Engaging the public through educational programming and partnerships that reinforce democratic norms and practices while emphasizing the need for virtue-anchored leadership.

We envision a nation whose citizens and leaders understand and exercise the virtues necessary to sustain a constitutional republic. Our goal is to provide educational programming to the general public, with a special emphasis on 18-30 year-olds, and to partner with like-minded organizations that restore patriotic feeling, respect for norms and institutions, and a spirit of cooperative public service. 

We believe that democratic life requires:

• Citizens of good will pursuing the common good

• An ability to work cooperatively and respectfully with political opponents

• Civility, without giving up on principle and conviction

• A recognition that statesmanship requires a combination of goodwill, tolerance, honesty, personal integrity, and prudential and well-informed decision-making

We are committed to:

• Honoring the legacy of President and Mrs. Ford and upholding their examples of virtuous leadership and citizenship;

• Respecting donor intent and making responsible use of their generous gifts;

• Working diligently to create meaningful programs that serve our constituents’ needs and interests;

• Collaborating with other organizations that seek to serve the public good and promote democratic values and norms;

• Integrity and accountability with regard to donors, partners, and the public we serve;

• Constant reassessment of our programs to ensure they align with the Foundation’s mission and are maximizing the impact of our resources. We desire to provide high-impact, low-cost programming rather than low-impact, high-cost programming.

The Ford Leadership Forum, an initiative of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, is inspired by President Ford’s virtue-anchored leadership. It has three programmatic aims:

• Leadership development

• Civic engagement and education

• Community betterment

The Ford Leadership Forum serves its mission through three key program components:

• Civic education for the general public through events and maintaining essays on its Ford Forum website, the essays are distributed weekly through The Observer;

• Leadership training through the Ford Presidential Fellows Program for 18-30 year olds that operates through workshops, seminars, shared experiences, mentoring, and public service opportunities.

• Partnerships with other organizations that will help promote our mission, be consistent with our values, and amplify our message.