The Ford Family Foundation
The Ford Family Foundation is a private foundation headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon, serving rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. Through grants, scholarships and community building, it supports efforts to provide children with the family, educational and community supports they need to succeed.
The Ford Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ford Family Foundation gave $37.4M across 1,992 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Oregon. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $37,375,285
- -7.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 1,992
- +2.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,763
- -9.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,143,428,817
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Oregon (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Ford Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through its open-grant process. Applicants use the online grant portal and should review the opportunity’s application tools for required materials. Applicants seeking more than $20,000 should contact Foundation staff before submitting an application.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ford Family Foundation
Mailing address: 1600 Nw Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97471
Phone: (541) 957-5574
Website: https://www.tfff.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Ford Family Foundation
Ford Scholarships Grant
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $40,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ford Transfer Scholars Program Grant
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $40,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
The Ford Family Foundation: Good Neighbor Grants
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Ford Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Douglas Education Service District ($589K across 7 grants). Together the top 10 received $4.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 183 grants to individuals ($2,142,967), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
9,759 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 9,004 grants of 9,759 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website says it serves rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, and that new funding must serve Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon and 7% to recipients in California; the filing also lists recipients in DC, Illinois and Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 1,992 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Ford Family Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $30.8M (2018) to $43.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 1,992 grants totaling $37.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tides Center San Francisco, CA | Protect Our Children - Tides Center - 1522 | $523,000 |
| Nonprofit Association of Oregon Portland, OR | 2024 Rural Nonprofit Capacity Building | $437,000 |
| Oregon CASA Network Portland, OR | Strengthening Oregon's CASA Network | $350,000 |
| Hearts With A Mission Medford, OR | Safe Families for Children Oregon Collaborative | $300,000 |
| Oregon Community Foundation Portland, OR | Oregon Child Care Alliance | $275,000 |
| Western Oregon University Development Foundation Monmouth, OR | The Rural Early Learning Facilities Improvement Project | $275,000 |
| Central Oregon Community College Foundation Bend, OR | Expanding Healthcare and Childcare Opportunities in Rural Oregon | $250,000 |
| City of Coquille Coquille, OR | New Library Building Renovation | $250,000 |
| Foundations for A Better Oregon Portland, OR | Extension 2024 - Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Glide Revitalization Glide, OR | Glide Revitalization Community Resource Center | $250,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ford Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing type: Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,143,428,817 | $81,181,123 | $56,867,219 | $37,375,285 | 1,992 | $52,941,591 | $83,878,807 | $55,360,967 |
| 2023 | $1,125,032,912 | $54,265,021 | $59,489,862 | $40,322,363 | 1,949 | $55,718,916 | $49,591,260 | $52,889,085 |
| 2022 | $1,085,195,597 | $33,550,834 | $59,124,528 | $43,386,275 | 1,889 | $56,551,007 | $44,864,867 | $54,682,109 |
| 2021 | $1,245,594,204 | $103,438,214 | $53,177,556 | $35,169,966 | 1,821 | $45,626,636 | $51,028,427 | $56,604,486 |
| 2020 | $1,074,582,451 | $54,954,281 | $24,261,344 | $33,746,299 | 2,108 | — | $55,134,112 | $45,335,936 |
| 2018 | $864,715,660 | $41,371,240 | $44,565,780 | $30,825,398 | 1,814 | — | $44,244,098 | $44,364,846 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ford Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $55.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s website says its investments aim to create the conditions for children to have the family, educational and community supports they need to succeed in life. Its grant priorities include:
- Strong Starts, supporting children and families in the earliest years, including parenting support, child abuse prevention and intervention, foster-care supports, domestic violence programs and childcare.
- Bright Futures, supporting rural children’s learning and development, including early education and literacy, family engagement, youth development, and college or career preparation.
- Thriving Communities, which the website describes as supporting rural people’s power, influence and opportunity to chart their own futures.
The Foundation funds programs, operations and capital projects. Examples of organizations it supported in 2024 illustrate the range of grantees. Oregon CASA Network describes its mission as leading Oregon’s CASA programs to provide a strong voice for every abused and neglected child. Hearts With A Mission describes its mission as serving homeless and at-risk youth through shelter, education, mentoring and transition planning in Oregon counties. The Nonprofit Association of Oregon says it works to strengthen nonprofits’ collective voice, leadership and capacity. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not descriptions of the Foundation’s own mission.
