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Seventy-Five Years of Social Change

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Seventy-Five Years of Social Change S E V E NT Y- F I V E YE A R S OF SOCIAL CHANGE The Ford Foundation works with visionary leaders and organizations worldwide to change social structures and institutions so that all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential, contribute to society, have a voice in the decisions that affect them, and live and work in dignity. This commitment to social justice is carried out through programs that strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human knowledge, creativity and achievement. For 75 years, we’ve partnered with visionaries who have transformed the human experience. But the fight for a world defined by opportunity, fairness and dignity is far from over. Today, in a time of extraordinary change, we believe there is a rare opportunity to transform the world anew. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Upholding our ambitions Message from the President For three-quarters of a century, the Ford Foundation has Moving forward on these fronts is more vital than ever, partnered with visionary organizations and individuals particularly as the financial gap—and the opportunity gap— who have helped to transform the world. between the rich and the poor is growing wider. Too many voices today are silenced or ignored by their leaders; too many Together we have worked to seed the green revolution, build economic, technological and social opportunities are closed the human rights movement and empower social entrepre- off and restricted to the wealthy few; and too many public neurs around the globe. In the United States, we worked to institutions are impenetrable and closed to scrutiny. In the create Head Start, launch public broadcasting and build United States, the sense of union and shared purpose that many of the civil rights organizations that today continue has been at the core of our national progress is being lost. to fight for equality. Any accounting of the foundation’s illustrious history is inadequate, the accomplishments too We believe that meeting the challenges of these times requires numerous. Many of the ideas we advanced and the institu- that we take the kinds of risks that are the distinguished legacy tions we launched or supported were profoundly unconven- of this foundation. It also requires that we advance programs tional at the time; now, they are the very foundation of our and initiatives that have the potential to be transformative, public life. even when the approach is new and unproven. After all, risk and challenge are more than just the privilege of philan- What unites these efforts are the values of fairness and thropy—they are its responsibility. self-determination that have defined the Ford Foundation since our founding in 1936 by Edsel Ford. We were estab- We pursue these aspirations, as we always have, in deep lished at a time of great economic and social upheaval. Our engagement with a range of partners, led by our grantees. nation was suffering through a profound and traumatic In this report you will meet some of our most visionary economic crisis; hints of war abounded; questions about social innovators. In honor of our 75th year, we are recogniz- citizenship, its meaning and who did and did not qualify ing 12 remarkable leaders with a special Ford Foundation were openly debated. But out of that tumult came an era of Visionaries Award. These change makers have brought unprecedented individual and national growth, prosperity breakthrough insights to some of our most challenging social and freedom. problems. They are thinkers who make change happen and who pursue their vision with determination and an unstinting Our work today must aspire to no less. As we prepare the focus on impact. foundation for its next generation of impact, we know that there is much work yet to be done. We continue to Here in the United States and around the world, they are mak- face enormous obstacles to the cause of social justice. Our ing markets work for the poor; expanding community owner- societies are contending with a trio of modern challenges ship over natural resources; unleashing the opportunities for not dissimilar from those of 75 years ago—globalization and free expression; democratizing the global financial system; its economic, political and cultural dislocations; a scarcity of increasing citizen engagement in democratic processes; and natural resources that threatens to become even more acute; fulfilling the promise of technological possibility. These inno- and technological change that brings people together but vations address some of the greatest social challenges of the can also create division and inequality. 