The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York, that supports individuals, ideas, and institutions working to address inequality and advance social justice around the world. Its 2024 filing describes a global organization with eleven offices and grantmaking across nine interconnected program areas.
The Ford Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ford Foundation gave $844.7M across 4,007 grants in 2024 (avg $211K), top state New York. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $844,698,067
- +14.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 4,007
- +7.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $210,806
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $17,484,692,219
- +4.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (612 of 2,659, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (22% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ford Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Application contact: The Ford Foundation
Mailing address: C/O Secretary 320 East 43Rd Street, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 573-5000
Website: https://fordfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Ford Foundation
Who The Ford Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc ($28.6M across 23 grants). Together the top 10 received $107.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 63 grants to individuals ($3,204,469), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
18,267 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 5,837 grants of 18,267 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says its eleven offices combine program areas in response to local contexts and partners. In 2024, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were 28% for an unspecified recipient-state category, 22% for New York, 17% for the District of Columbia, 9% for California, and 4% for Michigan. The filing also lists grants to organizations in locations including Atlanta, Georgia; Springfield, Massachusetts; and San Francisco, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 4,007 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ford Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 612 of 2,659 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $135K; repeat grants $371K. How we count
Medians: $88K first-time, $180K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $735.8M (2023) to $908.6M (2021). In 2024 it made 4,007 grants totaling $844.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc New York, NY | Core support for the abundant futures fund (formerly, the new immigration fund), a national funder collaborative to engage new donors and significantly increase funding for immigration issues and the immigrant justice movement | $15,000,000 |
| Blue Meridian Partners Inc New York, NY | Core support for the justice and mobility fund to accelerate economic mobility through criminal justice reforms for people with convictions and incarceration histories | $12,744,000 |
| Foundation for Detroit's Future Detroit, MI | For the detroit institute of arts settlement project to expedite detroit's bankruptcy settlement, assist in honoring pension commitments and preserve the institutes collection for public benefit | $8,333,333 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc New York, NY | Core support for the collaborative for gender and reproductive equity | $5,000,000 |
| Henry Ford Health System Detroit, MI | General Support | $3,400,000 |
| Drug Policy Alliance New York, NY | General Support and Core Support for Institutional Strengthening | $3,250,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Support | $3,200,000 |
| Equality Fund | General Support | $3,000,000 |
| The Global Fund for Women Inc San Francisco, CA | Core support for the launch of the black feminist fund, an unprecedented philanthropic initiative bridging black feminist resources to black feminist organizing around the world to strengthen their sustainability and resilience | $3,000,000 |
| Me Too International Inc Atlanta, GA | General Support and Core Support for Institutional Strengthening | $2,515,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ford Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $17,484,692,219 | $1,147,097,733 | $1,043,691,402 | $844,698,067 | 4,007 | $1,102,547,617 | $984,109,961 | $814,928,501 |
| 2023 | $16,791,366,964 | $502,432,276 | $851,842,660 | $735,763,273 | 3,718 | $951,028,056 | $825,653,630 | $795,120,762 |
| 2022 | $16,383,378,553 | $925,622,223 | $972,621,627 | $772,941,747 | 3,660 | $964,929,655 | $711,559,510 | $884,874,556 |
| 2021 | $20,038,044,395 | $948,070,079 | $1,340,846,631 | $908,598,475 | 3,433 | $1,087,194,894 | $1,490,387,829 | $903,445,820 |
| 2020 | $17,808,777,548 | $652,006,894 | $1,114,835,564 | $760,803,072 | 3,449 | — | $755,654,338 | $702,439,012 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ford Foundation reported a distributable amount of $814.9M 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 mission is to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. It frames inequality as a defining challenge and works across Civic Engagement and Government; Creativity and Free Expression; Disability Rights; Future of Work(ers); Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice; Global Governance; Mission Investments; Natural Resources and Climate Justice; and Technology and Society.
The foundation says it supports organizations led by women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, provides flexible multiyear funding, and works to strengthen social justice organizations through its BUILD initiative. Its 2024 filing also describes direct charitable activities including a global fellowship program for emerging leaders and BUILD support for social justice organizations and networks.
Examples of grantees include Blue Meridian Partners, which describes its work as funding scalable solutions to poverty and barriers to economic mobility for youth and families; the Drug Policy Alliance, which says it works to expand health and addiction services while reducing arrests and incarceration; and the ACLU Foundation, whose stated mission concerns knowledge and understanding of civil liberties and civil rights. The Global Fund for Women received support for the launch of the Black Feminist Fund.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 4,007 grants totaling $844,698,067. Grant amounts ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000. The largest listed awards included $15 million to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors for the Abundant Futures Fund, a national funder collaborative focused on immigration issues and immigrant justice; $12,744,000 to Blue Meridian Partners for the Justice and Mobility Fund; and $8,333,333 to the Foundation for Detroit’s Future for the Detroit Institute of Arts settlement project. Other large awards included $3.4 million to an individual recipient Health System and $3.25 million to the Drug Policy Alliance.
