Our 12 offices in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Russia enable staff to address problems by supporting those living and working closest to them. Since 1950, in order to be near the people and organizations we support, the Ford Foundation has maintained overseas offices staffed by a mix of local and foreign nationals. About half of our staff are in New York and the rest are overseas. We generally remain in locations outside the United States for an extended period, making grants to people who are running innovative programs in their own societies. Some Ford offices make grants in just one country and others work in several.