William & Martha Ford Fund
The William & Martha Ford Fund is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including health, arts, education, youth, and community organizations.
William & Martha Ford Fund at a glance
In short: William & Martha Ford Fund gave $3.2M across 65 grants in 2024 (avg $49K), mostly in Michigan. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,164,400
- +389.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 65
- -11.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $48,683
- +449.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $671,923
- +178.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (6 of 63, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (96% 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 William & Martha Ford Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists David P Larsen as the contact and requests a brief letter, a financial statement, and a copy of the organization’s IRS determination letter. Awards are generally limited to charitable organizations already favorably known to and of interest to the foundation’s substantial contributors. The fund reports that it makes no grants to individuals.
- Contact
Application contact: David P Larsen
Mailing address: 1901 St Antoine Street 6Th Floor, Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 259-7777
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William & Martha Ford Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Henry Ford Health System ($2.1M). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
335 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 317 grants of 335 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 96% of grant dollars went to Michigan recipients, 2% to Ohio, and 1% each to Florida, New York, and New Jersey. The listed recipients include organizations in Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan, as well as organizations in Ohio, Florida, New York, and New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William & Martha Ford Fund open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 63 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 84% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 480% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $482K (2020) to $3.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 65 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford Health System Detroit, MI | Program Services | $2,150,000 |
| The Children's Foundation Detroit, MI | Program Services | $500,000 |
| Christ Church Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe Farms, MI | Program Services | $101,000 |
| The Henry Ford Dearborn, MI | Program Services | $100,000 |
| Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit, MI | Program Services | $50,000 |
| Our Lady of the Elms School Akron, OH | Program Services | $50,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Southfield, MI | Program Services | $25,000 |
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | Program Services | $20,000 |
| Fair Lane Dearborn, MI | Program Services | $15,000 |
| Catch Detroit, 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 | $671,923 | $3,622,919 | $3,192,346 | $3,164,400 | 65 | $3,176,858 | $110,431 | $27,572 |
| 2023 | $241,350 | $198,102 | $669,917 | $646,700 | 73 | $658,207 | $186,397 | $45,275 |
| 2022 | $713,220 | $178,948 | $676,636 | $646,200 | 68 | $659,470 | $164,817 | $71,782 |
| 2021 | $1,210,853 | $109,668 | $564,365 | $545,700 | 64 | $554,197 | $101,325 | $115,057 |
| 2020 | $1,668,407 | $253,584 | $492,681 | $481,577 | 65 | — | $249,335 | $175,587 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William & Martha Ford Fund reported a distributable amount of $28K 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 2024 grants show support for organizations working in several fields. For example, Henry Ford Health describes its mission as improving people’s lives through health care and healing. The Detroit Institute of Arts says it creates experiences that help visitors find personal meaning in art and with one another. Racquet Up Detroit describes a youth mentoring program combining squash, academics, and community service. Princeton University describes its work as research and education.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern addiction support, animal and nature conservation, and community wellbeing. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not stated focus areas or a mission of the fund.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 65 grants totaling $3,164,400. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $2,150,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants included $2,150,000 to Henry Ford Health System, $500,000 to The Children’s Foundation, $101,000 to Christ Church Grosse Pointe, $100,000 to The Henry Ford, and $50,000 to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Other reported grants included $50,000 to Our Lady of the Elms School, $25,000 to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, $20,000 to Princeton University, and $10,000 each to CATCH, the Detroit Zoological Society, and the Freedom Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Martha F Ford as president and director, Christine E Jaggi as treasurer and director, and David P Larsen as secretary and director.
William & Martha Ford Fund is led by Martha F. Ford, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Martha F. Ford
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David P. Larsen
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine E. Jaggi
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Michael J. Montgomery (2020–2021) — Treasurer & Director
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 & Martha Ford Fund
How much does William & Martha Ford Fund give each year?
William & Martha Ford Fund gave $3.2M across 65 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $647K across 73 grants.
What is William & Martha Ford Fund's typical grant size?
William & Martha Ford Fund's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $48,683, across 65 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William & Martha Ford Fund that year got $2K on average.
Where does William & Martha Ford Fund give grants?
William & Martha Ford Fund gives mostly in Michigan: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (18 grants), Grosse Pointe Farms, MI (6 grants), Southfield, MI (4 grants) and East Hampton, NY (4 grants).
Does William & Martha Ford Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 65 grants with a stated purpose on William & Martha Ford Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Services" (65 grants).
Who are William & Martha Ford Fund's largest grantees?
William & Martha Ford Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Henry Ford Health System ($2,150,000), Children's Foundation ($501,000 across 2 grants) and Christ Church Grosse Pointe ($101,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William & Martha Ford Fund?
William & Martha Ford Fund reported $672K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does William & Martha Ford Fund fund?
The 2024 grants show support for organizations working in several fields. For example, Henry Ford Health describes its mission as improving people’s lives through health care and healing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William & Martha Ford Fund?
The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William & Martha Ford Fund's EIN?
William & Martha Ford Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6066335. 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. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 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 11, 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 & Martha Ford Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William & Martha Ford Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-martha-ford-fund-morg_49de815312be414e819c1cc68cbba2fe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_386066335_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William \& Martha Ford Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-and-martha-ford-fund-morg_49de815312be414e819c1cc68cbba2fe},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 & Martha Ford Fund'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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