Ford Foundation Disability Rights Funding: How African Disability Organisations Can Access One of the World’s Largest Disability Grantmakers
There is a common misconception among African disability organisations about the Ford Foundation. Many assume it funds only American organisations, or that its Africa offices focus exclusively on democracy and governance work, leaving disability out of the picture entirely. Both assumptions are wrong.
The Ford Foundation has a dedicated disability rights grantmaking strategy, a $15 million commitment specifically to advance global disability rights announced in 2025, and an explicit policy that at least 25 percent of all its global grantmaking will be inclusive of persons with disabilities. It has 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. And it prioritises organisations and projects led by people with disabilities.
For African disability organisations that are ready to think strategically about major institutional funders, the Ford Foundation deserves serious attention.
What Is the Ford Foundation?
The Ford Foundation is one of the largest private philanthropic foundations in the world, with an endowment of $16 billion. It was established in 1936 and has spent nearly 90 years supporting organisations working on social change globally. Its mission is to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement.
The Ford Foundation operates regional offices in Africa with a presence in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, and Johannesburg, among other locations. Its Africa grantmaking spans Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and broader regional organisations working across the continent. The foundation’s work in Africa includes democracy and governance, gender justice, economic equity, climate justice, and technology, with disability now explicitly embedded across all of these thematic areas.
The Ford Foundation’s Disability Rights Commitment
Ford Foundation’s disability grantmaking has grown significantly over the past decade. Between 2018 and 2020 alone, Ford invested more than $50 million toward projects and organisations focused on disability and an additional $125 million to social justice organisations working toward disability inclusion. In 2025, the foundation announced a new $15 million commitment specifically to advance global disability rights, with a pledge that at least 25 percent of all Ford Foundation grantmaking globally will be inclusive of people with disabilities.
This is not a peripheral programme. The foundation has incorporated a disability lens into every one of its grantmaking programmes globally, meaning that disability inclusion is now evaluated across democracy, gender justice, climate, tech, and economic equity work, not only in disability-specific grants.
Ford’s approach to disability grantmaking follows two distinct paths. The first is disability-specific grantmaking, which funds work that aims directly to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in its design, activities, and implementation. The second is disability-inclusive grantmaking, which funds organisations working in other social justice areas but that intentionally include people with disabilities in their design, activities, budgets, and implementation. African organisations do not need to work exclusively on disability to qualify for Ford Foundation support. They need to work on social justice issues and demonstrate meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in their work.
What the Ford Foundation Funds in Africa
Ford Foundation’s Africa grantmaking on disability is primarily channelled through its regional offices and through specific thematic programmes. Understanding the breadth of what Ford funds is important because it reveals how many different kinds of African disability organisations might qualify.
Ford funds organisations working on disability rights advocacy and movement building, policy advocacy and legal reform related to disability, gender justice work that centres women with disabilities, economic justice work that addresses the structural exclusion of persons with disabilities from economies, inclusive democracy and civic participation for persons with disabilities, climate justice work that recognises the disproportionate impact of climate change on persons with disabilities, and technology and digital inclusion work for persons with disabilities.
Ford explicitly does not prioritise direct service provision. This means organisations that primarily deliver rehabilitation services, assistive devices, or social care without a rights-based or advocacy dimension are less likely to receive Ford Foundation support. The foundation is looking for organisations doing systemic change work, not welfare services.
Ford also provides general operating support, not only project grants. This is an important distinction. General operating support means the organisation receives funding to sustain itself institutionally, not just to implement a specific project. This type of funding is rare among international funders and highly valuable because it allows organisations to invest in staff, systems, and long-term planning.
How the Ford Foundation Makes Grants
The Ford Foundation does not operate an open application portal in the traditional sense. The vast majority of its grants are awarded to organisations that it approaches directly, based on its own research, relationships, and strategic priorities. This means that Ford does not publish open calls or accept unsolicited applications through a standard grant portal.
