Profile
The Ford Foundation
320 E. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10017-4801
Telephone: (212) 573-5000
Contact: Secy.
FAX: (212) 351-3677
E-mail: office-secretary@fordfound.org
URL: http://www.fordfound.org
Donor(s): Henry Ford‡; Edsel Ford‡.
Type of grantmaker: Independent foundation.
Background: Incorporated in 1936 in MI.
Purpose and activities: The foundation's mission is to serve as a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to: strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Grants are made primarily within three broad categories: (1) asset building and community development; (2) knowledge, creativity, and freedom; and (3) peace and social justice. Local needs and priorities, within these subject areas, determine program activities in individual countries.
Program area(s): The grantmaker has identified the following area(s) of interest:
Community and Resource Development: The area coordinates work in three fields and aims to create conditions for the development of sustainable and equitable communities. 1) Environment and Development: help people and groups acquire, protect, improve and manage land, water, forests, wildlife and other natural assets in ways that help reduce poverty and injustice. 2) Community Development: seek to improve the quality of life and opportunities for positive change in urban and rural communities. The foundation supports community-based institutions that mobilize and leverage philanthropic capital, investment capital, social capital and natural resources in a responsible and fair manner. 3) Sexuality and Reproductive Health: the foundation focuses on the social, cultural and economic factors that affect sexuality and reproductive health. Grant making emphasizes community-based responses to growing needs for prevention strategies and appropriate policies. It also focuses on empowering women and youth to participate in improving reproductive health and related policies.
Economic Development: The area seeks to make durable economic improvements in the lives of the disadvantaged. The area coordinates efforts in two fields: 1) Development Finance and Economic Security: support organizations that help businesses create employment opportunities and help low-income people acquire, develop and maintain savings, investments, businesses, homes, land and other assets. 2) Work-force Development: support organizations that help improve the ways low-income people develop marketable job skills and acquire and retain reliable employment that provides livable wages. The Economic Development area administers program-related investments (PRIs) for the foundation's programs.
Education, Sexuality, Religion: The area works in three fields: 1) Education and Scholarship: seek to increase educational access and quality for the disadvantaged, to educate new leaders and thinkers and to foster knowledge and curriculum supportive of inclusion, development and civic life. Grant making supports policy, research and reform programs in both schools and higher education institutions around the world, with particular emphasis on enhancing the performance of educational systems through improving finance, access, accountability and training. Scholarship is supported to deepen understanding of such issues as gender, identity, pluralism and social change. 2) Sexuality and Reproductive Health: supports efforts to build knowledge, develop policy and deepen public understanding of sexuality and its relationship to human fulfillment, culture, religion and identity. 3) Religion, Society and Culture: examine the role of religious traditions of the world in shaping social values, with the goal of strengthening the contribution of these traditions to creating just, healthy and pluralistic societies. Grant making also seeks to support the participation of historically marginalized groups in the interpretation of diverse religious and cultural traditions and to examine the moral resources they offer contemporary societies.
Governance and Civil Society: The area works in two fields: 1) Governance: strengthen the responsiveness of state and local governments, improve the ability of national government institutions to secure peace and social justice, and build democratic global governance in the arenas of international economics, conflict and security. The area supports efforts to improve government performance, build public awareness of budget and tax issues and confront the challenges posed by the trend toward government decentralization. Additional areas of work promote the value of political equality in America through sound reforms in electoral procedures and campaign financing. The global dimensions of governance are addressed through grant making to improve the management of the international economy and to prevent, mediate and address the consequences of conflict within and between nations. 2) Civil Society: seek to increase the impact of citizens' groups working for peace and social justice, strengthen the philanthropic community that supports them, and encourage citizen oversight of the public and private sectors. The foundation believes in the value of associational life and in nurturing strong, independent and democratic civil societies. Grants seek to increase participation in public affairs beyond the act of voting and to strengthen civil society organizations. Another initiative aims to foster philanthropy that contributes to social justice outcomes. Other work strengthens global civil society and the ability of transnational citizens' coalitions to address public policy problems.