21st century, and they reflect the full scale of our ambitions. Far too often our hardest-working and most vulnerable The challenges before us are clear. But if the past 75 years have citizens are being asked to shoulder these burdens alone. taught us anything, it is that we, together with our grantees The commitment to Ford’s bedrock values demands that and partners, have the ability to make the enduring vision of we reverse this trend. It demands that we provide support transformative social change a reality. Making progress is not to those who work hard but are still living in poverty. It the work of days, months or years—it is the work of generations. demands that we give voice to those who are not heard, counted or represented. And it demands that we throw open the doors of opportunity so that all individuals can make the most of their human potential. These are issues not merely of social justice but of basic fairness. Luis A. Ubiñas President Ford Foundation 2010 Annual Report 7 p. 17 Ellen Bravo Family Values @ Work Milwaukee, Wisconsin Explore our work p. 30 Alfredo Wagner Jeremy Heimans 10 Making markets work for the poor Berno de Almeida Purpose New York, New York New Social Cartography 14 Lifting up families for greater economic independence Project of the Amazon Manaus, Brazil 19 Expanding community ownership for a sustainable future Tarcila Rivera Zea Center for Indigenous p. 21 Bryan Stevenson Peoples’ Cultures of Peru 22 Unleashing free expression to inspire social change Equal Justice Initiative (CHIRAPAQ) Montgomery, Alabama Lima, Peru 26 Creating a more just global financial system p. 12 28 Engaging citizens to strengthen democracy Martin Eakes 32 Self-Help and Opening the digital future to all Americans Center for Responsible Lending Durham, North Carolina 35 Governance, leadership, grant spending and financials p. 24 p. 33 Elsie McCabe Yochai Benkler Thompson Berkman Center for Museum for African Art Internet and Society New York, New York at Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts Godfrey (Gado) Teddy Cruz For more information about CUE/Center for Urban Mwampembwa the Ford Foundation and Syndicated Ecologies Editorial Cartoonist San Diego, California Ford Foundation our grant making, visit Nairobi, Kenya Visionaries Awards fordfoundation.org p. 31 p. 25 To mark our 75th anniversary, we are honoring Scan this code with your smartphone 12 extraordinary social change leaders whose work for an online is improving the lives of millions of people around version of this annual report. Steve Barr the world. This report introduces eight of these Future Is Now Schools visionaries—please visit our website to meet them all. Los Angeles, California fordfoundation.org/visionaries-awards Ela R. Bhatt Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Ahmedabad, India Beijing, China How many American households lack the financial services they need? UnBANKEd: Households without checking UnbankEd OR or savings accounts UnderbankEd HOUSEHOLdS UNDERBANKEd: Households with bank accounts that still rely on more costly alternative financial services Making markets work for the poor 26% 30 million BAnkEd HOUSEHOLdS Bold ideas are transforming financial services for the poor, providing new tools to reduce poverty in the United States. Decades of experience in the fight against poverty show that To create smarter financial tools for low-income customers, simply supplementing family income is not enough. Low- we are helping to change the financial services market to income families need opportunities to build assets that help make it more responsive, more accountable and more fair. them handle crises, take advantage of opportunities and, The stakes couldn’t be higher, in both human and economic above all, create a secure future through homeownership and terms. Alternative financial services alone are a $29 billion other investments in long-term financial independence. Good industry—a substantial pool of resources that could help financial services targeted to the daily realities of low-income improve the lives of low-income people if more of it remained people—such as flexible savings products, fair credit, and in their hands. 74% affordable loans—must be part of any real solution. Lasting change requires three key elements. First, low-income 88 million Conventional thinking says that low-income Americans consumers who are “unbanked” or “underbanked” need don’t use financial services—their immediate needs are so financial products that are attractive and build their personal Total U.S. Households great that they never acquire the habits of saving, borrow- assets; products also need to make financial sense for the 44% 43% 36% 18% 11% ing and investing. In fact, they use financial services every companies offering them. (See a few of these products on page day. Unfortunately, the outlets most readily available to 13.) Second, distribution systems are needed to make good them—check cashing services, subprime mortgages, payday products truly accessible to their intended customers. Third, lenders—are overpriced and often exploitive, depleting their consumer-friendly public policies that encourage and even resources and plunging many into unmanageable debt. A motivate banking and lending institutions to provide good typical response is to offer low-income consumers financial service for low-income customers are essential.
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