The Ford Family Foundation began distributing college scholarships to students in 1994 under the direction of Kenneth Ford. This year the Foundation is celebrating 20 years of scholarships! We thought it would be fun to share some Fun Foundation Facts.
How many scholarships have been given for each scholarship program?
- Ford Scholars = 2,304
- Ford Opportunity = 762
- Ford ReStart = 527
- Ford Sons & Daughters = 720
- Total = 4,313
How much scholarship money has been invested in college students?
- $135 million since 1994
How many Ford Scholar Alumni do we have?
- 1,692 Ford Scholar Alumni
- 936 Ford Opportunity and Ford ReStart Alumni
How many people does the Foundation employ?
- 7 employees in the Foundation Scholarship Office in Eugene
- 22 in Roseburg
How does the Foundation gets its funds?
- The Foundation’s funding comes from earnings off an endowment created by Kenneth and Hallie Ford, which were largely funded by proceeds from Roseburg Forest Products. The amount from earnings we can distribute each year is determined by a complex formula that aligns with IRS regulations for a private foundation. The amount of funding available each year is influenced by a number of factors, including investments and market performance.
More fun facts about the Foundation:
- The Ford Family Foundation is one of the top 100 largest private foundations in the U.S.
- The Foundation is one of the few that specifically states a focus on rural.
- The development of three of our four scholarship programs had direct involvement by either Kenneth or Hallie Ford.