Human Rights: The area works in two fields: 1) Human Rights: promote access to justice and the protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, especially for the most vulnerable individuals and groups in society. Grant making emphasizes implementation of human rights protections by strengthening advocacy groups, supporting research and promoting outreach and education. Women's rights and racial justice programming builds on the historic victories of these movements in the United States and supports antidiscrimination efforts and the struggles of women and minority groups in Latin America, South Asia and elsewhere. Other programming supports the protection of refugees and the human rights of immigrants domestically and around the world. 2) Sexuality and Reproductive Health: works to secure recognition and enforcement of reproductive rights as embodied in the Plan of Action that emerged from the 1994 United Nations International Conferences on Population and Development in Cairo. This work combines the protection of human rights with the promotion of public health. Grant activities include HIV/AIDS prevention and efforts to end HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination; halting sex-related trafficking, exploitation and violence; and promoting access to reproductive health services and technologies.
Matching Gifts: The foundation matches the monetary gifts of its employees to charitable organizations.
Media, Arts, and Culture: The area seeks to strengthen the arts and media as important contributors to the communities and societies in which they function, and works in two fields to accomplish these goals: 1) Media: strengthens free and responsible media that address important civic and social issues, and promotes policies and regulations that ensure media and information systems serve the public's diverse constituencies and interests. In addition, the foundation supports high-quality productions that enrich public dialogue on such core issues as building democratic values and pluralism. 2) Arts and Culture: the goal is to increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression for people of all backgrounds; to foster documentation, dissemination and transmission of both new and traditional creative art forms; to broaden audience involvement and access; and to improve the livelihoods of artists and their opportunity to contribute to civic life.
Fields of interest: Africa; Agriculture; AIDS; Arts; Asia; Civil rights, race/intergroup relations; Civil/human rights; Community/economic development; Crime/violence prevention, abuse prevention; Economically disadvantaged; Economics; Education; Education, early childhood education; Elementary school/education; Employment; Environment; Environment, natural resources; Government/public administration; Higher education; Housing/shelter, development; Human services; Immigrants/refugees; International affairs; International affairs, arms control; International affairs, foreign policy; International economic development; International human rights; International studies; Latin America; Law/international law; Leadership development; Legal services; Media, film/video; Media/communications; Middle East; Minorities; Minorities/immigrants, centers/services; Museums; Performing arts; Performing arts, dance; Performing arts, music; Performing arts, theater; Philanthropy/voluntarism; Public affairs, citizen participation; Public health, STDs; Public policy, research; Religion, interfaith issues; Reproductive health; Reproductive health, sexuality education; Rural development; Russia; Secondary school/education; Social sciences; Southeast Asia; Urban/community development; Women; Women, centers/services; Youth development.
Geographic focus: National; international
Types of support: Conferences/seminars; Consulting services; Continuing support; Curriculum development; Employee matching gifts; Endowments; Fellowships; Film/video/radio; General/operating support; Grants to individuals; Income development; Management development/capacity building; Matching/challenge support; Program development; Program evaluation; Program-related investments/loans; Publication; Research; Seed money; Technical assistance.
Limitations: Giving on an international basis, including the U.S., Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Russia, Latin America and the Caribbean. No support for programs for which substantial support from government or other sources is readily available, or for religious sectarian activities. No grants for routine operating costs, construction or maintenance of buildings, or undergraduate scholarships; graduate fellowships generally channeled through grants to universities or other organizations; no grants for purely personal or local needs.
Publications: Annual report (including application guidelines); Application guidelines; Informational brochure (including application guidelines); Newsletter; Occasional report.
Application information: Prospective applicants are advised to review the foundation's Web site for information or current funding guidelines. Foreign applicants should contact foundation for addresses of its overseas offices, through which they must apply. Application form not required. Applicants should submit the following:
1) timetable for implementation and evaluation of project
2) qualifications of key personnel
3) statement of problem project will address
4) brief history of organization and description of its mission
5) detailed description of project and amount of funding requested
Initial approach: Brief letter of inquiry
Copies of proposal: 1
Board meeting date(s): Jan., May, and Sept.
