The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009
The Edward E. Ford Foundation is a private foundation established in 1957 by Edward E. Ford, a businessman involved in the early years of IBM. The foundation is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an office located at 26 Court Street, Suite 2200, Brooklyn, NY 11242. The foundation operates with a small staff of 2 employees and focuses exclusively on supporting independent secondary education in the United States.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$61.7M
-1.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.0M
+61.4% YoY
Grant Count
31
+19.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$96K
+35.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 reported a distributable amount of $4.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to improve secondary education by supporting U.S. independent schools and encouraging promising practices. The foundation seeks to strengthen and support independent secondary schools and challenge them to leverage their unique talents, expertise, and resources to advance teaching and learning throughout the country by supporting and disseminating best practices.
The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:
- Education, with particular emphasis on independent secondary schools
- Teaching and learning practices
- Sustainability initiatives
- Institutional collaboration
- Capital projects, curriculum development, and professional development
- Financial aid and endowment support
- Special programs pertaining to the environment, technology, and pluralism
Grantmaking
The Edward E. Ford Foundation operates three primary grant programs:
Review Cycle
. As of April 2025, the Board had awarded nearly 2,600 grants approximating over $130 million to approximately 1,000 different schools and associations since its inception in 1957.
How to Apply
**: A pre-application introductory call between the Head of School and the Executive Director is required.
Ready to take the next step with The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds independent secondary schools nationally throughout the United States and its territories, with no geographic restrictions beyond the requirement that schools be located in the U.S.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $61,728,804 (as of 2024)
Annual Giving: $2,989,511 (2024)
Total Revenues: $3,346,344 (fiscal year ending September 2024)
Total Expenses: $4,251,720 (fiscal year ending September 2024)
Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3) organization, tax-exempt since August 1959
The foundation has generated over $115 million in additional matching funds raised by recipient schools, amplifying its impact beyond direct grant awards.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $61,728,804 | $62,543,304 | $60,828,105 |
| Revenue | $3,346,344 | $4,908,512 | $4,631,792 |
| Expenses | $4,251,720 | $3,195,540 | $4,337,520 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,845,346 | $2,734,520 | $3,940,699 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,961,415 | $4,547,266 | $4,223,971 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,131,311 | $3,580,821 | $3,869,357 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Marymount School of New York ($250,000), University Liggett School ($250,000), The Gregory School ($200,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Rabun Gap, GA | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| ST ANDREWS SCHOOL Savannah, GA | GENERAL | $20,000 |
| TRINITY PAWLING SCHOOL PAWLING, NY | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| THE VANGUARD SCHOOL Lake Wales, FL | GENERAL | $25,000 |
| Global Education Benchmark Group St Louis, MO | GENERAL | $57,500 |
| Marymount School of New York New York, NY | GENERAL | $250,000 |
| Punahou School Honolulu, HI | GENERAL | $37,500 |
| Dunn School Los Olivos, CA | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| Nichols School Buffalo, NY | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| The Gregory School Tuscon, AZ | GENERAL | $200,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- John Gulla: Executive Director (compensation: $386,507 as of 2024)
- Krystal Zec: Vice President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN GULLA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $386,507 |
| MISS GILLIAN ATTFIELD | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MS GILLIAN R CHRISTENSEN | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MR ROBERT W HALLETT | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| ELIZABETH DUFFY | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MR EDWARD FORD MENARD | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| REVETA BOWERS | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| WILLIAM L MENARD ESQ | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| SUZANNE W MENARD | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MARK REED | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MR CHRISTOPHER BROOKS | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| DAVID HUBBARD | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
| MR TYLER TINGLEY | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
South Kent School was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation to advance its Cardinal Strong Program.
South Kent School Awarded $100,000 E.E. Ford Foundation Grant to AdvanceFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 fund?
The foundation's mission is to improve secondary education by supporting U.S. independent schools and encouraging promising practices. The foundation seeks to strengthen and support independent secondary schools and challenge them to leverage their unique talents, expertise, and resources to advance teaching and learning throughout the country by supporting and disseminating best practices. The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education, with particular emphasis on independen…
How do I apply for a grant from The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009?
The Edward E. Ford Foundation operates three primary grant programs: **Traditional Grants**: These grants support eligible schools and associations to help them grow and develop in pursuit of their own missions. Grant amounts typically range from $25,000 to $250,000. **Educational Leadership Grants**: These consist of larger dollar awards to fewer recipients, also typically ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. **Collaborative Innovation Grants**: Occasionally, the foundation makes larger, multi-ye…
Where does The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 make grants?
The foundation funds independent secondary schools nationally throughout the United States and its territories, with no geographic restrictions beyond the requirement that schools be located in the U.S.
What size grants does The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 award?
In 2024, The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 awarded 31 grants totaling $3.0M — an average of about $96K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 reported a distributable amount of $4.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009's EIN?
The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6047243. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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