Published in Nonprofit Quarterly | APRIL 15, 2020

Big New Funder Initiatives Support Policy Advocacy and Low-Income Workers

By Ruth McCambridge

These are extraordinary times, and that has led to calls for extraordinary measures—even within philanthropy, which is not always known for its adaptive capacities. We have not yet worked out all of the elements of the new adaptive response to the moment, but it looks like we’re seeing a new philanthropic phenomenon that merits our attention. (Please keep today’s Voice from the Field article from Robins Foundation in mind as you read this.)

In March of 2020, NPQ published a series of articles about the outcomes of the last recession. Our research found, among other things, that while nonprofits rebounded relatively well after the downturn, the people they served as a whole did not. The wealth divide continued to widen, and low-wage workers lost ground. Communities of color suffered disproportionately.

Read the complete article.


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The Ford Foundation

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.