Expanding Community Rights Over Natural Resources
Where We Work
Grants given by our regional offices generally fund organizations based in the countries where those offices are located. Typically, our offices only support organizations based in other countries when they have specific expertise or other particular advantages that cannot be found in the countries where they work. Our New York office funds a wider range of organizations, particularly those with a global scope and/or influence.
Our regional offices in Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Nairobi, New Delhi, Beijing and Jakarta are working on this initiative. In addition, we make global grants through our New York office.
What We Fund
We primarily fund efforts to improve policies that affect community access to forests, grasslands and marginal agricultural lands.
Sometimes we support activities designed to improve natural resource management, but only those that have potential to achieve impacts at significant scales.
Learn more about our initiative Strategy (PDF).
Additional Selection Criteria
With the exception of India, the foundation does not fund projects related to sustainable agriculture or water management. We also do not fund general environmental education projects or local reforestation projects.
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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