The Foundation also directly administers scholarship programs and provides students with additional supports, including counseling, conferences and professional and personal development opportunities. Its SelectBooks program sends free books upon request to Oregon and Siskiyou County, California residents. In partnership with Oregon State University Extension Service, it also produces Oregon by the Numbers, a report of community measures for Oregon counties.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 1,992 grants totaling $37,375,285. Grant amounts ranged from $43 to $523,000, with a median of $10,000. The Foundation’s website says open grant applications are accepted year-round. Good Neighbor grants are for requests up to $20,000; Technical Assistance grants are available up to $5,000. Larger funding requests are also supported, and applicants seeking more than $20,000 are asked to contact staff before submitting an application.
The Foundation’s open-grant guidance calls for evidence of community buy-in and support. Technical Assistance grants can support consultants or mission-relevant training; the website says a 10% cash match is required and that these grants are generally offered to organizations with annual budgets under $1 million, though exceptions are possible. The grant process begins in an online portal: applicants register or log in, choose an available grant, gather the required materials and submit an application. The website directs applicants to the applicable application tools for required attachments. It says decisions typically take six to ten weeks for Technical Assistance and Good Neighbor grants, and three to six months for other grants. The Foundation’s 2024 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
Notable 2024 grants included $523,000 to Tides Center for “Protect Our Children - Tides Center - 1522,” $437,000 to the Nonprofit Association of Oregon for rural nonprofit capacity building, and $350,000 to Oregon CASA Network for strengthening Oregon’s CASA network. Other examples include $300,000 to Hearts With A Mission for the Safe Families for an individual recipient Collaborative, $275,000 to Oregon Community Foundation for the Oregon Child Care Alliance, and $250,000 to the City of Coquille for a library building renovation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2024 filing lists Kara I Carlisle as President and Aden Bliss as CFOO. Donna Wolford is listed as Assistant Secretary. Directors listed on that filing are Allyson Ford, Andreas Storment, Carrie Thompson, Eric Forrest, Joseph Robertson, Toby Luther and Phillips Gerald.
The Ford Family Foundation is led by Kara I Carlisle, President on every filing since 2023; all 10 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kara I Carlisle
President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$311K (2023) → $526K (2024)
Allyson Ford
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$36K (2018) → $4K (2024)
Andreas Storment
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$36K (2018) → $36K (2024)
Carrie Thompson
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$36K (2018) → $36K (2024)
Eric Forrest
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$36K (2018) → $36K (2024)
Joseph Robertson
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$36K (2018) → $36K (2024)
Toby Luther
Director
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
$54K (2018) → $7K (2024)
Phillips Gerald
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$36K (2024)
Donna P Wolford
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2018
40 hrs/week
$94K (2018) → $111K (2024)
Aden Bliss
Cfoo
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$346K (2023) → $351K (2024)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Anne Kubisch (2018–2023) — President
- Former: Wesley Sand (2018–2023) — Director
- Former: Knute Buehler (2018) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $526K, to Kara I Carlisle (President). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ford Family Foundation
How much does The Ford Family Foundation give each year?
The Ford Family Foundation gave $37.4M across 1,992 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $40.3M across 1,949 grants.
What is The Ford Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ford Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,763, across 1,992 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ford Family Foundation give grants?
The Ford Family Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Roseburg, OR (1,084 grants), Portland, OR (75 grants), Eugene, OR (34 grants) and Coos Bay, OR (24 grants).
Does The Ford Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Ford Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (113 of 1,992) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Scholarship" (1163 grants), "Holiday Giving Program" (37 grants) and "Protect Our Children" (11 grants).
Who are The Ford Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ford Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Douglas Education Service District ($588,692 across 7 grants), Tides Center ($523,000) and Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board ($475,000 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 183 grants to individuals ($2,142,967), which are not listed by name. Together they received 4% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ford Family Foundation?
The Ford Family Foundation reported $1.1B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $55.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ford Family Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s website says its investments aim to create the conditions for children to have the family, educational and community supports they need to succeed in life. Its grant priorities include: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ford Family Foundation?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through its open-grant process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ford Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ford Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-6026156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Does The Ford Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS November 15, 2019)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Ford Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ford Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ford Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ford-family-foundation-morg_4d2eb03e4110439a8fe78c856ade0a3a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_936026156_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ford Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ford-family-foundation-morg_4d2eb03e4110439a8fe78c856ade0a3a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 The Ford Family 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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