Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is a New York based international private foundation with the aim of advancing human wellbeing. Founded in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford, it was initially funded by a US$25,000 contribution from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the demise of the two founders, the foundation possessed 90 % of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company. (The Ford family maintained the voting shares.) Between 1955 and 1974, the foundation vended its Ford Motor Company holdings and has no value in the automobile company. The foundation was the biggest for years and one of the most prominent foundations in the world, with worldwide reach and particular interests in democracy, economic empowerment, education, human rights, the creative arts and Third World development.The foundation funds through its headquarters and ten global field offices. For FY 2014, it detailed assets of US$12.4 billion and permitted US$507.9 million in grants. The contribution support projects that center on reducing poverty and inequality; promoting democratic standards; and advancing human acquaintance, creativity and achievement.

Current issues, initiatives and goals

The foundation works on eight significant human welfare issues:

Democratic and accountable government: The foundation works to raise involvement of minority communities at all levels of civic and political life, to amplify the effectiveness of civic organizations by intensification of their infrastructure and dictatorial environments, to eradicate barriers to democratic involvement so that minority populations in the United States are represented fully, to progress the transparency, accountability and completeness of government institutions and processes and to make international financial governance systems more apparent, accountable and effective.

Educational opportunity and scholarship: The foundation works to rediscover public schools through more and improved learning time in localities of intense poverty, so that students are equipped equitably for college, career and civic involvement, to promote policy and institutional modifications that develop disadvantaged people's access to and achievement in high-quality higher education.

Human rights: The foundation works to protect equal rights and better opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, to aid national, state and local organizations sheltered and guard migrant rights and combine them into a broader societal justice agenda, to make certain access for minority groups to a vigorous criminal justice community dedicated to fairness and equal security under the law, to brace fresh voices to make the human rights movement more approachable to the requirement of the poor and minorities with a particular emphasis on the Global South, to assist people required basic economic and social rights, and access remedies when those rights are dishonored, to develop the lives and livelihoods of low-income women by purposefully addressing inequality and discrimination, to defend and progress the rights of people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Sexuality and reproductive health and rights: The foundation works to guarantee evidence-based sexuality and reproductive health and rights research, informs public policy and understanding, to develop national reproductive and sexual health policies and laws supported by provincial and international values, to precede policies and programs that guarantee the improved sexual and reproductive health of minorities young women.

Sustainable development: The foundation works to progress the livelihood of rural poor by increasing access to and decision making on, natural resources, to encourage climate change policies that meet the requirements of rural poor communities globally.