Ford Foundation Embeds Multiyear Flexible Funding and Institutional Strengthening Across Entire Global Portfolio

Ford establishes 50% multiyear general operating floor worldwide, commits 5% of program funding to strengthen shared civil society infrastructure.

NEW YORK - The Ford Foundation today announced that it will embed multiyear flexible funding and institutional strengthening as default baseline practices across its entire global portfolio as part of its broader Innovation Agenda. This follows the release of How We Meet This Moment, a report outlining the foundation's new strategic direction.

The move guarantees hundreds of millions of dollars in predictable, flexible capital for organizations navigating increasingly complex conditions worldwide.

The shift builds on insights from Ford's landmark Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD) initiative, with a decade of grantmaking data showing that civil society partners deliver their strongest work when funders offer multiyear flexible support, invest in institutional health, and trust leaders with the independence to carry out their missions.

Ford is integrating these principles into everyday grantmaking across all areas of work through its Office of Innovation, which will play a crucial part in strategy development over the course of 2027.

Key operational commitments will include:

• A Floor of 50% Multiyear General Support: At least half of Ford's total annual program grantmaking budget will be anchored in multiyear general operating support (ranging from three to five years), ensuring grantee partners have stability alongside operational flexibility.
• A 5% Commitment to Institutional Strengthening: Starting in 2028, Ford will commit 5% of its annual program budget-an eightfold increase to dedicated capacity funding. Rather than a one-size-fits-all requirement, these institutional strengthening resources will be available to Ford grantees based on their specific organizational needs, regardless of grant size, type, or term.
• Support for the Broader Ecosystem: Crucially, this investment extends support beyond Ford's portfolio by backing independent capacity-building networks and technical assistance providers that deliver essential services such as legal support, digital security, and financial health directly to organizations across the wider civil society ecosystem.
• Appointing a Director of Grantmaking Excellence:To lead foundation-wide implementation, Ford is promoting Luc Athayde-Rizzaro to director of grantmaking excellence starting in January 2027. Currently serving as grantmaking excellence officer, Athayde-Rizzaro has been a key architect of Ford's learning and grantmaking practice.

"Over the last decade, we learned a simple truth: Organizations do their best work when funders get out of the way, provide flexible funding over multiple years, and help them build institutional strength," said Noorain Khan, chief innovation officer at the Ford Foundation. "True innovation is about taking what we know works and making it our global baseline. Luc is an exceptional leader whose vision and deep expertise have already helped transform our internal approaches, and I am thrilled to see him take the helm as we embed these standards foundation-wide."

"As we chart our path forward, fortifying democracy's preconditions requires changing what we fund and how we fund," said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. "Grantmaking excellence starts with listening to our partners and giving them the long-term stability and autonomy to lead. I am deeply grateful to Noorain and Luc for their exceptional leadership as we implement this practice across the entire foundation. We hope the philanthropic sector will join us in making flexible, multiyear support a standard practice."