Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation
The Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $82,250 through 10 grants to charitable organizations.
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation at a glance
In short: Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation gave $82K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Michigan. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,250
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,225
- +31.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,502,858
- +19.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 780 Chalmers Ct, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 234-7074
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Epworth Church Association ($51K). Together the top 10 received $82K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 52 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Michigan (63%) and Illinois (33%), with smaller shares going to North Carolina (2%) and Florida (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $54K (2020) to $226K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $82K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Epworth Church Association Ludington, MI | General Unrestricted Use | $51,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Lake Forest, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $16,500 |
| Saint Andrew School Chicago, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $5,000 |
| Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $3,500 |
| Samaritans Purse Boone, NC | General Unrestricted Use | $2,000 |
| Gorton Community Center Lake Forest, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $1,000 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | General Unrestricted Use | $1,000 |
| Moorings Presbyerian Church Naples, FL | General Unrestricted Use | $1,000 |
| Reading Power Lake Forest, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $1,000 |
| Lake County Community Foundation Grayslake, IL | General Unrestricted Use | $250 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,502,858 | $556,540 | $109,633 | $82,250 | 10 | $85,015 | $232,502 | $74,381 |
| 2024 | $1,257,700 | $663,078 | $97,345 | $75,250 | 12 | $77,515 | $337,248 | $56,391 |
| 2023 | $995,153 | $548,911 | $103,892 | $89,000 | 9 | $92,471 | $224,714 | $41,247 |
| 2022 | $550,134 | $16,096 | $109,347 | $94,000 | 11 | $95,896 | $3,906 | $46,987 |
| 2021 | $643,385 | $367,146 | $239,028 | $226,000 | 10 | $227,212 | $106,599 | $50,060 |
| 2020 | $761,088 | $49,996 | $67,133 | $53,500 | 14 | — | $34,027 | $42,273 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation reported a distributable amount of $74K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including churches, a school, a botanical garden, a community center, a literacy program, and other charitable organizations. The listed grants were designated for general unrestricted use.
Among the 2025 recipients, Samaritan’s Purse describes its work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people in need. Reading Power describes its work as literacy tutoring for elementary-school children, and Gorton Community Center describes its purpose as providing a community center for charitable, educational, and cultural purposes and the general welfare of residents of all ages.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $82,250. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $51,000, with a median grant of $1,500.
The largest grants included $51,000 to Epworth Church Association in Ludington, Michigan; $16,500 to First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois; $5,000 to Saint Andrew School in Chicago; and $3,500 to Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. Other recipients included Samaritan’s Purse ($2,000), Gorton Community Center ($1,000), Michigan State University ($1,000), Moorings Presbyterian Church ($1,000), Reading Power ($1,000), and Lake County Community Foundation ($250).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Geraldine Ford as president and Bethany F Jones as treasurer.
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation is led by Geraldine Ford, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Geraldine Ford
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bethany F. Jones
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation
How much does Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation give each year?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation gave $82K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $75K across 12 grants.
What is Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's typical grant size?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $8,225, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation give grants?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Forest, IL (3 grants).
Does Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's largest grantees?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Epworth Church Association ($51,000), First Presbyterian Church ($16,500) and Saint Andrew School ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $74K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including churches, a school, a botanical garden, a community center, a literacy program, and other charitable organizations. The listed grants were designated for general unrestricted use. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's EIN?
Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-7134051. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/geraldine-and-roland-ford-foundation-morg_a33afbf35e0642588f73a7e09432ddf5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_477134051_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Geraldine \& Roland Ford Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/geraldine-and-roland-ford-foundation-morg_a33afbf35e0642588f73a7e09432ddf5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Geraldine & Roland Ford Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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