Deadline(s): None
Final notification: Initial indication as to whether proposal falls within program interests within 6 weeks
Applications accepted in the following language(s): French; Spanish; Russian
Officers and Trustees:* Kathryn S. Fuller,* Chair.; Luis A. Ubinas, Pres.; Barron M. Tenny, Exec. V.P., Secy., and Genl. Counsel; Linda B. Strumpf, V.P. and C.I.O.; Alison R. Bernstein, V.P., Knowledge, Creativity, and Freedom; Pablo J. Farias, V.P., Asset Building and Community Devel.; Mary E. McClymont, V.P.. Peace and Social Justice; Marta L. Tellado, V.P., Comms.; Nicholas M. Gabriel, Treas. and Dir., Financial Svcs.; Nancy P. Feller, Assoc. Genl. Counsel; Afsaneh M. Beschloss; Anke A. Ehrhardt; Juliet V. Garcia; Irene Y. Hirano; J. Clifford Hudson; Wilmot G. James; Yolanda Kakabadse; Thurgood Marshall, Jr.; Richard Moe; Yolanda T. Moses; Carl B. Weisbrod; W. Richard West.
Number of staff: 281 full-time professional; 220 full-time support; 3 part-time support.
Memberships: Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group; Consultative Group on Biodiversity; Council of Michigan Foundations; Council on Foundations; Disability Funders Network; Donors Forum of Chicago; Environmental Grantmakers Association; European Foundation Center; Funders Concerned About AIDS; Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing; Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities; Grantmakers for Education; Grantmakers for Effective Organizations; Grantmakers In the Arts; Grants Managers Network; Hispanics in Philanthropy; Independent Sector; International Funders for Indigenous People; Native Americans in Philanthropy; Neighborhood Funders Group; New York Regional Association of Grantmakers; Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York; Northern California Grantmakers; Peace and Security Funders Group; Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE); Philanthropy Roundtable; PRI Makers Network; Southeastern Council of Foundations; Southern California Grantmakers; Technology Affinity Group; The Communications Network; Women & Philanthropy.
Financial data: (yr. ended 09/30/07): Assets, $13,659,731,000 (M); expenditures, $765,871,000; total giving, $580,680,000; qualifying distributions, $580,680,000; giving activities include $580,680,000 for grants, $9,753,000 for foundation-administered programs and $26,185,000 for loans/program-related investments.
Additional geographic information: County: New York; metropolitan area: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA.
EIN: 131684331
Selected grants: The following grants were reported in 2006.
$5,000,000 to Shorebank Enterprise Detroit, Detroit, MI, To provide capital to support real estate, minority business and contractor development programs.
$3,000,000 to TrustAfrica, Washington, DC, For general support to strengthen and diversify financial base and to enhance grant making and other activities to promote African solutions for peace, regional integration and identity and citizenship.
$2,000,000 to Public Interest Projects, New York, NY, To assist Four Freedoms Fund in expanding grant-making and field-building activities with respect to immigrants' rights, payable over 2 years.
$650,000 to Centre for Development and Population Activities, Washington, DC, To plan training component of Advancing Women's Leadership and Advocacy for HIV/AIDS Action Initiative for Global Coalition on Women and AIDS.
$575,000 to International Trade Law and Development Institute (IDCID), Sao Paulo, Brazil, For applied research, training and dissemination of knowledge on international trade agreements and intellectual property rights, payable over 2 years.
$250,300 to University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, For Timbuktu Manuscripts Project to translate, analyze and publish pre-colonial manuscripts, develop research resources and train postgraduate students in process, payable over 2 years.
$250,000 to Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, Charlottesville, VA, To coordinate activities of Difficult Dialogues initiative and provide stipends to 16 institutions demonstrating special merit in awards review process, payable over 2.75 years.
Last updated: 01/23/2008 |
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