The Ford Foundation is a New York headquartered, globally oriented private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare. Created by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. After the death of the two founders, the foundation owned 90 percent of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company. The foundation sold its Ford Motor Company holdings and now plays no role in the automobile company. For years, the foundation was the largest, and one of the most influential foundations in the world.