollars to marginalized communities and at least 25% to social justice strategies including advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement. The foundation launched its flagship BUILD initiative in 2015, committing $2 billion over 12 years to provide flexible, multi-year general operating support with dedicated institutional strengthening resources. Heather Gerken will assume the presidency in 2026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

BUILD (Building Institutions and Networks)

Five-year general operating support grants
Invitation-only to current Ford Foundation grantees
Supports organizational capacity building and institutional strengthening
Organizations develop their own strengthening plans
Since 2015, BUILD has funded nearly 350 organizations, more than half in the Global South
Total commitment: $2 billion over 12 years

Creativity and Free Expression

Arts and culture organizations with budgets between $500,000-$5 million
National resonance or regional impact in the American South, Indian Country, and rural communities
Prioritizes organizations led by and centering artists, storytellers, and culture bearers from marginalized communities
Focus on advancing racial, gender, and disability justice

JustFilms

Documentary film production grants: $25,000-$100,000
Feature-length documentaries (50+ minutes) only
Global focus, especially regions with Ford Foundation offices (Africa, Latin America, Asia, Middle East)
Themes: gender justice, racial equity, disability inclusion, power dynamics
Open call accepts applications year-round

Disability Futures Fellowship

$50,000 grants to visual and performing artists, writers, and filmmakers
20 fellows selected annually
Joint program with Mellon Foundation

NYC Good Neighbor Committee Grant

Local grants for New York City community organizations
Applications reviewed starting in October

Priority Areas

The Ford Foundation organizes its work around these interconnected themes:

Civic Engagement and Government

Pro-democracy movements grounded in inclusive values
Governance reflecting community demographics
Community organizing around policy and systems change
Youth engagement

Technology and Society

Ensuring internet and digital technologies advance social and economic justice
Intersectional, feminist approaches to technology
Technology, disability inclusion, and gender equity intersections

Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice

Gender-based violence prevention
Economic justice and rights
Bodily autonomy and sexual/reproductive health rights
Feminist action for climate justice
Technology and innovation for gender equality
Feminist movements and leadership

Natural Resources and Climate Justice

Land resource rights for Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities
Africa's energy transition
Climate equity

Future of Work(ers)

Workers' rights and economic security
Informal economy, especially women workers
Labor organizing

Global Governance

International systems and structures

Disability Rights

Systemic change approaches (not direct services)
Disability inclusion across all program areas

What They Don't Fund

Unsolicited proposals (less than 1% success rate)
Direct service provision
Student films, short films, or episodic series (JustFilms)
Commissioned films where filmmaker doesn't hold rights
New media (AR, VR), podcasts
Films that have already premiered or broadcast
Impact campaigns (standalone)
Activities attempting to influence legislation (as prohibited by U.S. law for private foundations)
Accessibility efforts as standalone projects (integrated across programs instead)

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

President (Current): Darren Walker (2013-2025)

Leading the foundation through unprecedented expansion of flexible funding
Championed the BUILD initiative and mission-related investments
Will step down at the end of 2025
Also serves as President of the National Gallery of Art Board of Trustees

President (Incoming): Heather Gerken

Will assume presidency in 2026
Selected after extensive national and international search

Board of Trustees

Chair: Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.

16-member board includes:

Ursula M. Burns
Henry Ford III
Thomas L. Kempner, Jr.
Laurene Powell Jobs (elected 2021)
Richard R. Verma (elected 2021)
George H. Walker (elected 2024)

The board selects the president and oversees foundation policies while the president implements policies and manages day-to-day operations.

Leadership Philosophy

Francisco Cigarroa on selecting the new president: "a thoughtful and innovative leader with a knowledge and passion for justice."

The foundation emphasizes trust-based philanthropy, flexible funding, and long-term partnerships with grantees.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Primary Approach - Foundation-Identified The Ford Foundation operates primarily through a proactive grantmaking model:

Program teams identify potential grantees based on their field expertise
Teams seek organizations with "bold ideas and scalable solutions"
Program officers work collaboratively with prospective grantees to develop proposals
This accounts for the vast majority of grants

Limited Open Opportunities A small number of programs accept applications:

JustFilms: Submit through online portal at www.fordfoundation.org
NYC Good Neighbor Committee: Specific local opportunities
General inquiries: Can be submitted through website, though success rate is extremely low

BUILD Program: Invitation-only to current Ford Foundation grantees

What NOT to Do:

Do not send unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone
These are not accepted

Decision Timeline

Review period: Up to 3 months after submission
Acknowledgment: You will receive confirmation of receipt
Next steps: If inquiry is relevant to program priorities, a program officer will contact you
Program-specific timelines: Some programs have specific cycles (e.g., NYC Good Neighbor reviews start in October)

Success Rates

Unsolicited applications: Less than 1% receive grants
Volume: Foundation makes approximately 1,400 grants annually
Total awards in 2023: 3,545 grants (likely includes multi-year commitments)

The extremely low success rate for unsolicited applications reflects the foundation's proactive grantmaking approach where program teams identify most grantees.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication restrictions are mentioned, though the foundation's proactive model means that unsuccessful unsolicited applicants are unlikely to succeed without being identified by program teams. Organizations should focus on:

Building relationships with relevant program officers
Demonstrating alignment with strategic priorities
Developing a track record in their field

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Advice to Applicants

Alignment is Critical "Go through its priority areas carefully before asking for funds." - Ensure your work directly addresses the foundation's focus on fighting inequality.

