FRONTLINES

Making Opportunities for All a Priority

Despite decades of progress, a yawning gap remains between black and white wealth, homeownership, employment and education rates. Similarly, women continue to earn significantly less for comparable work than their male counterparts. To address these persistent deficits, the Ford Foundation established the Fulfilling the Dream Fund, a collaborative funding effort committed to implementing innovative ways to support, strengthen and expand opportunities for racial minorities and women in education, employment and contracting.

Established in 2004, the Dream Fund addresses systemic barriers to opportunity and supports institutions with efforts to become more inclusive. Philanthropic partners engaged in this effort now number 30, including the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation.

As of April 2007, the Dream Fund has invested more than $6 million in 43 grants supporting affirmative action efforts nationwide. The grantees—including the Advancement Project, Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the Education Law Center—work at the national, regional and local levels, using research, litigation and communication strategies to achieve Dream Fund goals.

www.affirmativeactionadvocacy.com