Democracy in practice: How the Ford Foundation and its BUILD grantees are changing philanthropy
In a feature from Nonprofit Quarterly, Jeanne Bell and Ruth McCambridge explore the changing role and effectiveness of Philanthropy through the lens of Ford Foundation's flagship BUILD program:
"We have found in examining this program that it has had some extraordinary effects on grantees and potentially on America's future..."
Published in NONPROFIT QUARTERLY | JANUARY 16, 2019
Democracy in Practice: How the Ford Foundation and Its BUILD Grantees Are Changing Philanthropy
BY JEANNE BELL AND RUTH MCCAMBRIDGE
Based on outcomes, there can be little doubt that new approaches are needed to address the long-standing and intensifying global and national issues of racial inequity, economic injustice, and environmental disregard that have marked this past decade. Previous approaches have not been decisively effective in turning these tides; and although we might argue about why that is, there is at least a very good argument for trying something different philanthropically to dislodge the powerfully dishonest narratives that continue to exert a grip on our collective consciousness. There is a mounting urgency in the social sector, therefore, to examine our own histories of practice; to uncover and confront any ways in which we have reinforced or benefited from the flaws in our own practices and their supporting narratives; and to take on the necessary work of (finally) operationalizing our long-professed values of democracy and justice.
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The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.