The Ford Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon. Established in 1957 by Kenneth and Hallie Ford as a modest foundation to support timber communities in southwest Oregon, it formally became The Ford Family Foundation in 1996. Today, it operates as one of the Pacific Northwest's largest private foundations, with a focus on rural philanthropy—an area that receives less than 5% of national philanthropic funding.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.1B
+1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$37.4M
-7.3% YoY
Grant Count
1,992
+2.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-9.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: "Successful citizens and vital rural communities"
The Foundation invests through grants, scholarships, and community building to create conditions for children to have the family, educational, and community supports they need to succeed in life. The Foundation defines "rural" as communities with populations under 35,000 that are not adjacent to or part of metropolitan areas.
Core Beliefs:
- The power of rural communities and their role as the backbone of democracy
- The importance of finding common cause and mobilizing collective effort
- That every person deserves the opportunity to thrive
Program Areas:
- Scholarship programs (Ford Opportunity Scholars, Ford Scholars, Ford Transfer Scholars, Ford Sons & Daughters)
- Capital projects supporting community facilities
- Community development and capacity building
- The arts
- Human services
- Education
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,000 - $3,700,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary focus: Rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California
The Foundation serves communities throughout rural Oregon and extends support to Siskiyou County, California. It maintains a Scholarship Office in Eugene and employs five field coordinators based in rural towns throughout the region to support local community building efforts.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $1.14 billion (2024)
Annual Revenue: $81.2 million (2024)
Annual Expenses: $56.9 million (2024)
Total Liabilities: $15.9 million (2024)
Total Grants Awarded: Approximately 1,943 awards in 2023; 2,000+ grants annually
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,143,428,817 | $1,125,032,912 | $1,085,195,597 |
| Revenue | $81,181,123 | $54,265,021 | $33,550,834 |
| Expenses | $56,867,219 | $59,489,862 | $59,124,528 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $52,941,591 | $55,718,916 | $56,551,007 |
| Net Investment Income | $83,878,807 | $49,591,260 | $44,864,867 |
| Distributable Amount | $55,360,967 | $52,889,085 | $54,682,109 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from The Ford Family Foundation
Ford Opportunity Scholars Program Grant
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $40,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ford Scholarships Grant
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $40,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ford Transfer Scholars Program Grant
The Ford Family Foundation
Amount
Up to US $40,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kara Inae Carlisle – President and CEO (joined fall 2023)
- Aden Bliss – Chief Financial and Operations Officer
- Donna Wolford – Assistant Secretary
- Denise Callahan – Director, Program Support Services
- Keavy Cook – Director, Community Youth and Families
The Foundation maintains a board of directors and employs approximately 41-62 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Ford Family Foundation announced 2025 scholarship recipients
The Ford Family Foundation announces 2025 scholarship recipientsThe Ford Family Foundation announced 2024 scholarship recipients
The Ford Family Foundation announces 2025 scholarship recipients29 Oregon artists received Career Opportunity Program grant awards (2026)
29 OREGON ARTISTS RECEIVE CAREER OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM GRANT AWARDS \u2013\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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—
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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