William & Lisa Ford Foundation
William & Lisa Ford Foundation is a private foundation, based in Detroit, MI. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $7.4M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 6 grants totaling $130K. Net investment income was $131K.
William & Lisa Ford Foundation at a glance
In short: William & Lisa Ford Foundation gave $130K across 6 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $130,000
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 6
- +50.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $21,667
- -33.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $7,403,699
- -2.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
Who William & Lisa Ford Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Children's Center ($40K). Together the top 6 received $130K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 59 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
How William & Lisa Ford Foundation gives
- Giving fell 89% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 31% 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $130K (2023) to $1.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 6 grants totaling $130K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Children's Center Detroit, MI | Program Services | $40,000 |
| Bissell Pet Foundation Grand Rapids, MI | Program Services | $25,000 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Program Services | $25,000 |
| Huron River Watershed Council Ann Arbor, MI | Program Services | $20,000 |
| Henry Ford Health Detroit, MI | Program Services | $10,000 |
| The Henry Ford Dearborn, MI | Program Services | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,403,699 | $-35,479 | $161,116 | $130,000 | 6 | $144,358 | $131,472 | $463,145 |
| 2023 | $7,600,294 | $-93,540 | $154,504 | $130,000 | 4 | $142,133 | $109,203 | $414,175 |
| 2022 | $7,848,338 | $-1,431,949 | $1,265,674 | $1,221,000 | 7 | $1,234,550 | $36,477 | $451,655 |
| 2021 | $10,545,961 | $3,066,792 | $1,306,728 | $1,217,600 | 22 | $1,231,858 | $3,017,190 | $654,436 |
| 2020 | $8,784,785 | $525,890 | $1,079,680 | $1,014,350 | 20 | — | $575,764 | $877,848 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William & Lisa Ford Foundation reported a distributable amount of $463K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
William & Lisa Ford Foundation is led by William Clay Ford Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William Clay Ford Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eleanor Ford Cobb
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa V. Ford
Director
Vice President & Director → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David P. Larsen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Michael J. Montgomery (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Thomas J. Motschall (2020) — Part-Year Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about William & Lisa Ford Foundation
How much does William & Lisa Ford Foundation give each year?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation gave $130K across 6 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $130K across 4 grants.
What is William & Lisa Ford Foundation's typical grant size?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $21,667, across 6 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does William & Lisa Ford Foundation give grants?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (2 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (2 grants).
Does William & Lisa Ford Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on William & Lisa Ford Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Services" (6 grants).
Who are William & Lisa Ford Foundation's largest grantees?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Children's Center ($40,000), Bissell Pet Foundation ($25,000) and University of Michigan ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William & Lisa Ford Foundation?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation reported $7.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $144K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $463K (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 is William & Lisa Ford Foundation's EIN?
William & Lisa Ford Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3441138. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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 November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in William & Lisa Ford Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William & Lisa Ford Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-lisa-ford-foundation-morg_7d79887304054f28a89e8d38d498e1f3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383441138_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William \& Lisa Ford Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-lisa-ford-foundation-morg_7d79887304054f28a89e8d38d498e1f3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 William & Lisa 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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