Ford Foundation, Nonprofit organization in Manhattan, New York City, US

The Ford Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Manhattan, New York City, dedicated to social justice initiatives around the world. Its glass and steel building on East 43rd Street houses offices, a publicly accessible atrium, and exhibition spaces that showcase contemporary artworks.

The Ford Foundation was established on January 15, 1936, in Michigan by Edsel Ford and two Ford Motor Company executives, partly in response to the 1935 federal inheritance tax. After Edsel died in 1943 and Henry Ford in 1947, the foundation held 90% of Ford Motor Company non-voting shares. It sold those holdings between 1955 and 1974 and moved to New York City in 1953.

The foundation's name comes from its founders, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford, though it has had no ties to the Ford Motor Company for over thirty years. Henry Ford II resigned from its board in 1976; Henry Ford III is the only Ford family member now serving as a trustee.

The entrance is on East 43rd Street, where the recessed glass section of the facade sits between the beige stone wall and the narrow stone strip. The garden atrium and gallery are reached from the lobby at ground level, with step-free access throughout. Visitors pass through a security desk on arrival.

The building itself, designed by Kevin Roche, earned recognition for its twelve-story atrium filled with more than 160 trees, creating an indoor park in the middle of an office district. This green space serves as a public oasis where visitors can sit on benches while daylight streams through the glass facade.