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The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation is a nonpartisan, educational institution promoting the high ideals of integrity, honesty, and candor that defined President Ford’s extraordinary career of public service.
Ford Presidential Foundation Launches $12 Million FORD50 Campaign for Civic Education
Honoring 50 Years of President Ford’s Legacy with Bold Programs that Champion Integrity and Public Service
GRAND RAPIDS, MI —The Ford Presidential Foundation officially launched the FORD50 Campaign, a $12 million national fundraising initiative, honoring the 50th anniversary of President Gerald R. Ford’s time in the Oval Office (1974-1977) by expanding its civic education programs across Michigan and the nation.
The announcement at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum featured Foundation trustees Mike and Steven Ford, sons of President and Mrs. Ford; Douglas DeVos, co-chair of Amway Corporation and co-chair of the Ford50 campaign; Marc Halsema, founder of Jaclise International and co-chair of the Ford50 campaign; and Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Ford Presidential Foundation.
In its quiet phase, the campaign has secured $10 million in charitable commitments and is now seeking public participation in raising the final $2 million to fund the educational programming expansion.
The FORD50 Campaign is a bold commitment to engage and inspire three key audiences — school-aged youth, college-aged and young adults, and lifelong learners — through programming that champions the values President and Mrs. Ford embodied: cooperation, bipartisanship, civil discourse, patriotism, decency, and integrity.
“In a time of deep national division, the legacy of President and Mrs. Ford offers a much-needed example of character-driven leadership,” said Whitney. “With the support of the FORD50 Campaign, we can bring their ideals to new generations and build a future rooted in civic responsibility and mutual respect.”
