Ford Foundation at 90 Years

A historical photo of a crowd marching on a hill with a cloudy sky above them.

In 2026, the Ford Foundation is honored to be celebrating our 90th anniversary. 

Since our inception in 1936, the Ford Foundation’s work has touched the lives of countless people across the globe. We have invested in programs and championed ideas that have improved communities, safeguarded human dignity, and created lasting innovation. We are tremendously proud of our rich tradition and legacy of supporting some of history’s greatest minds, helping build key institutions, and nurturing big ideas. 

Throughout our history, Ford has helped shape work that has become part of the global civic fabric: strengthening education and opportunity, supporting rights and representation for historically excluded groups, investing in culture and creativity, and helping build enduring institutions.

We have supported nonprofit organizations that have advanced the public good over nine decades, from reducing childhood poverty to creating jobs and driving economic growth; building the resilience of communities at the local level, including our hometown of Detroit; promoting the rights and priorities of people with disabilities; and fighting for accountability and the rule of law worldwide.

Our story is rooted in a steadfast belief in the dignity of all people and the freedom to achieve our full potential.

Learn more about our history and join us as we reflect on the Ford Foundation’s impact around the world.

Building on 90 Years of Impact

A vintage, black and white photograph from Middletown (Muncie, Indiana), depicting an inclusive community. A young girl on a bicycle uses a roadside mailbox. A sign in the background lists the local Ford Foundation office alongside essential medical services, illustrating civic participation and access for all residents.

1936

Ford Foundation is Established

Ford has evolved since the early days, as you can see in this photo from our original office in Dearborn, Michigan, 1946. But 90 years has given us the experience to understand better how we can put those founding principles, like safeguarding democracy, into action.

A high-angle shot shows a large, dense crowd of women seated on the ground under a tent in India. Most women wear colorful saris and face toward a stage in the foreground, where speakers are seen from behind addressing the gathering.

1972

Ford Funds the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)

Founded by Ela Ramesh in Ahmedabad, India, Ford supported early work by SEWA in the microfinance movement and continues to celebrate its legacy of inspiring labor movements and financial independence for women across the Global South.

Explore Ford Foundation’s History

“We seeded NPR and PBS to democratize information, ensuring a farmer in Iowa had the same access to high-quality news and culture as a banker in New York.”

Collage image of conductor of Detroit Symphony Orchestra alongside a man in a wheelchair working in welding shop alongside an image of a man on the set of Sesame Street.

Made in the Heartland: 90 Years of Partnership and Progress

Born in Detroit, Ford Foundation remains dedicated to the American Heartland. Through stewardship, civic architecture, and democratic wealth-building, Ford empowers local leaders to drive regional growth. By strengthening institutions and expanding ownership, the Foundation ensures a resilient, inclusive future.