FORD HELPS DRIVE BRIGHTER FUTURES IN SAN DIEGO BY INVESTING $1 MILLION IN THE COMMUNITY OVER NEXT YEAR 

OVER $600,000 IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY NON-PROFITS 

SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 31, 2008 - Ford Motor Company and its philanthropic arm, Ford Motor Company Fund, announced today that it will invest more than $1 million over the next year to support county-area community initiatives and charitable organizations through its Operation Goodwill San Diego project. 

Ford contributes to a broad range of community service initiatives nationwide annually.  Over its 105-year history, Ford has given more money in more communities than any other organization in its industry.  This year, Ford began adopting key cities, such as San Diego, for targeted philanthropy.  

“Ford has a long and rich history of partnering with cities such as San Diego, and we plan to invest significant resources in this market over the next year,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.  “Our goal is to work with our local dealers and various non-profit organizations, to take our support for this community to a new level.”  

Ford has already committed financial support to several San Diego-area organizations as part of this investment.  These grants will primarily address programs that positively impact the environment, such as a new Green Skills for Life program to be presented by the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Ford’s title sponsorship of San Diego Coastkeeper’s Beach Cleanup Program and the American Lung Association’s Healthy Air Walk.  Ford will also be a Co-Presenting Sponsor of the American Red Cross Real Heroes breakfast on the USS Midway in September.

Ford Motor Company Fund is also a major supporter of education and teen driver safety in the San Diego community.  Ford's Driving Skills for Life – a hands-on teen safe driving program – will take San Diego’s teen drivers through a fun and intensive driving course in November, teaching driving skills that will help keep them safe on the road. 

“The local Ford dealers are very excited about working with Ford Fund to increase their already strong support of local community initiatives, such as the important San Diego County Salute to Education program,” said John McCallan, Jr., chairman of the San Diego Ford Dealers Advertising Association and owner of Pearson Ford.  The Salute to Education program has provided more than $2.5 million in scholarships since 1997 to help local young people continue their educations after high school.

Ford has been a major contributor to San Diego area organizations for decades, contributing more than $5.1 million to charitable organizations in the last eight years alone.  Following the 2007 wildfires, Ford donated 10 vehicles, valued at $500,000 to the San Diego Fire Department and gave an additional $100,000 to the San Diego American Red Cross disaster relief fund.   

More than $600,000 of the $1 million total has yet to be earmarked for grants, awaiting further research and review with guidance from the San Diego County Ford dealers and a newly established Ford San Diego Community Relations Committee.

To find out more about all the good work Ford is doing in the San Diego community, visit: www.sandiegocountyford.com.  Information about the Ford Motor Company Fund can be found by visiting www.ford.com/our-values.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY 

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit our website at www.ford.com. 

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford does business.  Established in 1949 and made possible by Ford Motor Company profits, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy.  National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative.  The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide.  Through the Volunteer Corps, salaried employees, union members, retirees and their families participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities.  For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com.