The Geraldine C and Emory M Ford Foundation concentrates its modest giving on higher education and local land conservation. A large share of funds have gone repeatedly to a single engineering college, while the remainder supports Montana land-trust work, suggesting personal or geographic affinities. Their grants appear targeted and donor-directed rather than broadly distributed across many causes.
Concentrated, small-scale philanthropy: few grants overall with one dominant repeat grantee receiving the majority of funding and a secondary focus on local conservation; favors general operating support over many single-purpose grants.
The Geraldine C and Emory M Ford Foundation shows a clear pattern of concentrated, donor-directed support: one engineering college and one Montana land trust receive the largest recent awards, while smaller grants extend into arts, education, and place-based community work. Rose Hulman received $27,000 in 2025 for general and EV program support, followed by $20,000 in 2024 and $12,000 in 2023, making it the most visible recipient in the recent record. Montana Land Reliance was next, with $22,000 in 2025 and $7,500 grants in both 2023 and 2024 for general support. Beyond those anchor grants, the foundation’s giving includes a mix of institutional support and project-oriented awards to organizations such as Pomona College, Sonoma Intl Film Society, and Western Folklife Center. The pattern suggests a small grantmaker using relatively focused awards to sustain selected nonprofits over multiple years rather than distributing broadly across many recipients. Grants also reach Montana-based organizations in conservation, culture, and community settings, reinforcing a place-connected profile alongside national education and arts support. The recipient list is entirely U.S.-based, with grants landing in several states but clustering around a few recurring organizations and themes.
Higher education is a recurring theme. The foundation gave $5,000 in 2025 to the University of Houston for education and $400 in 2025 to Stevenson School for education, alongside larger recurring support for Rose Hulman. That mix points to both institutional aid and selective program support. Land conservation is another clear lane. In 2025, Montana Land Reliance received $22,000 for general support, after $7,500 grants in 2024 and 2023. The foundation also gave $3,000 in 2023 to American Rivers in Bozeman, adding another conservation-oriented grant in Montana. Arts and cultural programming appear through several smaller awards. The foundation gave $5,000 in 2024 to Pomona College for the Caracol Project, $5,000 in 2025 to Sonoma Intl Film Society, and $2,000 in 2025 to Bozeman Symphony for arts and culture. It also supported Western Folklife Center in Elko with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grant sizes are small: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $3,000, and p75 is $5,000. The recent record also includes a few larger outliers, with several awards above $20,000. The foundation gives repeatedly to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in higher education and land conservation. That multi-year pattern is visible in awards to the same recipients in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Its approach looks like targeted institutional support rather than a broad open-call program. The foundation is a private foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
$143K
$942K
$140K
$72K
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$5K
About 27% of grants go to recipients in MT.
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Notable grantees: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Montana Land Reliance
Grants are U.S.-only and geographically regional. Montana is the top state by grant count, with 27% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, but awards also land in Indiana, California, Texas, Nevada, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Recent city-level concentration includes Bozeman through awards to American Rivers, Ellen Theatre, Bozeman Symphony, and Ruby Habitat, plus Helena for Montana Land Reliance. Outside Montana, recurring recipients include Terre Haute, Claremont, and Elko.
The recent record centers on higher education, Montana land conservation, and selected arts and culture organizations. Examples include Rose Hulman, Montana Land Reliance, Western Folklife Center, Pomona College, and Sonoma Intl Film Society. The pattern is targeted rather than broad, with repeated support for a small number of nonprofits.
Yes. Rose Hulman appears with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Montana Land Reliance also appears across those same three years. Western Folklife Center received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well, showing a multi-year relationship style.
Typical awards are modest. The distribution shows a p25 of $1,000, a median of $3,000, and a p75 of $5,000. Most recent grants cluster in that range, even though a few larger gifts rise above $20,000.
Montana is the top state by grant count, and 27% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent Montana recipients include organizations in Helena and Bozeman, while other grants go to recipients in Indiana, California, Texas, and several additional states.
The foundation does not fund individuals. Its recent grants go to organizations such as colleges, land trusts, museums, arts groups, and community nonprofits, which fits the institutional pattern shown in the grant record.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROSE HULMAN | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $27,000 | 2025 | GENERAL & EV PROGRAM |
| MT LAND RELIANCE | HELENA, MT | $22,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER | ELKO, NV | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ANDY HEDGES | LUBBOCK, TX | $2,500 | 2025 | ARTS AND CULTURE |
| BOZEMAN SYMPHONY | BOZEMAN, MT | $2,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND CULTURE |
| SOCIETY OF CA PIONEERS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RUBY HABITAT | SHERIDAN, MT | $1,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
| DENISON HOMESTEAD | MYSTIC, CT | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| KANSAS PUBLIC RADIO | LAWRENCE, KS | $500 | 2025 | ARTS AND CULTURE |
| STEVENSON SCHOOL | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $400 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ROSE HULMAN | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL & EV PROGRAM |
| MT LAND RELIANCE | HELENA, MT | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| SONOMA INTL FILM SOCIETY | SONOMA, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| POMONA COLLEGE | CLARMONT, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | CARACOL PROJECT |
| WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER | ELKO, NV | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ALDO LEOPOLD THEATER | MONONA, WI | $1,000 | 2024 | ALEX BULLOCK OLSEN |
| ROSE HULMAN | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $12,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MT LAND RELIANCE | HELENA, MT | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| POMONA COLLEGE | CLARMONT, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SONOMA INTL FILM SOCIETY | SONOMA, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | BOZEMAN, MT | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| ELLEN THEATRE | BOZEMAN, MT | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERALGENERALGENERAL |
| WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER | ELKO, NV | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| DENISON HOMESTEAD | MYSTIC, CT | $300 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| WTRTI | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $300 | 2023 | GENERAL |
ROSE HULMAN
$27,000GENERAL & EV PROGRAM
MT LAND RELIANCE
$22,000GENERAL
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
$5,000EDUCATION
WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER
$3,000GENERAL
ANDY HEDGES
$2,500ARTS AND CULTURE
BOZEMAN SYMPHONY
$2,000ARTS AND CULTURE
SOCIETY OF CA PIONEERS
GENERAL
RUBY HABITAT
$1,000COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DENISON HOMESTEAD
$1,000GENERAL
KANSAS PUBLIC RADIO
$500ARTS AND CULTURE
STEVENSON SCHOOL
$400EDUCATION
ROSE HULMAN
$20,000GENERAL & EV PROGRAM
MT LAND RELIANCE
$7,500GENERAL
SONOMA INTL FILM SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL
POMONA COLLEGE
$5,000CARACOL PROJECT
WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER
$3,000GENERAL
ALDO LEOPOLD THEATER
$1,000ALEX BULLOCK OLSEN
ROSE HULMAN
$12,000GENERAL
MT LAND RELIANCE
$7,500GENERAL
POMONA COLLEGE
$5,000GENERAL
SONOMA INTL FILM SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL
AMERICAN RIVERS
$3,000GENERAL
ELLEN THEATRE
$2,500GENERALGENERALGENERAL
WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER
$500GENERAL
DENISON HOMESTEAD
$300GENERAL
WTRTI
$300GENERAL