Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn

BROOKLYN, OH EIN: 34-0842282 Website

The S.N. and Ada Ford Fund is a private foundation established in 1949 and located in Brooklyn, Ohio. The foundation was created to honor S.N. Ford, a prominent Mansfield businessman who founded the Ford Lumber Company and served as president of several Mansfield enterprises including telephone, railway, and light and power companies, and his daughter Dr. Ada Ford, a pioneering physician and community leader.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$14.4M

+13.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$595K

-21.6% YoY

Grant Count

-25.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$99K

+4.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn reported a distributable amount of $705K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation was established to honor Dr. Ada Ford's legacy. Dr. Ford (1876-1956) was one of the few women of her era to pursue higher education, attending Denison University and earning a Doctor of Medicine degree from Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1909. She returned to Mansfield to practice medicine until her retirement in 1936 and held leadership positions including president of the Mansfield Telephone Company and vice-president of the Mansfield Building and Loan Association. Dr. Ford was known for her support of local charities, though she preferred to remain anonymous during her lifetime.

Grantmaking

The foundation is actively accepting applications. Recent grantmaking activity shows:

Grant Range

**: $54,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Richland County, Ohio, with a particular emphasis on the Mansfield area and surrounding communities.

Grant Distribution by State

Ohio $2.0M (61%)

New York $1.1M (33%)

New Jersey $122K (4%)

North Dakota $83K (2%)

Illinois $5K (0%)

States

Illinois North Dakota New Jersey New York Ohio

Cities

AkronAshlandChicagoColumbusGrand ForksMadisonMandfieldMansfieldNew YorkShelby

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total assets: $14.4 million (as of 2023)
Annual distributions: Approximately $760,000
Most recent tax filing: December 2023

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$14,431,514	$12,709,113	$12,014,485
Revenue	$2,464,977	$1,440,268	$828,586
Expenses	$696,154	$838,742	$795,867
Qualifying Distributions	$611,896	$774,483	$723,933
Net Investment Income	$2,421,392	$1,394,497	$783,534
Distributable Amount	$705,232	$648,193	$675,412

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 6 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

38 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Catholic Charities ($390,424), Madison Local Board of Education ($76,900), Richland County Foundation ($60,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CATHOLIC CHARITIES NEW YORK, NY	MEDICAL ASSTANCE FOR NEEDY	$390,424
RICHLAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GROUP MANSFIELD, OH	STERKEL PARK PROJECT	$20,000
RUBIES WOMEN'S GROUP MANSFIELD, OH	GENERAL OPERATING	$2,500
RICHLAND COUNTY FOUNDATION MANSFIELD, OH	GENERAL OPERATING	$60,000
MADISON LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION MANSFIELD, OH	GENERAL OPERATING	$76,900
NORTH CENTRAL STATECOLLEGE FOUNDATION MANSFIELD, OH	GENERAL OPERATING	$45,431

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

KeyBank N.A. serves as trustee of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KEYBANK N A	TRUSTEE	1	$56,726

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation maintains an active grants program and continues to accept applications from eligible nonprofit organizations in healthcare, charitable, and educational fields within its service area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn fund?

The S.N. and Ada Ford Fund supports nonprofit organizations operating in the healthcare, charitable, and educational fields within Richland County, Ohio. The foundation's mission centers on providing funding to organizations that sustainably advance community-focused work in these three sectors. The foundation was established to honor Dr. Ada Ford's legacy. Dr. Ford (1876-1956) was one of the few women of her era to pursue higher education, attending Denison University and earning a Doctor of M…

How do I apply for a grant from Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn?

The foundation is actively accepting applications. Recent grantmaking activity shows: • **Total annual giving**: Approximately $760,000 • **Number of grants**: 8 grants annually • **Median grant size**: $54,000 • **Grant range**: $10,000 to $379,000 • **Giving rate**: 6.0% of assets

Where does Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Richland County, Ohio, with a particular emphasis on the Mansfield area and surrounding communities.

What size grants does Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn award?

In 2024, Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn awarded 6 grants totaling $595K — an average of about $99K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Ford S N & Ada Fund Pfdn reported a distributable amount of $705K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.