The John and Miki Ford Foundation concentrates its giving on Catholic and conservative Christian formation, media, legal defense, and youth programs that promote pro-life and orthodox Catholic teaching. It favors organizations that produce intellectual formation, apologetics, film/media, and campus or youth outreach rather than broad secular social services. Grants are mid-sized and targeted to mission-driven national ministries, think tanks, and legal advocacy groups.
A clear pattern in the John and Miki Ford Foundation’s recent grantmaking is its support for Catholic formation, apologetics, and religious-liberty work through unrestricted gifts. Becket received $20,500 in 2023, the largest grant in the recent list, underscoring the foundation’s willingness to back legal defense around faith-related issues. Other sizeable awards point to the same orientation: Napa Institute received $18,016, and Magis Center received $15,000, both in 2023, for Catholic intellectual and formation work. The foundation also funds Catholic media and evangelization efforts. Saint Luke Productions was awarded $13,000 in 2025, while the Augustine Institute received $10,000 in 2023. Alongside those grants, the foundation has supported youth and pro-life organizing, including Students for Life and California Youth Services, and it has given repeated unrestricted support to Catholic institutions such as Carmelite Sisters and St Bernadette Catholic Church. Across the recent grants, the picture is of a funder making targeted, mission-aligned gifts to organizations that advance orthodox Catholic teaching, public advocacy, and formation.
Catholic apologetics and adult faith formation are central to this foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $18,016 to Napa Institute in 2023 and $15,000 to Magis Center in 2023, both unrestricted, indicating support for formation-oriented Catholic work. It also backs media and evangelization. Saint Luke Productions received $13,000 in 2025, and the Augustine Institute received $10,000 in 2023 for Catholic media and educational outreach. Religious liberty and public advocacy appear as another major thread. Becket received $20,500 in 2023 and another $2,500 in 2024, both unrestricted, for legal defense work. In youth and pro-life organizing, Students for Life received $7,500 in 2023 and $2,500 in 2025, while California Youth Services received $6,000 in both 2024 and 2025.
Typical grants cluster in the low-thousands, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $2,500, and a p75 of $5,250. The recent record shows repeated support to several recipients across multiple years, including California Youth Services, Carmelite Sisters, Becket, Students for Life, St Bernadette Catholic Church, The Guiding Star Project, and The Peninsula Foundation. That points to a mix of continuing relationships and one-off awards. Grants are listed as unrestricted, and the foundation does not fund individuals. Its giving is national in scope.
$49K
$14K
$55K
$54K
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Concentrated, mission-aligned giving: roughly a dozen mid-sized grants rather than many small gifts, focused on national Catholic/Christian organizations and recurring thematic support (some repeat grantees), with emphasis on program support for media, formation, advocacy, and youth outreach.
Notable grantees: Becket, Napa Institute, Magis Center, Augustine Institute, Saint Luke Productions
Grants are national and land in multiple regions, with the strongest concentration in North Dakota by count. California accounts for 31% of grants to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, but giving also reaches Washington, DC; Virginia; Arizona; Minnesota; Ohio; and Washington state. Recent recipient cities include Irvine, Garden Grove, Laguna Hills, Los Angeles, and Alhambra in California, plus Bismarck, Fredericksburg, and Phoenix. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Recent grants show support for Catholic apologetics and formation, Catholic media and evangelization, religious-liberty legal defense, and youth and pro-life organizing. Examples include grants to Napa Institute, Magis Center, Saint Luke Productions, Augustine Institute, Becket, Students for Life, and California Youth Services.
The recent grants listed are all marked unrestricted, including awards to Becket, Napa Institute, Augustine Institute, and California Youth Services. That suggests the foundation generally uses flexible support rather than project-only funding in the data shown.
