Ford Foundation
| Founded | January 15, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Edsel Ford Henry Ford |
| Type | 501(c)(3) charitable organization[1] |
Tax ID no. | 13-1684331[1] |
| Location |
|
Area served | United States, Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Asia |
| Method | Grantmaking |
Chairman | Francisco G. Cigarroa |
President | Heather Gerken |
| Endowment | US$16.8 billion[2] |
| Website | www |
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare.[3][4][5][6] Created in 1936[7] by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford.[4] By 1947, after the death of the two founders, the foundation owned 90% of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company; the Ford family retained the voting shares.[8] Between 1955 and 1974, the foundation sold its Ford Motor Company holdings and now plays no role in the automobile company.
In 1949, Henry Ford II created Ford Philanthropy, a separate corporate foundation that to this day serves as the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company and is not associated with the foundation. For many years, the foundation's financial endowment was the largest private endowment in the world; it remains among the wealthiest. For fiscal year 2023, it reported assets of $16.8 billion and expenses of $852 million.[2]
- ^ a b "FORD FOUNDATION |". www.open990.org. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Ford Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ^ "The Ford Foundation (Grants)". Urban Ministry: TechMission. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ a b "History: Overview". Ford Foundation. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Walsh, Evelyn C.; Atwater, Verne S. (August 9, 2012). "A Memoir of the Ford Foundation: The Early Years". The Foundation Center: Philanthropy News Digest. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "Development Studies: Foundations & Philanthropies". Wellesley College. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Dietrich II, William S. (Fall 2011). "In the American grain: The amazing story of Henry Ford". Pittsburgh Quarterly. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "The Ford Foundation History". Funding Universe. Retrieved May 14, 2014.