Ford Foundation unveils its biggest funding shift since 2015 with $700 million in grants

The Ford Foundation is preparing to reshape how it distributes its money, placing greater emphasis on the institutions that support democratic government while retaining its long-standing commitments to equality and social justice. The New York-based organisation, which manages an endowment of about $18 billion, announced the change in October 2026 under president Heather Gerken, who took charge less than a year ago. The shift will affect a wide range of its funding programmes, with seven new areas of work due to be outlined during 2027. Existing grants will continue during the transition, although some of the foundation’s current activities are expected to end as its priorities change.

As reported by Associated Press (AP), the planned restructuring centres on 7 areas: democratic governance, inclusive economies, reliable information, public safety, gender equality, international cooperation and racial justice. The foundation has yet to provide a detailed account of how individual programmes will operate or which organisations will receive funding under the revised approach. Gerken presented the changes to the foundation's trustees against a backdrop of growing concerns about authoritarian government and economic inequality. She argued that the institutions underpinning democracy also provide the conditions needed for other parts of the foundation's work to succeed. Fair elections, functioning legal systems and the protection of civil liberties, in this view, are connected to the ability of communities to pursue equality, protect the environment and defend their rights. The new direction represents the foundation's most substantial strategic revision since 2015, when former president Darren Walker placed inequality at the centre of its work.

The announcement comes as the United States approaches its 2026 midterm elections, amid disputes over voting rules, congressional district boundaries and the reach of federal voting protections. International organisations have also raised concerns about declining political rights and civil liberties in several parts of the world. American philanthropic organisations have increased their support for democracy-related work in recent years. Figures from nonprofit research service Candid, cited by the Associated Press, indicate that foundation funding for democracy broadly tripled between 2016 and 2020. Support declined in 2021 before rising modestly in subsequent years. The Open Society Foundations, established by billionaire George Soros, announced a $300 million commitment in May towards initiatives intended to protect democratic rights, as reported. Ford's latest plans also reflect the pressure facing organisations that depend on charitable funding. Under President Donald Trump's administration, some nonprofits have faced funding restrictions, threatened investigations and other challenges to their work. These conditions have prompted questions about whether philanthropic institutions will maintain support for advocacy groups when their activities draw criticism from political leaders. Gerken has said the foundation intends to maintain its support for communities that face discrimination, including LGBTQ people and racial minorities. She also reported doubling the immigration budget funded through her presidential allocation during 2026.

Alongside its new programme areas, Ford intends to provide more substantial grants over longer periods, with fewer restrictions on how recipients can spend the money. The approach is designed to give organisations greater room to maintain staff, cover operating expenses and plan their work beyond individual election cycles. Gerken told the Associated Press that organisations with flexible funding arrangements had proved more resilient during periods of uncertainty. Sanjiv Rao, vice president of the Democracy Fund, has also argued that organisations working to protect democratic participation need support that continues between elections, rather than funding that rises sharply during campaigns and falls away afterwards. The commitment follows the closure of Ford's Building Institutions and Networks programme, which had provided flexible support for nonprofit operations. Nick Turner, the foundation's executive vice president for programmes, said the principles behind that initiative would be incorporated across its grantmaking rather than remain confined to a single programme.

Despite the change in emphasis, Ford has no plans to abandon its established work on racial justice, LGBTQ rights and other issues affecting marginalised communities. Gerken has described the protection of basic rights as a continuing responsibility of the foundation, even where its funding decisions attract criticism from conservative politicians. In 2021, JD Vance, then a candidate for the US Senate, attacked the Ford Foundation and other philanthropic organisations over their support for progressive causes. The foundation's leadership has maintained that its work is nonpartisan and that protecting civil liberties should not depend on whether particular initiatives enjoy broad political agreement. Ford has also pointed to its history of supporting free speech during the McCarthy era and civil rights litigation in the 1960s. Gerken's position is that these commitments remain relevant as the foundation revises its priorities. AP reported that the foundation allocated $80 million during 2026 to nonprofits working to safeguard election results, including Pillars of the Community. The group brings together people with different political backgrounds and aims to strengthen public confidence in voting systems.

The operational changes are scheduled to begin in January 2027, when Ford's staff will move into three temporary units. These teams will be responsible for maintaining existing grants while preparing the foundation for its revised structure. A spokesperson estimated that the organisation would distribute $700 million in grants during 2027, with the total potentially increasing depending on emerging needs and growth in its endowment. Gerken has said the foundation does not intend to suspend grantmaking during the transition, arguing that recipients should not be left without support while internal changes take place. The restructuring will nevertheless mean the eventual closure of some existing programmes. Ford supports more than 2,300 grantees, but officials have not identified which organisations could lose funding or when individual decisions will be made.