Ford Foundation refocuses $18bn endowment on democracy

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 18:15 · Archive

The Ford Foundation will redirect more of its $18 billion endowment towards supporting democracy, citing rising authoritarianism and inequality.

The Ford Foundation, one of the world's largest private grantmakers, committed Thursday to a major overhaul of its spending. The New York-based philanthropy will direct more of its $18 billion endowment towards the basic building blocks of democracy, addressing what new leadership views as mutually reinforcing trends of autocracy and inequality.

The strategic shift comes less than a year into President Heather Gerken's tenure. Gerken, widely recognised as an expert on constitutional law and elections, framed the changes as a response to what she called an 'emboldened strain of 21st-century authoritarianism'. She told The Associated Press that without rule of law and functioning elections, other values and projects the foundation supports fall apart. 'Protecting marginalized communities, pushing forward on equality, protecting the climate, all of these depend on those basic building blocks,' she said.

Seven new programmes will focus on democratic governance, inclusive economies, trustworthy information, public safety, gender equality, global cooperation and racial justice, with details to be released throughout next year. This marks the foundation's largest strategic refresh since 2015, when former president Darren Walker prioritised inequality.

How it is being reported

• The Ford Foundation, one of the world's largest grantmakers, will throw more weight behind democracyThe Ford Foundation, one of the world’s largest private grantmakers, will overhaul its spending to counter what new leadership views as the mutually reinforcing rise of both autocracy and inequality.Clickorlando · 22 Oct, 15:09
• The Ford Foundation, one of the world's largest grantmakers, will throw more weight behind democracyThe Ford Foundation, one of the world’s largest private grantmakers, will overhaul its spending to counter what new leadership views as the mutually reinforcing rise of both autocracy and inequality.News4Jax · 22 Oct, 15:09

In this story: Ford Foundation · Heather Gerken · Darren Walker · New York

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