Who Is at the Table: Disability Representation on Philanthropic Boards
Learn why disability inclusion is a vital part of foundation board diversity, and how to make the board at your foundation more disability-inclusive.
MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey Becomes Co-Chair of the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy
Chicago, IL (March 5, 2025) - The Disability & Philanthropy Forum announced that John Palfrey, President of the John D....
A Call to Action in Philanthropy
Sandy Ho shares a view of her first 6 months as Executive Director of the Forum, and gives a glimpse into what's in store for 2025.
“Leadership of the Most Impacted”: Black Philanthropy Month and Disability Justice with Ryan Easterly
Ryan Easterly shares how disability justice has influenced his journey as a Black disabled leader in philanthropy.
How Funders Can Help Divert People with Mental Health Disabilities from Contact with the Criminal Legal System
Learn how philanthropy can aid in preventing the overrepresentation of people with mental health conditions in the criminal legal system.
The Power of Participation: How Philanthropy Can Center People on the Margins
Learn more about the the Advancing Participation in Philanthropy Tool (APPT), a self-assessment tool to help philanthropy shift power in support of participatory grantmaking.
“Nothing About Us, Without Us” is Beginning to Take Hold in Philanthropy
Emily Harris reflects on her time as the executive director of the Forum and shares stories of the change that is starting to take hold in the philanthropic sector.
Disability Inclusion: A Radical Departure from Philanthropy’s Past
Emily Harris reflects on philanthropy's ableist past and urges the sector to move forward in a way that truly embraces disability inclusion.
How Funders Can Increase Disabled Women’s and Birthing People’s Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Author Sarah Katz addresses concrete steps that philanthropy can take to improve access to reproductive healthcare for women and birthing people.
We Cannot Achieve Housing Equity Without Accessibility
Dessa Cosma, the Executive Director of Detroit Disability Power, reflects on her experiences with housing inaccessibility and urges policymakers and funders to take action toward a more equitable housing sector.
All of Our Futures Depend on Funding Disability
Philanthropy cannot continue to ignore disability rights and justice or relegate disabled people to the sidelines.
The Disabled Mindset: Embracing My Disability Identity
Learn more about Sarah Napoli, the Forum's Learning Services Director, in this blog post about her experiences coming into her disability identity.
Disabled People Can Be Productive Workers, But That Shouldn’t Determine Our Worth
Author Alaina Lavoie explores the ableism of disabled people being valued or devalued based on their ability to work.
Shifting My Mindset: From Internalizing Ableism to Dismantling It
Learn more about Emily Harris, the Forum's Executive Director, in this blog post about her journey to identifying as disabled and working to dismantle ableism.
Black and Disabled: I Have Lived in the Shadows
Learn more about Gail Fuller, the Forum's Program and Communications Director, in this blog post about her experiences as a Black woman with a non-apparent disability.
A Letter to the Americans with Disabilities Act on Its 32nd Birthday
Sandy Ho reflects on the ADA as a first step for disability rights and looks ahead to the future.
Moving Toward Equity: the Disability Inclusion Pledge
by Megan E. Doherty Although disability is a natural part of the human experience, our cultures and institutions—including philanthropy—have long...
Supporting Disability Inclusion Among Creative Groups
by Lane Harwell, Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression, Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) program...
How Can We Foster Psychologically Safe Workplaces?
Learn how to create a psychologically safe workplace for people both with and without disabilities.
How Philanthropy Can Support Disabled Parents
by Robin Wilson-Beattie Having spent almost 17 years as a parent who has chronic, physical, and mental health disabilities, I’ve...
The Importance of, and Strategies for, Encouraging Self-ID of Disability
by Kathy Martinez Recently, I was pleased to participate in a Disability and Philanthropy Forum webinar focused on demographic tracking...
Moving the Needle on Employing People with Disabilities: What to Know About Collecting Disability Data
by Chai Feldblum People with disabilities are disproportionately unemployed and underemployed in this country. The unemployment rate in 2020 for...
Shifting Toward Inclusion: Accessible Workplaces in a World Recovering from COVID-19
by Yomi S. Wrong October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to highlight the immeasurable value people...
Eugenics: Historical Practice to Present Day Technology
by Dr. Joseph Stramondo Sir Francis Galton coined the term “eugenics” in 1883 to refer to the belief that the...
Anti-Black Racism and Ableism in the Workplace
by D'Arcee NealApril 2021 When I went for a job interview in the summer of 2015 for a high-powered federal...
My Experiences as a Filipino/Black Woman with a Disability in Philanthropy
by Nikki Brown-Booker, August 2020 I am a Filipino/Black woman with a disability who works in philanthropy. When I enter...
Four Ways We Can Work Towards Creating Inclusive Workspaces
By Sarah Napoli, Project Officer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Open Society Foundations, July 2020 When the pandemic hit the globe...
Disability Rights History: A Brief Introduction
Disability rights are universal civil rights and human rights, but these rights are not yet fully realized by society. Though...
What is Disability?
This introductory resource explains how disability is defined and the "models of disability," or frameworks, that are used to understand...
The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Brief Background
Learn about the history and intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), its impact on the disability community, and...
What is Disability Justice?
In this resource, you'll learn about the origin and definition of disability justice as a movement and framework. Disability Justice...
What is Ableism?
This introductory resource provides a working definition of ableism along with information to help reflect on ableist practices. Ableism is...