NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Goldman Sachs
FUNDING AREAS: Environment & Animals, Historic Preservation, Arts & Culture, Education, Health, Athletics
OVERVIEW: David and Pamela Ford move their philanthropy through the Ford Family Foundation, which according to available tax filings, awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants from 2017 to 2018. The Fords’ philanthropic interests include the environment and animals, historic preservation, the arts, education, health and athletics. They have prioritized the geographic areas of Newport, Rhode Island and New York City.
BACKGROUND: David B. Ford graduated from Florida State University and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He worked at Goldman Sachs for more than three decades, serving as director of global asset management and eventually making partner. Ford is the president of DBF Associates and a senior advisor to Gatemore Capital Management, a private wealth and institutional investment firm. He is also the chair of Princess Pictures, a family entertainment, motion pictures and television company. Pamela Ford is a film producer.
ISSUES:
ENVIRONMENT & ANIMALS: David Ford serves on the board of National Audubon Society, and the couple supports several local chapters of the organization via their foundation. They have also supported the Horticultural Society of New York and several organizations in Rhode Island, including the Aquidneck Land Trust, the Newport Tree Conservancy and the Norman Bird Sanctuary.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION: The Fords have demonstrated enthusiasm for historic preservation, having purchased and overseen restorations of mansions in Warrenton, Virginia and Newport, Rhode Island. Past grantees in the this area include the Preservation Society of Newport County, the French Heritage Society, the Fordsville Historical Society and the World Monument Fund.
ARTS & CULTURE: The Fords have supported a number of arts and culture organizations in Rhode Island, including the Newport Film Festival, the Newport Art Museum and the Newport Performing Arts Center. Other past grantees include the Museum of the City of New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithosinian National Museum of Natural History, the Philadelphia Zoo and the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
EDUCATION: Past grantees in the area of education include Florida State University, the Haverford School, the New School, the Rockefeller University, the Naval War College Foundation, and the Naples Children and Education Foundation.
HEALTH: The Fords have supported health organizations in New York and Rhode Island including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Newport Hospital, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, among others.
ATHLETICS: The Fords’ have supported Squash Drive, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Squash Education Alliance, which provides squash instruction, academic support and mentoring to students from underserved, urban communities.
LOOKING FORWARD: The Fords will most likely continue to support causes in their areas of interest, prioritizing Newport, Rhode Island and New York City.
CONTACT:
The Ford Family Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact, but below is an address:
The Ford Family Foundation
77 Water St., 9th Fl.
New York City, NY 10005