Brett Foote
For years, Ford Motor Company has produced the most popular police vehicles on the market, and holds a nearly 65 percent market share in that segment. Thus, it would seem strange for the automaker to support a recent movement that aims to “defund the police,” but that’s exactly what The National Pulse is claiming that it’s doing through the Ford Foundation. Problem is, the truth behind this story isn’t so cut and dry.
The report cites the fact that since 2016, the Ford Foundation has given around $7.8 million to Black Lives Matter and a series of similar groups through a partnership with Borealis Philanthropy. They also point to the fact that the foundation also funded the group that originally founded this movement back in 2015, Black Youth Project 100. The report points out that these groups are the public face of the defund the police movement, thus Ford is directly supporting it.
Additionally, the Ford Foundation has also donated millions to The Brookings Institution, Center for American Progress, Forward Justice, ACLU, Center for Popular Democracy, the Guardian newspaper, and ProPublica, all of which purportedly support the defund the police movement.
There are some problems with this argument, however. The biggest relates to the connection between the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Foundation. Henry Ford III, the Director for Investor Relations for Ford Motor Company, joined the foundation’s Board of Trustees in February 2019 to help drive its racial injustice agenda.
Ford responded to the report with a statement clarifying the relationship between the two entities, which appears to be non-existent. “Ford Motor Company and the Ford Foundation are completely separate entities and have operated independent of each other since the mid-1970s. Ford has no control of the Ford Foundation’s grant-making policies or decisions. Ford’s charitable arm is the Ford Motor Company Fund.”
“Contrary to some misinformed stories online, neither Ford Motor Company nor the Ford Motor Company Fund has provided funding to any campaign to ‘defund the police.’ Rather, through technology and innovation, Ford will continue to play a positive role in promoting more safety and accountability in policing and produce even safer police vehicles. Ford will continue to work closely with local and state police associations across the country on positive solutions.” The full statement is available below.
We’ll have more on the developing story as it’s available, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Ford Motor Company and the Ford Foundation are completely separate entities and have operated independent of each other since the mid-1970s. Ford has no control of the Ford Foundation’s grant-making policies or decisions. Ford’s charitable arm is the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Ford is proud to be America’s long-time leader in producing police, emergency and first responder vehicles. Our Police Interceptor vehicles are by far the top choice of law enforcement and other emergency services agencies across the country.
To be clear, Ford believes racism, abuse of power and repression in law enforcement must be addressed and stamped out wherever they exist. Good law enforcement agencies and officers play a critical positive role in our communities, but safety and fairness must be inclusive of all, everywhere.
Contrary to some misinformed stories online, neither Ford Motor Company nor the Ford Motor Company Fund has provided funding to any campaign to “defund the police.” Rather, through technology and innovation, Ford will continue to play a positive role in promoting more safety and accountability in policing and produce even safer police vehicles. Ford will continue to work closely with local and state police associations across the country on positive solutions.
What a bunch of turds. Rather than contribute to law enforcement support groups, they give to a Marxist criminal group.
It’s not for sure that they really did though. I hope not. It’s bad enough I have morons in my neighborhood that have BLM signs on their lawns. They have no idea who or what this hate group really is.
Wow. Ford….
Let me get this straight, The Ford Foundation gets it’s money to Donate where exactly?? Yes, profits from Ford Motor Company. I don’t care how you try to separate the two, the cash profits from Ford Police Vehicles is disbursed to shareholders, Majority is the Ford Family, and those profits are sent to defund the police and BLM?
Sorry but no Ford Motor Company Profits, No money for the Ford Foundation to continue to fund BLM.
The Ford Foundation does not get any money from Ford Motor Company whatsoever – not from company profits, not from company stock dividends, not from cash donations made by Ford, nothing. The Ford Foundation gets its money from investment returns on its $12 billion endowment.
Henry Ford II severed the ties between the company and the foundation in 1976, disgusted by what he saw as the foundation’s anti-capitalist work, a sort-of “biting the hand that fed it” since it was capitalism which enabled the creation of the foundation in the first place.
https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/12/archives/henry-ford-2d-quits-foundation-urges-appreciation-for-capitalism.html
The Ford family has been disgusted with what has become of the foundation that old Henry created. It was overrun with leftists in the early sixties. The Ford Foundation as it exists today, is an anti American organization that funds radical leftist organizations.
Dosen’t matter. Henry Ford the 3rd sets on the board of the Ford foundation. As the current owner of 5 personal and company ford vehicles, I can assure you there will be no more . Ford needs to respond quickly to this and properly address this situation.
So if your great grandson turned into a drug dealing crack head or extreme leftist supporter and you had a small business, it would be fair to say “sorry Eddie cranford, I don’t support drug dealers I won’t buy from you”. Seems pretty irrational dude.
So exactly where does the Ford Foundation get its $$$ from When you funnel money into controversial organizations you should be smart enough to do it through an organization that doesn’t bare your name!
Looks to be a pretty good scam to me… we fund BLM… they burn cop cars… cops replace the cars … we make $$$ … we Fund BLM… Any Questions?
