Skip to main content
  • 60 Accesses

Address of Organization

320 East 43rd Street New York, NY 10017 USA www.fordfound.org

Introduction

With 600 staff members, the independent and nongovernmental grantmaking foundation is headquartered in New York City and makes grants throughout the United States and in more than 50 countries. The second largest foundation in the United States and the third largest member of the European Foundation Centre, the foundation’s assets were reported at $13.7 billion in 2007.

Brief History

Founded on January 15, 1936 with an initial gift of $25,000 “all for the public welfare,” the Ford Foundation was created by Edsel Ford, whose father Henry founded the Ford Motor Company. During the first years of the foundation’s work, grants were confined almost entirely to Michigan philanthropies of interest to the Ford family, mainly the Henry Ford Hospital and the Edison Institute.

In 1949, the board approved the recommendations created by the seven-member Gaither Study Committee, which proposed that the...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,100.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References/Further Readings

  • Berman, E. (1983). The ideology of philanthropy: The influence of the Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller foundations on American Foreign Policy. New York: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, M. (2008). Just another emperor? The myths and realities of Philanthrocapitalism. New York: Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korey, W. (2007). Taking on the world’s repressive regimes: The ford foundation’s international human rights policies and practices. New York: Palgrave McMillian.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Reaves, A. (2010). Ford Foundation. In: Anheier, H.K., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-93996-4_375

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-93996-4_375

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-93994-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-93996-4

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics