Era: Civil Rights Movement

Against a backdrop of white, establishment concepts of literary excellence, one foundation struggled to appreciate Black voices.

A story recounting many accusations, from rigged elections to the meddling of big private money in grassroots organizing.

Applying a vast fortune to the American race problem, but with decades of false assumptions and well-intended approaches that fell short.

How a foundation provided the final ingredient to an era-defining novel.

How a charismatic community activist from Watts challenged a foundation’s civil rights strategy through a jobs training program.

In 1968, the Ford Foundation began to make social investments using a new tool borrowed from the for-profit world, the Program-Related Investment.

How a simple grant request seeded the launch of a full program addressing inequality.

A college prep program increased admissions rates for at-risk students, but it also raised larger questions about systemic inequality.

How the largest US foundation began supporting market-based projects in the late 1960s.