The Heartland Initiative
Getty | Stephen Simpson | Zoran ZeremskiThe Ford Foundation is proud that our funding has touched the lives of most Americans and has supported organizations across the United States.
In 2022, the foundation made a specific commitment of $40 million to the Heartland Initiative, which benefits organizations and individuals in the Midwest, the South, Appalachia, and rural America.
Its mission is to bolster the work of visionary leaders and groups in their regions to create better jobs, economic opportunity, and a brighter futures. Ford funds projects and programs that help provide broadband access to rural communities, confront the opioid crisis, help people with disabilities, and reshape their regions’ futures with capital investments. From South Dakota to Missouri, Kentucky to Alabama, these organizations and leaders are devising exciting and locally-based solutions.
We believe in investing in regions of America that have faced economic hardship and underinvestment but hold vast possibilities. That’s why we fund organizations that have the potential to become key actors in their fields. Whether it’s shoring up the resilience of locally-owned businesses, supporting employee ownership, or investing in job training for people with disabilities, Ford is committed to supporting Americans across our country.
Featured News and Stories
Three Small Businesses Building the Future in Appalachia
Appalachian Community Capital, a community development financial institution, has helped many entrepreneurs in the heartland achieve their business dreams. Ford checked in on a few of them.
The Power of Appalachian Art With Willa Johnson and Sarita Gupta
Willa Johnson, director of the film department at Appalshop, and Sarita Gupta, vice president of U.S. programs at the Ford Foundation, discuss heartland creativity and amplifying rural narratives.
The Heartland: Elevating Voices in Local Communities featuring Kevin Bacon and Gabe Brown
Communities across America, especially in rural areas, have increasingly seen less money and more problems. With access to broadband, quality medical care, and good jobs dwindling, the heartland of America urgently needs attention. Who are the changemakers in these areas and what are the opportunities we can’t afford to miss?
Lessons From America’s Pastime: Support Organized Labor
This baseball season and beyond, let’s all take a signal from these courageous leaders and build a fairer economy that works for everyone.
Harm Reduction in the Heartland: Combating the Opioid Crisis in Appalachia
The opioid crisis affects people of every race, class, and location, and it continues to be a public health crisis. In Kentucky, three of our grantees are working with state and local governments and community members to bring resources and support to those who need it most.
Ford Foundation Provides $1.5 Million in Emergency Funding to U.S. Southeast
The Ford Foundation announced today it will provide $1.5 million in emergency funding to community nonprofits and small businesses for recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton…
Ford Foundation, RIIF Partner to Invest Millions to Support Local Businesses in Appalachia
Plans for $6 million in investments will attract new sources of capital to enable customized funding solutions for small businesses, supporting good jobs and wealth-building opportunities for American families
Ford Foundation Announces Additional $10M Investment in Appalachian Community Capital
The investment will help foster economic growth, entrepreneurship, and higher quality jobs in the Appalachian Region.
In The Press
Unlocking Broadband in the Heartland: A Harvest of American Opportunity
How innovation, collaboration, and philanthropy help bridge the digital divide. Ford Foundation sponsored content on POLITICO.
Heartland Forward to expand telehealth access in Arkansas, Oklahoma
Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based policy think tank, has launched an initiative to expand telehealth access in Arkansas and Oklahoma
Where are Kentucky’s angels? A call for investment in Appalachian growth
OpEd: Kentucky’s economic development incentives exclude the sectors that could help the most in Appalachia, like banking and ecotourism.
UVM’s Leahy Institute Receives $250K from Ford Foundation to Boost Partnerships Across Vermont
Investment will expand Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships’ student internships and data services that benefit communities across the Green Mountain State.