Ford Fund has been a longtime supporter and advocate of recognizing and preserving cultural heritage. Today, we are proud to announce that both Ford Fund and Ford Motor Company are investing $2 million in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino.

This joint gift establishes us as founding donors of the Latino Museum, and will be used to support the new museum’s planning, design and construction and the Young Ambassadors Program (YAP), a leadership development program for graduating high school seniors.

“We are proud to continue our support of the Smithsonian to celebrate and preserve Latino heritage,” said Mary Culler, president of Ford Fund. “By investing in the National Museum of the American Latino, we are honoring traditions that transcend generations and championing the next generation of great Latino leaders.”

In addition to this gift, we have invested over $2 million the past 13 years to support YAP, Latino exhibitions and the Molina Family Latino Gallery, which opened in June at the National Museum of American History.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino advances the representation, understanding and appreciation of Latino history and culture in the United States. The museum provides resources and collaborates with other museums to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more.