Its grant sizes are generally modest to mid-sized: p25 is $1,000, median is $2,500, and p75 is $5,250. The recent list includes both smaller gifts around $2,500 and larger awards above $10,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including California Youth Services, Carmelite Sisters, Becket, Students for Life, St Bernadette Catholic Church, The Guiding Star Project, and The Peninsula Foundation. That indicates ongoing relationships with some organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $13,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CALIFORNIA YOUTH SERVICES | LAGUNA HILLS, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CARMELITE SISTERS | ALHAMBRA, CA | $5,030 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ARIZONA RIGHT TO LIFE | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE GUIDING STAR PROJECT | IRONTON, MN | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,900 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY | BISMARCK, ND | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STUDENTS FOR LIFE | FREDERICKSBURG, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LEGATUS | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,490 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SISTERS OF ST BENEDICT | FERDINAND, IN | $100 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FRIENDS OF THE TORONTO ORATORY | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $8,800 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| KINGDOM ALLIANCE BUILDERS | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $8,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CALIFORNIA YOUTH SERVICES | LAGUNA HILLS, CA | $6,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CARMELITE SISTERS | ALHAMBRA, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,600 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CATHOLIC INFORMATION CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BECKET | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WYOMING CATHOLIC COLLEGE | LANDER, WY | $2,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LEGATUS | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,443 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY | BISMARCK, ND | $1,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BENEDICTINE COLLEGE | ATCHISON, KS | $500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HOLY CATHOLIC FAMILY | AUSTIN, TX | $50 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BECKET | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NAPA INSTITUTE | IRVINE, CA | $18,016 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MAGIS CENTER | GARDEN GROVE, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AUGUSTINE INSTITUTE | GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| STUDENTS FOR LIFE | FREDERICKSBURG, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE LEONINE FORUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $6,740 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARY | BISMARCK, ND | $5,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CARMELITE SISTERS | ALHAMBRA, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,750 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE GUIDING STAR PROJECT | IRONTON, MN | $2,793 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST PAUL CENTER | STEUBENVILLE, OH | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY CENTER (EPPC) | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WYOMING CATHOLIC COLLEGE | LANDER, WY | $2,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LEGATUS | ANN ARBOR, MI | $1,398 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY | SILVERADO, CA | $1,300 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FOCUS - FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS | GENESSE, CO | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FLORIANI | TEMPE, AZ | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $750 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PRO-LIFE ARIZONA | PHOENIX, AZ | $200 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FIRST THINGS FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $100 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $100 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS
$13,000UNRESTRICTED
CARMELITE SISTERS
$5,030UNRESTRICTED
ARIZONA RIGHT TO LIFE
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
THE GUIDING STAR PROJECT
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,900UNRESTRICTED
STUDENTS FOR LIFE
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
LEGATUS
$1,490UNRESTRICTED
SISTERS OF ST BENEDICT
$100UNRESTRICTED
FRIENDS OF THE TORONTO ORATORY
$8,800UNRESTRICTED
KINGDOM ALLIANCE BUILDERS
$8,000UNRESTRICTED
CARMELITE SISTERS
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,600UNRESTRICTED
BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
CATHOLIC INFORMATION CENTER
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
BECKET
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
WYOMING CATHOLIC COLLEGE
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
LEGATUS
$1,443UNRESTRICTED
SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS
$500UNRESTRICTED
HOLY CATHOLIC FAMILY
$50UNRESTRICTED
BECKET
$20,500UNRESTRICTED
MAGIS CENTER
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
THE LEONINE FORUM
$6,740UNRESTRICTED
CARMELITE SISTERS
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
THE PENINSULA FOUNDATION
$3,750UNRESTRICTED
BEVERLY CULTURAL CENTER
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
ST BERNADETTE CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
THE GUIDING STAR PROJECT
$2,793UNRESTRICTED
WYOMING CATHOLIC COLLEGE
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
LEGATUS
$1,398UNRESTRICTED
ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY
$1,300UNRESTRICTED
FOCUS - FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
FLORIANI
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
SAINT LUKE PRODUCTIONS
$750UNRESTRICTED
PRO-LIFE ARIZONA
$200UNRESTRICTED
FIRST THINGS FOUNDATION
$100UNRESTRICTED