David & Tibby Ford: Building a Legacy of Educational Equity

David & Tibby Ford at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA.

When David Ford came to Washington in 1979, it didn’t take long for him and his wife Tibby to fall in love with their new home.

“This city has such incredible diversity,” David remembers. “Our community has some of the brightest and most ambitious people in the country. We love being a part of that.”

Part of that love included a desire to give back – specifically in the areas of education.

“We realized very quickly that a lot of people in DC don’t have access to the resources they need – especially when it comes to education," Ford reflects. “We watched a lot of our friends and neighbors struggle to find quality, public education and we’d hear about kids falling through the cracks of the existing system.”

“Tibby and I have never had children of our own – but we felt strongly that we should find ways to get involved.”

Building Stronger Educational Foundations with Minds Matter DC

David’s breakthrough moment came from an unlikely source – a book that he was reading, “Give & Take” by Adam Grant. The book shared a story about a Philadelphia teacher who helped to organize a local chapter of a mentorship program called ‘Minds Matter’ to give back to her community and help students in her classroom achieve greater academic success.

“I was so impressed by the book’s description that I went online to look for the DC chapter,” Ford recalled. “There wasn’t one.”

“When I reached out and asked if anyone was planning to organize a chapter in DC, the response was ‘You’re it!’”

Excited by the prospect, David spent the next few months diving head-first into the world of education nonprofits in DC. Leveraging his past experiences as a lawyer and businessman, his first instinct was to draft a business plan for what would become Minds Matter DC. He also met with DC Public School officials and other community leaders to understand the “competitive” landscape, build relationships, and establish a network of partners for the fledgling organization.

“I went into things hoping I could be a mentor,” David recalled. “I wanted to get out into the community, share my experiences, and meet one-on-one with motivated kids.”

“Instead, I ended up in more of an administrator role – managing logistics and finding ways to keep the lights on. It was different than I had expected – but it turned out to be exactly what was needed.”

Now in its 11th year, and as an entirely volunteer program until this year, Minds Matter DC has been transitioning into a well-run business without losing the “heart” of a mentorship program. Its highly-motivated students commit to four hours of classroom attendance every Saturday during the school year, receiving SAT preparation, remedial English instruction, and college readiness support from their sophomore through senior years. In return they are given the all-expense-paid opportunity to attend summer programs at top universities, giving them access to resources and experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.

Promoting Healthcare Access Abroad Through Solidarity Bridge

Ford's commitment to educational equity is matched by his wife Tibby's dedication to healthcare access—a passion rooted in her personal history.

Born in New York but raised in Bolivia by her American school teacher mother and Chilean father, Tibby has long felt a strong connection to the country that gave her a storybook childhood. Bolivia was then, and remains, one of the most economically challenged countries on the continent.

“Many Bolivians – especially those in more rural areas - simply don’t have access to the quality of health care that we have here in the US – or maybe any care at all,” David explained. “Complex medical procedures or cancer treatments are very hard, if not impossible, for large segments of the population to access.” David and Tibby are both cancer survivors, so it’s difficult for them to imagine going without life-saving care.

It was through Tibby's breast cancer surgeon that the couple discovered Solidarity Bridge – a nonprofit that partners with physicians in Bolivia and Paraguay to increase access to safe, affordable surgery and medical care.

“We were so impressed with Solidarity’s approach,” David added. “Rather than simply providing procedures and leaving, the organization trains Bolivian doctors – that way they can continue providing specialized care long after the American medical teams return home.”

This teaching-focused model resonated with David & Tibby, who have become stalwart supporters of the organization. It has also translated into other facets of their philanthropy, as they seek to invest towards building lasting capacity for the organizations and causes they care about.

Planning a Legacy for the Future

For the Fords, effective philanthropy requires the same elements that make organizations successful: clear vision, strategic thinking, sustainable systems, and the patience to build something that will outlast its founders.

“The Community Foundation has been a great partner in our philanthropy,” David shared. “They’ve been so helpful at guiding us through the process and helping us find ways to get involved with the organizations that we support.”

Looking to the future, David & Tibby are continuing to seek ways to make a lasting impact in the community – both through their current giving and through their estate planning.

“We want to make sure that we invest in mechanisms so that after we’re both gone, we are still being as helpful as we can.”

The couple established a Donor Advised Fund with the Greater Washington Community Foundation and included both The Community Foundation and their favorite causes in their estate plans. They also enjoy being hands-on for the causes they care about and are involved on multiple Boards including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Teach for America, and, most recently, David became a Trustee for The Community Foundation.

“We believe in The Community Foundation’s mission and what they are trying to accomplish,” David shared. “We feel it’s important to stay engaged and support the work they are doing -- especially during this critical time for our region.”

Interested in establishing your own philanthropic legacy? The Community Foundation’s team is ready to work with you and your financial planner to help you reach your philanthropic goals! Visit www.thecommunityfoundation.org/donors or contact our Donor Services Team at [email protected] for more information.