Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • February 2020 (Revised January 2022)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (A)

By: Shawn Cole, Michael Norris and T. Robert Zochowski
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:16
ShareBar

Abstract

In 2017, Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world, was preparing to meet with his board of directors to discuss beginning a mission related investments (MRI) program. Walker hoped to devote $1 billion of the Ford Foundation’s $13 billion endowment to the MRI program. The case explores the reasoning behind the program, design choices that were made in its development, and potential problems or tradeoffs to implementing such a program.

Keywords

Mission-Related Investing; Philanthropy; Foundation; Endowments; Socially Responsible Investing; Investment; Institutional Investing; Investment Activism; Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; United States; New York (city, NY)

Citation

Cole, Shawn, Michael Norris, and T. Robert Zochowski. "Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (A)." Harvard Business School Case 220-026, February 2020. (Revised January 2022.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Shawn A. Cole

Finance
→More Publications

Related Work

    • February 2020 (Revised September 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (B)

    By: Shawn Cole, Michael Norris and T. Robert Zochowski
    • February 2020 (Revised January 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (A)

    By: Shawn Cole, Michael Norris and T. Robert Zochowski
Related Work
  • Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (B) By: Shawn Cole, Michael Norris and T. Robert Zochowski
  • Mission Related Investments at the Ford Foundation (A) By: Shawn Cole, Michael Norris and T. Robert Zochowski
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College