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Mission: possible The Ford Motor Company may be working toward Henry Ford's dream of a car for every American, but Ford's other legacy, the Ford Foundation, has loftier goals. This huge philanthropic organization has distributed over $9 billion in grants and loans to individuals and institutions since its 1936 founding. The Ford Foundation's mission consists of the following goals: the strengthening of democratic values, the reduction of poverty and injustice, the promotion of international cooperation, and the advancement of human achievement. Grants fall into three program areas: Asset Building and Community Development; Education, Media, Arts, and Culture; and Peace and Social Justice. International grants are further divided by region. Outgrowing its old ways Henry and Edsel Ford established the foundation with an initial endowment from Ford Motor Company stock. Over time, the foundation outgrew its status as a local Michigan charity and sold its Ford stock in favor of a more diversified portfolio. The basic operating structure, however, remains the same. The foundation's trustees - a group of luminaries that includes business executives, and a former chief of the Cherokee Nation - set policies while the president and senior staff review grant applications. The Ford Foundation's focus is centered around a 60/40 breakdown between endeavors to improve domestic and international conditions. Recent developments The Ford Foundation has been keeping itself busy. In 1998, 25 government programs were named finalists in the annual Innovations in American Governments awards competition funded by the Foundation. Each of the winners received $20,000 for its unique and effective approaches to public policy. Later that year, the Foundation gave the ten "most innovative programs" an award of $100,000 each. The Foundation also launched a $2 million effort to spur urban renewal in distressed sections of Buffalo, New York. Additional Ford contributions have included a May 2000 contribution of $40 million to 28 nonprofit arts organizations in the U.S.
The Ford Foundation's staff falls into two divisions: program staff and administrative staff. The Human Resources department at the Foundation accepts resumes for both divisions. Program employees are usually academics, development officers, or experts in their chosen fields. For general information about the Foundation, contact the Office of Communications or office-communications@fordfound.org. For the addresses of the Foundation's HQ or any of its branch offices, contact the "addresses and Email links" section of its web site at www.fordfound.org.
Not your average big business "The work itself is very different to that of a private company," one insider notes. "You know you are doing something useful for the community and humanity in general." A different informant working in Latin America attests, "Work lasts from 9 to 5:30, which is very uncommon in Chile, where most companies work until 7!" He continues, "we dress very informally. Women usually wear pants, which is also uncommon here. Many companies give uniforms, but we do not." Wanted: smart and individualistic employees Sources profess that the "prestigious" Ford Foundation is "typical of nonprofit and educational institutions" in that it employs "highly intelligent and individualistic" staff and fosters an "informal" atmosphere. Insiders report that working in the "grant making or program" side of the Foundation means "rubbing shoulders with highly-cultured, politically liberal people," who tend "to be a little intolerant of those who don't fit that mold." Nevertheless, anyone who "feels culturally at home in a large liberal arts university" should have no trouble fitting in. Salaries are "well above average" for nonprofit organizations, although academics on the program side and accountants on the administrative side say they would "be making more money in the for-profit sector." While some "employees leave for advancement in the for-profit sector," many stay long enough to move up the ranks. President Susan Berresford, for example, began at the Foundation as a program assistant.
Human Resources
Grants and loans for artistic, cultural, political, and social-welfare projects More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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