The Ford Foundation was established in 1936 by Edsel Ford, son of the founder of the Ford Motor Company. Since its formation, the organization has been seeking to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement through Grant-making, Program-Related Investments and Mission-Related Investments. Today, the Ford Foundation manages a $12 billion endowment.
To further contribute to its mission, the Ford Foundation has been seeking to promote Impact Investing through their grant-making program. For example, the Ford Foundation helps the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance raise awareness of impact investing in the United States and foster deployment of impact capital. Furthermore, in 2017, the Ford Foundation announced it is committing $ 1 Billion of its endowment to Mission-Related Investments by 2027. This process will be gradual, carving out funds from its current investment portfolio. The Foundation established a Mission-Related Investment Committee to assist the Board of Trustees in this process.