At Ford, we recognize that inequality is deeply rooted in every society, borne of political, economic, and cultural systems, with historical roots that reinforce differences and seek to preserve power for those who have it.
Our Theory of Change is an attempt to create a common understanding of the Ford Foundation’s work—what we do and how and why we do it—by synthesizing the key elements that our programs hold in common. By making explicit how we believe social change happens, particularly around inequality and power, we can identify the strengths in our shared theory, as well as the gaps.
While this report illustrates the key elements of Ford’s work to end inequality, and our understanding of how change is made, we recognize that there are areas where we still have questions and much to learn as our work continues. We hope this sparks productive conversations that allow us to further test our assumptions internally and externally.
For ease of reading, we have created both a full report outlining our focus, goals, and change strategies and an additional visual summary that illustrates key elements of our work to end inequality worldwide.