Association of Independents in Radio Announces $1.5 Million Partnership with the Ford Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY (December 10, 2025) – The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) is proud to announce a new five-year partnership with the Ford Foundation. This $1.5 million investment will strengthen AIR’s organizational capacity, expand support for independent audio creators, and build long-term sustainability in the audio industry.

The Ford Foundation’s support will provide flexible, multi-year funding to help AIR grow stronger and more resilient. Unlike a traditional project grant, this particular longer-term, special financial allocation will enable AIR to invest in its people, systems, and strategies to adapt, lead, and drive lasting change.

“The Ford Foundation’s long-term support gives AIR the flexibility and strength to invest in what matters most, the independent workforce and the systems that power public and community media,” said Keisha A. Salmon, Executive Director of AIR. “This partnership fuels AIR’s long-term work to build the next generation of creator-led infrastructure, shared and equitable systems, and field-shaping initiatives that reimagine how independence, collaboration, and equity shape the future of audio.”

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For nearly 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

A Shared Commitment to Creative Equity

AIR represents a growing national network of independent producers, editors, engineers, documentarians, and storytellers shaping the future of audio. This new partnership aligns Ford and AIR in a shared mission to strengthen creative infrastructure, promote equity, and ensure that those shaping our independent and public media landscape can do so sustainably.

Over the next five years, the Ford Foundation funding will enable AIR to:

  • Strengthen the systems that make independent work more viable and fair, expanding access to training, resources, and paid opportunities.
  • Invest in workforce sustainability by expanding AIR staff capacity, building leadership pipelines, and developing creator-centered programs.
  • Advance advocacy and industry standards to improve pay equity, fair contracting, and independent creator representation.
  • Develop new networks and models, including regional hubs, creator cooperatives, and shared economic platforms that increase stability and access for freelancers.

Building the Future of Independent Audio

Ford’s investment positions AIR to lead a new era for independent audio and public media. Over the next five years, AIR will strengthen the national infrastructure that supports independent creators and audio journalists by expanding training, advocacy, and funding pathways while building and supporting creator-owned models that give freelancers shared economic power and stability across the field.

These efforts will create a more connected and equitable field, where training, funding, and advocacy work together to sustain the independent workforce that powers public and community media.

With this new commitment from the Ford Foundation, AIR will expand its role as a national hub connecting independents, public media stations, and industry partners by creating shared systems and standards that strengthen the entire field.

“The resources provided by the Ford Foundation will help us not only continue important work supporting independents in media, but it will enable us to start brand new initiatives that are sorely needed, like advocacy work and more,” said Keisha ‘TK’ Dutes, AIR Board Co-President. “This support strengthens AIR’s ability to organize around issues that impact creators, build collective power, and give independents real influence in how the audio industry operates and evolves.”

Together, Ford and AIR are helping redefine what sustainable, creator-led media looks like in the next decade of audio. Through this partnership, AIR will strengthen and connect the systems that support independent creators and audio journalists across public, community, and independent media, ensuring they have the stability, visibility, and collective power to shape the future of storytelling.

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About the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR)

The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) is the national network for independent audio creators and journalists. Since 1988, AIR has trained, mentored, and advocated for thousands of producers, editors, engineers, documentarians, and media entrepreneurs working across public, community, and independent media. AIR builds systems that strengthen creative independence, advance equity, and ensure that independent voices continue to shape the future of audio. Learn more at airmedia.org.

AIR Media Contact:
Sara Baig, Communications Associate
[email protected]