Our president @HeatherKGerken shares why we must urgently support the basic building blocks of our democracy, by defending the nonpartisan systems and procedures that safeguard the integrity of America's elections. Read more in The @ChronicleOfPhilanthropy at our link in bio.
We consider safeguarding the systems essential to American democracy as the urgent work of our moment.
Grantees like @VeteransforallVoters , Pillars of the Community, and @CampaignLegal Center are pursuing vital, nonpartisan work across all 50 states—from increasing civic participation to protecting the right to vote. Learn how at our link in bio.
As we continue to mark nine decades of challenging inequality this year, we're reflecting on our mission, and where we started.
Ford’s work has long focused on improving our communities at the local level in the United States and worldwide.
At the core of our mission is listening to and learning from our grantees to ground these efforts.
Ford has evolved since the early days, as you can see in this photo from our original office in Dearborn, Michigan, 1946. But 90 years has given us the experience to understand better how we can put those founding principles, like safeguarding democracy, into action.
Keep following #FordFoundation90 as we share stories throughout the year about our impact, history, and current work to strengthen democracy and justice.
📸: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Thank you, Ilham Habibie, for hosting the Ford Foundation team at the Habibie-Ainun Library. It was great to speak with you, Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, and Nadia Habibie about the legacy of democratic reforms initiated by the late President B. J. Habibie, widely regarded as the Father of Democracy.
Terima kasih, Ilham Habibie, karena telah menjamu tim Ford Foundation di Perpustakaan Habibie-Ainun. Senang bisa berbicara dengan Anda, Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, dan Nadia Habibie tentang warisan reformasi demokrasi yang diprakarsai oleh mendiang Presiden B. J. Habibie, yang secara luas dianggap sebagai Bapak Demokrasi.
We’re thrilled to share that our president, @heatherkgerken , has been chosen as one this year’s TIME100 Philanthropy, recognizing singular figures who are shaping the future of giving. Learn more about her work building bridges across ideological divides in @TIME at the link in bio.
Since 2020, our office in Indonesia has partnered with our Mission Investments program to promote impact investing and inclusive financial innovation. I heard from experts working across the public and private sectors on how this partnership has helped mobilize large amounts of capital and found ways to reach communities directly. This work has become a blueprint for other countries.
Sejak tahun 2020, kantor kami di Indonesia telah bermitra dengan program Mission Investments kami untuk mempromosikan investasi berdampak dan inovasi keuangan inklusif. Saya mendengar dari para ahli yang bekerja di sektor publik dan swasta tentang bagaimana kemitraan ini telah membantu memobilisasi modal dalam jumlah besar dan menemukan cara untuk menjangkau komunitas secara langsung. Pekerjaan ini telah menjadi cetak biru bagi negara-negara lain.
For children living in poverty, Head Start offers a way out: building students’ confidence and strengthening employment outcomes.
Founded in 1965 by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, the idea behind Head Start was that early support, for students who are often overlooked, ultimately sets them up for success in the long-run. Ford’s early-childhood initiatives helped to inform the government’s strategy and we funded the researchers who designed the program.
Since its inception, Head Start has served over 40 million children. And the results are definitive: improved high school completion rates, higher college enrollment, and improved adult economic self-sufficiency.
This year marks 61 years of Head Start and #FordFoundation90. We are looking back at 90 years of impact for a more just future, and Head Start is a striking example of what’s possible when you invest in a child’s potential.
The Ford Foundation has worked to ensure that efforts to advance climate justice reflect the priorities of Indigenous peoples as well as local and rural communities. In Indonesia, I heard from our grantee partners how they are facilitating a holistic energy transition that puts people first and respects the balance between environmental sustainability and socioeconomic equity.
Ford Foundation telah berupaya memastikan bahwa upaya untuk memajukan keadilan iklim mencerminkan prioritas masyarakat adat serta komunitas lokal dan pedesaan. Di Indonesia, saya mendengar dari mitra penerima hibah kami bagaimana mereka memfasilitasi transisi energi holistik yang mengutamakan warga dan menghormati keseimbangan antara kelestarian lingkungan dan kesetaraan sosial ekonomi.
We are proud to partner with Humanity AI, a collaborative philanthropic initiative dedicated to a more equitable tech future. Today, we’re excited to announce Humanity AI's first round of grants: over $18 million awarded to the frontline voices shaping the next era of innovation.
From labor rights to democratic values to culture, these grantees represent the expertise needed to ensure technology serves the public good. As Lori McGlinchey, Ford's Director of Technology and Society, puts it: "This is a generational moment for philanthropy to pool resources and empower talented people working to align technology with our democratic values." Read more about the inaugural cohort at the link in bio. #TechSociety
It was a privilege to learn from Indonesian women leaders on the challenges they face in their work and the pathways for change.
Merupakan suatu kehormatan untuk belajar dari para pemimpin perempuan Indonesia mengenai tantangan yang mereka hadapi dalam kerja-kerja yang mereka lakukan dan jalur menuju perubahan.
I spent an incredible few days in Jakarta meeting with our Ford Foundation team, grantee partners, and leaders across the region. Thank you to Ford’s regional director Alex Irwan and the entire Indonesia office for your warm welcome and leadership.
Saya menjalani beberapa hari yang luar biasa di Jakarta, bertemu dengan tim kami di Jakarta, mitra penerima hibah, dan para pemimpin di negara ini. Terima kasih kepada Direktur Regional Ford, Alex Irwan, dan seluruh kantor Indonesia atas sambutan hangat dan kepemimpinan Anda.
In March 1933, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York. She married and had a daughter before studying at Harvard Law School, where she was one of just 10 women in a class of over 500 men. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1959, she taught at Rutgers Law School, where she fought to end pay discrimination against women professors.
In the late 1960s, Ginsburg began volunteering for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and in 1971, she cofounded its Women’s Rights Project, which advocated for greater equality for women across society. Ford was an early supporter of the program and provided it 11 grants over the years. Between 1971 and 1980, when Ginsburg was appointed a federal judge, the ACLU was involved in nearly two-thirds of all gender discrimination cases brought before the Supreme Court.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg to the Supreme Court and she took her seat that year, becoming the second woman appointed to its bench.
“The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in a The New York Times piece on “What Being Jewish Means to Me” from 1996.
Justice Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020.
During #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth and on our 90th anniversary, we’re reflecting on her legacy of work towards justice, peace, and equity. Her unwavering spirit remains an inspiration throughout time. #FordFoundation90