The foundation’s grant-opportunities page says most grants are identified by the foundation and that it does not accept unsolicited grant proposals by mail, email, or phone. The page lists JustFilms documentary production grants and the New York City Good Neighbor Committee as limited opportunities; it says JustFilms submissions are currently closed, and that the Good Neighbor Committee’s applications were expected to reopen in late summer or early fall 2025, a past cycle. The foundation’s website also warns that it never charges a fee in connection with grants.
The 2024 filing describes proposals as including a project description and work plan, names and CVs of project personnel, a detailed budget, current support, status of applications to other funders, and the project’s legal and tax status. It states that supported activities must be charitable, educational, or scientific under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Darren Walker as president and trustee and Francisco G. Cigarroa as trustee and chair. Other listed officers are Eric W. Doppstadt, VP and chief investment officer; Hillary Pennington, executive VP of programs; Nishka Chandrasoma, VP, secretary, and chief legal officer; Martin Abregu, VP of international programs; Sarita Gupta, VP of U.S. programs; Michele Moore, VP and chief communications officer; Diane Headly, VP and chief people officer; and Depelsha McGruder, VP, COO, and treasurer.
The Ford Foundation is led by Darren Walker, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 22 of 24 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Darren Walker
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$1.1M (2020) → $1.9M (2024)
Francisco G. Cigarroa
Trustee & Chair
On filings since 2020
$53K (2020) → $70K (2024)
Ai-Jen Poo
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Amy C. Falls
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Bryan Stevenson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Chuck Robbins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Gabrielle Sulzberger
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Gbenga Oyebode
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Lourdes Lopez
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Thomas L. Kempner Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$11K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Ursula M. Burns
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$33K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Paula Moreno
Trustee
On filings since 2021
$33K (2021) → $50K (2024)
Catalina Devandas
Trustee
On filings since 2022
$11K (2022) → $50K (2024)
George Walker
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
$17K (2024)
Henry Ford III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Laurene Powell Jobs
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Depelsha McGruder
Vice President, COO & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$299K (2020) → $684K (2024)
Eric W. Doppstadt
Vice President & Chief Investment Officer
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$2.6M (2020) → $4.8M (2024)
Hillary Pennington
Executive Vice President of Programs
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$569K (2020) → $643K (2024)
Martin Abregu
Vice President & International Programs
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$502K (2020) → $549K (2024)
Michele Moore
Vice President & Chief Communications Officer
Vice President & Global Committee → Vice President & Global Communications, 2021
Vice President & Global Communications → Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$394K (2020) → $508K (2024)
Nishka Chandrasoma
Vice President, Secretary & Chief Legal Officer
Vice President, Secretary & General Counsel → Vice President, Secretary & Chief Legal Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$570K (2020) → $693K (2024)
Sarita Gupta
Vice President & U.s. Programs
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$431K (2022) → $484K (2024)
Diane Headly
Vice President & Chief People Officer
New on the 2024 filing
45 hrs/week
$487K (2024)
Former officers (8)
- Former: Diane Samuels (2020–2023) — Vice President & Chief People Officer
- Former: Richard Verma (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Cecile Richards (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Maria Torres-Springer (2020–2022) — Vice President & U.s. Programs
- Former: Peter A. Nadosy (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Mai-Anh Tran (2020) — CFO & Treasurer
- Former: N. R. Narayana Murthy (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Paula Moreno Zapata (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $4.8M, to Eric W Doppstadt (VP & Chief Investment Officer). 22 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ford Foundation
How much does The Ford Foundation give each year?
The Ford Foundation gave $844.7M across 4,007 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $735.8M across 3,718 grants.
What is The Ford Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ford Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $210,806, across 4,007 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ford Foundation that year got $135K on average.
Where does The Ford Foundation give grants?
The Ford Foundation's top state is New York, with 22% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (699 grants), Washington, DC (412 grants), Brooklyn, NY (192 grants) and San Francisco, CA (133 grants).
Does The Ford Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 28% of The Ford Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1,128 of 4,007) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Matching Gift" (848 grants) and "Core Support for Humanitarian Relief in Gaza" (4 grants).
Who are The Ford Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ford Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc ($28,646,400 across 23 grants), New Venture Fund ($22,967,169 across 47 grants) and Blue Meridian Partners Inc ($12,994,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 63 grants to individuals ($3,204,469), which are not listed by name. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ford Foundation?
The Ford Foundation reported $17.5B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1B in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $814.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ford Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ford Foundation?
The Ford Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check fordfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is The Ford Foundation's EIN?
The Ford Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1684331. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ford Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ford Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ford-foundation-morg_256924396acc47f59508cd67681a9cd4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_131684331_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ford Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ford-foundation-morg_256924396acc47f59508cd67681a9cd4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 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.
The Ford Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?