Oliver Ford Foundation

The Oliver Ford Foundation, established in 1993 to honor the legacy of renowned English interior designer Oliver Frederick Ford, advances the welfare of people with learning difficulties and disabilities while promoting excellence in decorative arts, including interior decoration, fabric design, decorative materials, and landscape gardening. Ford's will preserved his Grade I listed home, Bewley Court, for public enjoyment, with proceeds directed toward education, housing, training, and support for children, young people, and adults with learning challenges, balanced against fostering public and scholarly engagement in design inspired by his work. This distinctive dual mission—social welfare intertwined with specialist arts—sets it apart as a traditional grantmaking trust with a discreet profile, governed by a small board and publicly documented via the Charity Commission.

It funds UK charities delivering direct services, education, skills development, and community projects for those with learning difficulties, mental health challenges, or disabilities, alongside initiatives enhancing knowledge in decorative arts, such as grants to the Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Horticultural Society, and Furniture History Society. Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities operating in England and Wales, with a preference for small to medium-sized organizations (typically under £500,000 annual income), including grassroots groups; no religious restrictions apply.

Grants range from £1,000 to £10,000 (averaging £6,000–£8,000), covering project, core, revenue, and capital costs for new or repeat efforts. Unsolicited applications are accepted rolling via post (no email or forms)—a covering letter with organizational details, project alignment, and supporting documents sent to the registered address—with trustee reviews several times yearly and decisions typically within months. It excludes non-charities, direct service delivery, and non-UK activities, emphasizing mission-aligned proposals referencing Ford's techniques or taste.