HEAR HEAR!!!
Here’s my Ford. It’s ready for all contingencies. My truck was born at FMC, you know, the company that did not need a bailout in 2008. FMC has provided a clear answer to the funding question. As for the Ford family, their contributions to this great nation are beyond question. Henry Ford was the most important citizen of this country since Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
I will email the photo of my Truck to Ford Authority.
I guess Police Departments will no longer purchase police cars from this poorly managed company. $3/share is becoming more of a reality every day
Ford stands to loose in an epic wave of consumer anger if it doesn’t get out and aggressively support the police with an ad. I love Ford, have my whole life, but this is such a weak response. The internet has this available for those that seek it but the anger on social media has turned into a grass fire during a 35 mph wind. Get loud FORD!!!!
Time to put up or shut up Ford. You can’t supply cop cars and then give money to the racists and leftists looking to destroy our country. Let’s get this out there.
If the stand that Ford II took is correct, which I don’t deny that he did that, why didn’t he demand the name be changed? It’s your family and company name! Now to hear Ford III sits on the board? That doesn’t sound like complete separation to me. Definitely a company can support fair & equal justice for everyone without giving money to such radical groups…just read BLM’s mission statement
Bingo ^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^
It would be interesting to see where Ford foundation $ comes from… i.e. What Ford family members donate to the Ford Foundation? How much influence Ford family members actually have over the foundation. Obviously a lot since HFIII is on the board. Ford isn’t doing enough to distance itself from an anti-american radical organization – I will not be buying Ford in the future.
So why not force the “non-related”, “non-Ford supported” organization to remove the Ford name? Simple, if Ford no longer has any connection, take away the Ford name. Permission to use the name is permission to raise money on the Ford reputation.
So exactly where does the Ford Foundation get its $$$ from When you funnel money into controversial organizations you should be smart enough to do it through an organization that doesn’t bare your name!
Looks to be a pretty good scam to me… we fund BLM… they burn cop cars… cops replace the cars … we make $$$ … we Fund BLM… Any Questions?
Next the ” Henry Ford ” will sell off capitalist displays— which would be all of it, to fund the end of IMPERIAL CAPITALISM !! It must be destroy America time, — it is if this crap continues.
Ford is a responsible corporation. Perhaps we would profit from emulating them.
I’m glad you clarified this article in the last paragraph, this whole blm is bs and they know it. Everyone has the opportunities to advance themselves in this great country, get off your lazy asses and make something of yourselves and stop sponging off the working class. You’ll get a much more positive feeling about yourselves and actually enjoy looking at yourselves in the mirror in the morning.
JFK wrote,” ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Mike Kickham July 10, 2020
Take action NOW. to include the following: Henry Ford 111 resigns from The Ford Foundation and –Demand that the Foundation drop the FORD name. This whole situation is disturbing—hopefully it doesn’t linger. The way the country is going now—the left is searching for situations such as this to promote. My assumption is that Police Organizations will pay little attention to this story.
I totally agree with you. Henry Ford ll needs to get out in front of this mess that Henry Ford lll has created. He needs to make it clear that Ford Motor Company and The Ford Motor Company Fund, which does not get involved in politics, is separate from The Ford Foundation. We just purchased a 2020 Ford Vehicle and will continue to stand by Ford but I do hope this gets addressed.
I say that if ford is not part of the foundation they should remove the ford name, and if they are part of it then no one should ever buy another ford automobile. And for me to say that is BIG !! I’m a true blue oval, and owner of 12 automobiles all Ford.
Ford does have a problem with bleeding heart Libs in high positions, including actual Ford family member. The problem Here was letting their money got to people that use it how they want and not overseeing it. Henry Ford is spinning in his grave. They need to get control of this crap quickly because in the world today, perception is almost alway reality wether you like it or not
I purchased my last Ford this year, my LAST Ford. If I had known what they were doing then I would not have purchased it. Ford you have lost my support. If you think law enforcement agencies are not looking at this just ask Ford how many police departments have canceled their orders.
I have 1973 Torino GT, 20th Mustang, 50th Mustang, 1993 Thunderbird SC, 2015 F150, 2018 SHO and i could not tell you how many Ford Trucks I have had and i was going to get a new 2020 F150 till this came out . I have a Son and a Daughter both Police Officer and there is no way in hell I will give Ford one red penny for it to end up at Black “Lies” Matter hands I would feel like i was paying someone to kill my kids . I will never buy a Ford again and i have already started to move over to Ram and yes i have look into them to and as far as i can find they have not gave one penny to Black “Lies” Matter and if they do i will find a car maker who will not make me feel like I’m killing my own Kids. SHAME ON YOU FORD !
Well thats a shame. I believe what the high management states—There is no Ford motor Co. connection with The Ford Foundation!!! PERIOD No replies please
FORD RIP
I’m retiring in 6 months. My dream was to get the top of the line F250 Diesel loaded to the gills. Want to get woke. I walk with my $90,000.