However, this does not mean African disability organisations should do nothing. The foundation’s own guidance says clearly: “We are always open to new ideas, and we invite you to submit yours through our short online form.” This form is available at fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants. This submission process is not a competitive application. It is a way for organisations to come to Ford Foundation’s attention.
Understanding this is important. The Ford Foundation relationship is a long-term one that typically begins with awareness, grows through visibility and networking, and eventually leads to a direct approach from a Ford programme officer. African disability organisations should be building toward that moment.
How to Position Your Organisation for Ford Foundation Funding
Given that Ford Foundation grants are primarily awarded to organisations it identifies proactively, positioning matters as much as formal applications. Here is what African disability organisations should be doing:
Build visibility within the networks Ford Foundation pays attention to. Ford Foundation’s Africa programme officers are active in international conferences, regional advocacy spaces, and global disability rights forums. African disability organisations that are presenting at these events, publishing research or advocacy reports, and contributing to policy processes are much more likely to come to Ford Foundation’s attention than organisations that operate quietly at the local level.
Align your work with Ford Foundation’s thematic priorities. Review Ford Foundation’s current grantmaking strategies and regional priorities at fordfoundation.org. Identify which of your organisation’s programmes or advocacy work most directly aligns with Ford’s priorities around disability rights, gender justice, economic equity, or democracy. Frame your work in those terms in all your public communications.
Ensure persons with disabilities hold genuine leadership in your organisation. Ford explicitly prioritises organisations and projects led by people with disabilities. This is not a checkbox. Ford’s programme officers are sophisticated about the difference between organisations that have token disabled board members and organisations where persons with disabilities genuinely hold decision-making power. Strengthen your governance structures before approaching Ford.
Submit your idea through Ford Foundation’s official short online form. Navigate to fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants and use the submission form to introduce your organisation and share your work. Be concise, specific, and clear about how your work advances disability rights and how your organisation is led by persons with disabilities. Do not treat this as a formal grant application. Treat it as an introduction.
Subscribe to Ford Foundation communications. Ford Foundation recommends subscribing to its newsletter and reviewing its grantmaking strategies as the primary way to stay informed about its work and priorities. Subscribe at fordfoundation.org. Follow Ford Foundation Africa on LinkedIn and social media. Follow the work of Ford Foundation programme officers working on Africa and disability through professional networks.
Build relationships with existing Ford Foundation grantees. One of the most effective pathways to Ford Foundation support is through existing grantee organisations that already have a relationship with Ford. Organisations like the International Disability Alliance, African Disability Forum, and disability-focused legal advocacy organisations that are already in Ford’s portfolio can introduce emerging organisations to Ford programme officers.
Key Things to Know Before Approaching Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation does not fund individuals, only organisations. Ford does not typically fund direct service provision. Ford does not prioritise accessibility projects as a standalone focus. Ford is explicitly focused on systemic change, structural discrimination, and movement building. The foundation’s minimum grant threshold tends to be high relative to smaller funders, and it is more likely to fund established organisations with a track record of policy influence than very new organisations. Applications are not reviewed on a competitive cycle but on an ongoing basis as Ford programme officers assess strategic fit.
This means Ford Foundation is typically not the right first funder for an organisation that is just starting out. It is more likely to be the right next step for an organisation that has already demonstrated capacity, impact, and advocacy influence, and is ready to scale or sustain its work at a higher level.
Why the Ford Foundation Matters in 2026
The Ford Foundation’s $15 million disability commitment and its pledge that 25 percent of all grantmaking will be disability-inclusive represents a structural shift, not a one-year initiative. This means more money will be flowing toward disability organisations through Ford’s Africa offices in the coming years, including through grants that may not be labelled “disability” on the surface but that are specifically structured to include disability organisations.
African disability organisations that begin building their visibility, strengthening their advocacy evidence, and cultivating relationships with Ford Foundation’s networks in 2026 are positioning themselves for funding opportunities that will expand significantly over the coming three to five years.
Start at fordfoundation.org. Subscribe to their newsletter. Submit your idea through their online form. And begin building the relationships that will eventually open the door.