Demonstrate Bold, Scalable Solutions Program teams seek "people and organizations with bold ideas and scalable solutions" to pressing issues in their fields.

Cross-Cutting Themes "An important cross-cutting theme of the foundation is equal opportunity in all its projects."

Proposal Quality If invited to submit a formal proposal, include:

Clear project description with objectives and expected impact
Detailed budget and timeline
Organization background and track record
How the project aligns with Ford Foundation's mission and priorities
Be concise and specific in all responses

Examples of Funded Projects

Major Recent Grants Include:

Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO): $28.9 million to secure livelihoods for the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy
Climate and Land Use Alliance: $24.7 million to ensure land resource rights for Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities
New Venture Fund: $16.7 million for Global Network for Social Justice and Digital Resilience
Equality Fund: $17.4 million to enhance funding for women's rights organizations worldwide
Oxfam America: $6.9 million for Climate Media Collaborative for Economic Justice

These examples demonstrate Ford's preference for:

Large-scale systemic change work
Collaborative networks and coalitions
Focus on marginalized communities
Multi-year, substantial commitments
Organizations with established track records

Key Success Factors

Intersectional Approaches The foundation prioritizes organizations bringing intersectional analysis, particularly feminist intersectional approaches combining gender, race, disability, and other dimensions of inequality.

Systems Change Focus Ford funds work addressing root causes and underlying systems, not direct services or symptom management.

Geographic Priorities

U.S.: American South, Indian Country, rural communities
Global: Regions with Ford offices (Africa, Latin America, Asia, Middle East)
Communities facing specific structural inequalities

Organizational Characteristics For programs like Creativity and Free Expression:

Mid-sized organizations ($500,000-$5 million budgets)
Led by and centering marginalized communities
Potential for national resonance or significant regional impact

Strategic Communication

Use the foundation's language around inequality, justice, and systems change
Demonstrate understanding of how your work addresses "underlying drivers of inequality"
Show how your organization embodies equity in its leadership and operations

Common Barriers to Success

Submitting unsolicited proposals without prior relationship or program team identification
Focusing on direct services rather than systemic change
Lack of demonstrated commitment to equity and justice in organizational practice
Insufficient scale or potential for broader impact
Misalignment with specific program priorities and geographic focus

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Relationship-building is essential: With less than 1% success for unsolicited applications, focus on building authentic relationships with program officers, attending Ford-sponsored convenings, and demonstrating alignment with priorities through your work rather than through cold applications.
Think big and systemic: Ford seeks "bold ideas and scalable solutions" that address root causes of inequality. Frame your work in terms of systems change, structural barriers, and long-term transformation rather than service delivery or immediate needs.
Emphasize trust and flexibility: If you're already a Ford grantee, BUILD offers unprecedented flexible, multi-year support. Demonstrate your organization's capacity to use unrestricted funds strategically for institutional strengthening and long-term sustainability.
Lead with equity: Show how your organization embodies its values through leadership, governance, and operations. Ford prioritizes organizations led by and centering marginalized communities, particularly in its arts and culture funding.
Consider JustFilms or targeted programs: If you're in documentary filmmaking, JustFilms offers one of the few open application opportunities. Focus on feature-length films addressing social justice themes with global relevance, particularly in regions where Ford has offices.
Use their language strategically: Incorporate terms like "inequality," "underlying drivers," "systems change," "social justice strategies," and "marginalized communities" authentically in your communications. Demonstrate understanding of intersectional analysis.
Be patient with the process: Allow up to 3 months for review, understand that program teams work collaboratively with potential grantees to develop proposals, and recognize that being invited to submit a formal proposal is itself a significant milestone in Ford's proactive grantmaking model.

References

Ford Foundation Official Website - Our Grants: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - How We Make Grants: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/how-we-make-grants/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Grant Opportunities: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/grant-opportunities/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Board of Trustees: https://www.fordfoundation.org/about/board-of-trustees/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD): https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/building-institutions-and-networks/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Governance and Financial Statements: https://www.fordfoundation.org/about/about-ford/governance-and-financial-statements/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - 2023 Audited Financial Statements: https://www.fordfoundation.org/about/about-ford/governance-and-financial-statements/financial-statements/2023-audited-financial-statements-and-footnotes/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Our Work Around the World: https://www.fordfoundation.org/our-work-around-the-world/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - JustFilms FAQ: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/justfilms/justfilms-application/faq/ (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Disability Rights and Inclusion Grantmaking FAQs: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/challenging-inequality/disability-rights/ford-disability-rights-and-inclusion-grantmaking-faqs/ (Accessed November 2024)
Devex - The Top Grantees of the Ford Foundation: https://www.devex.com/news/the-top-grantees-of-the-ford-foundation-110148 (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Announces Heather Gerken as New President (Press Release): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ford-foundation-announces-heather-gerken-as-new-president-302495324.html (Accessed November 2024)
Ford Foundation - Awarded Grants Database: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/ (Accessed November 2024)
Nonprofit Quarterly - Democracy in Practice: How the Ford Foundation and Its BUILD Grantees Are Changing Philanthropy: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/democracy-in-practice-how-the-ford-foundation-and-its-build-grantees-are-changing-philanthropy/ (Accessed November 2024)
Wikipedia - Ford Foundation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Foundation (Accessed November 2024)