Religion in the Public Sphere
The work of this initiative is driven by the belief that religion and religious communities play a central role in American public life and that diverse perspectives must be present in the public sphere.
Where We Work
We provide support for organizations and projects based in the United States.
What We Fund
We make grants to enhance public understanding about religion so that informed and critical debate may take place. We also provide support for the public presence and effectiveness of diverse faith-based organizations, groups and leaders committed to social justice work.
We focus on the following:
- Public Discourse and Media. To create a more informed and diverse public conversation about the public role of religion and social justice issues—with special attention to media
- Justice-Oriented Organizations, Groups and Leaders. To strengthen institutions and leaders whose work focuses on building a just society and aligns with foundation priorities
- Research and Innovation. For research and development of innovative ideas linking religion and public discourse as well as media and justice-oriented organizations and leaders
Additional Selection Criteria
We do not fund scholarly research unrelated to our programmatic interests, nor do we make grants solely to further an organization's religious mission.
To Apply for a Grant
Follow these steps:
- Review the Initiative(s) most relevant to your work.
- Read our Grant Application Guide, which describes our grant-making process.
- If you determine that your work aligns with our priorities, submit a Grant Inquiry. (While we welcome submissions, please keep in mind that our funds are limited in relation to the large number of worthwhile inquiries we receive. In a typical year, less than 1 percent of unsolicited inquiries result in a grant.)
Please Note:
It is important that you use our grant inquiry form—and refrain from contacting program officers directly. Given the volume of inquiries we receive, this allows us to log, track and respond quickly to your application.
Fellowships
The vast majority of foundation grants go to organizations. We provide a very limited number of fellowship opportunities for individuals through the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships Program, which aims to diversify the faculties of American colleges and universities.
The foundation does not have any other active fellowship opportunities at this time.
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