The Heartland Initiative

Collage of one male middle farmer and one middle aged woman in the foreground.Getty | Stephen Simpson | Zoran Zeremski

The 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

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

Two men wearing hard hats and safety gear stand in an industrial setting. One man is pointing while holding blueprints, and the other looks on attentively. The background includes various machinery and equipment.
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Willa Johnson in a blue dress sits on a stool in a studio, facing the camera. The text "ON WHAT MATTERS with Willa Johnson" is displayed on the left. A crew member holds a clapperboard, and the scene is visible on a monitor in the foreground.
Videos

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.

Three men are sitting in coversation in against a blue curtain background. The group includes Charles Blow, from left to right, in a dark suit and tie. The middle man, Kevin Bacon, wears glasses and a beige jacket over a dark shirt. The man on the right, Gabe Brown, wears a blue cap and a striped polo shirt.
Videos

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?

Minor League baseball players from the Tri-City ValleyCats' AJ Lee gets a high five from teammates.

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.

A Vital Strategies team stands and smiles in front of a mobile healthcare van at a mobile harm reduction site. The van has a large awning with string lights. A table displays promotional materials and healthcare items. Trees and additional tables are visible in the background.

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.

Two workers in a corridor are repairing, surrounded by wooden boards and tools. One is wearing overalls and a red cap, the other a blue shirt. The passage is lined with light blue walls and signs hanging above.

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…

In The Press

Winding rural road with grassy fields on either side, leading towards farm buildings and a silo in the distance under a clear blue sky.

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.

A serene park scene with a calm lake reflecting surrounding trees and hills. Above the landscape is a blue graphic with a white outline of the United States and the text Heartland Forward.

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

A back country road going through a thick lush green forest.

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.

Sunset view of a mountain range during fall foliage.

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.