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Ford Foundation
Foundation · Founded 1936 · New York City, United States
Who Ford Foundation is.
- Historical Background
- The Ford Foundation was established in 1936 by Henry and Edsel Ford with an initial gift of $25,000. Initially, the foundation's activities were focused on the Ford family's philanthropic interests in Michigan. Following the deaths of Edsel (1943) and Henry Ford (1947), the foundation's mandate expanded to become a national and international organization.
- Source of Capital
- The foundation was originally funded through gifts and bequests from Henry and Edsel Ford, which included non-voting stock in the Ford Motor Company. Today, the foundation's capital is managed as a diversified investment portfolio, and it no longer holds any stock in the Ford Motor Company. This endowment provides a perpetual source of funding for its operations and grant-making activities.
- Allocation Strategy
- The foundation utilizes its capital through Mission Investments, which includes grants, program-related investments (PRIs), and mission-related investments (MRIs). The investment strategy aims to address social problems by using its capital to achieve measurable social and environmental returns alongside financial returns. A key focus area is impact investing, where the foundation acts as a catalytic source of capital to advance the field and encourage other investors.
The funds Ford Foundation backs.
Ford Foundation is a limited partner in 116 funds. 23 of them place in the Power Law Investor Ranking; those lead, best-ranked first.
How Ford Foundation’s fund book is spread.
The 116 funds Ford Foundation backs, by where the manager is headquartered and how many funds that manager has raised.
Where those managers are based
By fund headquarters.
- North America 9784%
- Europe 119%
- Rest of world 87%
United States 97 · United Kingdom 6 · China 2 · Netherlands 2
How established those managers are
Managers grouped by how many funds they have raised — across the 71 of 116 with a fund history on record.
The companies Ford Foundation backs directly.
Ford Foundation holds 17 companies directly, separate from the funds it commits to as a limited partner. Broken down by headquarters country, sector, entry stage and current growth stage. "Stage entered" is the first priced round the investor joined, derived from the investor’s transaction history.
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USA16
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Nigeria1
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Fintech7
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Media3
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Health2
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Education1
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Energy1
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Enterprise Software1
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Real Estate1
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Transportation1
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Travel1
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Seed5
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Series B+3
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Series A1
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Early Growth8
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Breakout Stage3
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Late Growth2
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Mature1
Inside Ford Foundation’s portfolio.
The 17 highest-funded portfolio companies, of 17 tracked.
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NiWhere Ford Foundation’s portfolio founders come from.
16 founders across the 17 highest-funded portfolio companies — by current location, university attended, and the companies they worked at before founding. Sourced from the founder records the API links to each portfolio company.
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United States11
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Nigeria3
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United Kingdom1
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University of Nigeria, Nsukka3
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Brown University2
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Princeton University2
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Columbia Business School1
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Columbia Law School1
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Harvard Business School1
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Harvard University1
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Stanford University1
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Stanford University Graduate School of Business1
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University of Florida1
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AOL1
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AOL UK1
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Appear Here1
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation1
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Brunswick Group1
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Dataloft1
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Decred1
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Digitas1
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Encore.org1
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Flowcode1
Other LPs.
Other foundations in the Power Law LP ranking, closest to Ford Foundation by combined power-law score — North America first, then the nearest worldwide.