• The Ford Fund is investing $1 million in West Tennessee to help local non-profits and municipalities build capacity and infrastructure to better serve the community’s needs for generations to come
• These capital grants are designed to support nonprofits and municipalities in communities around Ford’s BlueOval City, where Ford and its partner, SK On, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and produce an all-new, revolutionary electric truck and advanced batteries to power future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles
• Applications for the $1 million in capital grants open today and are due by Feb. 3, 2023

STANTON, Tenn., Nov. 1, 2022 – The Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, is announcing a new $1 million capital grants program to strengthen and improve local communities’ infrastructure in West Tennessee, home to BlueOval City, Ford’s new $5.6 billion electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus.

Capital grants are tax-exempt charitable gifts designed to fund capital projects such as building renovations, land preservation, and other community-based construction projects. The $1 million in capital grants will be available for nonprofits and municipalities in West Tennessee, located in the following counties surrounding BlueOval City: Haywood, Fayette, Tipton, Lauderdale, Shelby and Madison.

“Community has always come first for Ford, and we are staying true to our legacy of giving back by investing in our new Tennessee neighbors,” said Mike Schmidt, director of Programs at Ford Motor Company Fund. “Our goal is to ensure that the communities where we build benefit from the investments we’re making and the jobs that Ford and SK On are creating.”

The grants are designed to enable capital improvements in the region, including physical infrastructure such as playgrounds and construction of new or renovated spaces like community centers. The awarded grants will range between $25,000 and $100,000.  

Ford’s BlueOval City manufacturing campus will enable Ford and SK On to create 6,000 new jobs and produce an all-new, revolutionary electric truck and advanced batteries to power future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles.

Ford Fund’s capital grants program builds upon the philanthropic support the company has already invested in West Tennessee, including the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum and National Urban League in Memphis.

To apply for a capital grant, organizations should visit: https://fordfund.org/TNcapitalgrants

United Way of West Tennessee will serve as a fiscal sponsor for municipalities and organizations that are not tax-exempt. Those who do not have a 501c3 tax status should email Give@UnitedWay.TN.org and include “Ford Fund Capital Grant” in the subject line when sending an email about applying to the Capital Grant Program through United Way West Tennessee.

Applications are due Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, and applicants will be notified of the results by early April.

# # #