Bradley Foundation

{{Conservatism US|expanded=other organizations}}

The foundation was established in 1942, shortly after the death of Lynde Bradley, to further the philosophy of the Bradley brothers. The Bradley brothers had helped found the Allen-Bradley Company, a major electrical controls manufacturer. The foundation's credo is "The good society is a free society."{{cite book |last1=Gonzalez |first1=George |title=Energy and the Politics of the North Atlantic |date=2013 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=9781438447957 |page=147}}

In 1965, after the death of Harry Lynde Bradley, Lynde's brother, the foundation expanded and began to concentrate on public policy. The 1985 acquisition of the Allen-Bradley Company by Rockwell International Corporation resulted in a portion of the proceeds going to expand the foundation, swelling its assets from $14 million to over $290 million.[http://www.bradleyfdn.org/bradley_brothers.asp The Bradley Brothers]. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513234711/http://www.bradleyfdn.org/bradley_brothers.asp|date=2011-05-13}} In 1986, the foundation gave away $23 million, more than it had in the previous four decades.John J. Miller (2003), "The Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation", in [http://www.iviewit.tv/CompanyDocs/grebe3.pdf How Two Foundations Reshaped America], Philanthropy Roundtable

The Bradley Foundation's former president, Michael S. Joyce, helped to create the Philanthropy Roundtable.{{cite web |title=Philanthropy Roundtable: History |url=https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/home/about/who-we-are/history-of-the-philanthropy-roundtable |access-date=27 September 2018 |website=Philanthropy Roundtable |publisher=}}

In 2011, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote that "The Bradley Foundation acts like a venture capital fund for conservative ideas."

The foundation describes itself as supporting limited government.{{Cite web |title=Bradleyfdn.org |url=http://www.bradleyfdn.org/about.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218031944/http://www.bradleyfdn.org/about.html |archivedate=18 December 2005 |website=Bradley Foundation}} The New York Times described the Bradley Foundation as "a leading source of ideas and financing for American conservatives."{{cite news |last1=Healy |first1=Patrick |last2=Davey |first2=Monica |date=8 June 2015 |title=Behind Scott Walker, a Longstanding Conservative Alliance Against Unions (Published 2015) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/us/politics/behind-scott-walker-a-longstanding-conservative-alliance-against-unions.html |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=The New York Times}} A 2013 report from the Center for Public Integrity found that the Bradley Foundation was a contributor to Donors Trust, a donor advised fund which is not required to disclose the identity of its donors.{{Cite web |last=Abowd |first=Paul |date=2013-02-14 |title=Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states |url=http://publicintegrity.org/politics/donors-use-charity-to-push-free-market-policies-in-states/ |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=Center for Public Integrity |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2013-12-03 |title=DonorsTrust—the Right's Dark-Money ATM—Pumps Out Record $96 Million |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/12/donors-trust-franklin-center-alec-mercatus-center-dark-money/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Mother Jones |language=en}}

In a 2018 interview, the foundation's CEO, Richard Graber, described its four major areas of funding as "constitutional order", education (in particular school choice), civil society, and arts and culture. In that interview, Graber said that the foundation would deemphasize some areas in which it had previously made grants, including national security and foreign policy. Between 2008 and 2011, Bradley contributed to the David Horowitz Freedom Center ($4.2 million), the Center for Security Policy ($815,000) and the Middle East Forum ($305,000).Annysa Johnson, [http://archive.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/islamic-rights-groups-report-rips-bradley-foundation-funding-b99103166z1-224649321.html/ Islamic rights group's report rips Bradley Foundation funding], Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (September 20, 2013).

The Bradley Foundation is a major funder of state-level initiatives opposing public sector unions, particularly in Wisconsin.{{Cite news |last=Nelson |first=Anne |date=May 2022 |title=10 People You’ve Never Heard of Who Are Destroying Democracy |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/165984/10-people-destroying-democracy |work=The New Republic |pages=34–37.}} The foundation has made grants to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), The associated Bradley Impact Fund in 2020 gave $6.5 million, its largest donation that year, to Project Veritas.{{cite news |last1=Stanley-Becker |first1=Isaac |date=15 December 2021 |title=Project Veritas nearly doubled its funding in 2020 while amplifying baseless election fraud claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/15/project-veritas-fundraising-voter-fraud/ |access-date=4 August 2024 |work=Washington Post}}

The Bradley Prize is a grant to "formally recognize individuals of extraordinary talent and dedication who have made contributions of excellence in areas consistent with The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation's mission." As many as four prizes of $300,000 each are awarded annually.{{Cite web |last=Bice |first=Daniel |last2=Glauber |first2=Bill |last3=Poston |first3=Ben |date=November 19, 2011 |title=From local roots, Bradley Foundation builds conservative empire |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/from-local-roots-bradley-foundation-builds-conservative-empire-k7337pb-134187368.html |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |language=en |quote=one of the most powerful philanthropic forces behind America's conservative movement}} Winners{{cite web|title=The Bradley Prizes - Past Winners|url=https://www.bradleyfdn.org/prizes/winner|website=The Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation|access-date=11 December 2020}} have included Fouad Ajami (2006), John Bolton (2007), Martin Feldstein (2007), Victor Davis Hanson (2008), Leonard Leo (2009), William Kristol (2009), Paul A. Gigot (2010), Jeb Bush (2011),{{cite web |last1=Rojc |first1=Philip |date=June 4, 2018 |title=War of Ideas: Conservative Intellectuals Have a Friend in This Foundation |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/6/4/war-of-ideas-conservative-intellectuals-have-a-friend-in-this-foundation |access-date=22 February 2019 |website=Inside Philanthropy}} Edwin Meese III (2012), Roger Ailes (2013),{{cite news |last1=Farhi |first1=Paul |date=June 13, 2013 |title=Roger Ailes wows conservatives in accepting Bradley prize |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2013/06/13/roger-ailes-wows-conservatives-in-accepting-bradley-prize/ |access-date=22 February 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Paul Clement (2013), Mitch Daniels (2013), Yuval Levin (2013),(13 June 2014)[http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/06/13/_anti_americanism_needs_to_be_answered_roger_ailes_gets_serious.html "Anti-Americanism Needs to Be Answered": Roger Ailes Gets Serious] Slate. Retrieved 20 January 2014 Kimberley Strassel (2014),{{cite news |title=Strassel Wins Bradley Prize: 'Potomac Watch' columnist honored for journalistic excellence |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=May 22, 2014 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304198504579574061689451386 }} Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2015), James Ceaser (2015), Gary Sinise (2016),{{cite news|last1=Bond|first1=Paul|title=Gary Sinise to Receive Bradley Award and $250,000 for His Charitable Foundation|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gary-sinise-receive-bradley-award-895103|access-date=6 June 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 17, 2016}} Peter Berkowitz (2017), Charles R. Kesler (2018), Roger Kimball (2019), Amity Shlaes (2021),{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=The Lynde and Harry Bradley |title=Amity Shlaes 2021 Bradley Prize Winner |url=https://www.bradleyfdn.org/amity-shlaes-2021bradleyprize |access-date=2022-01-30 |website=Bradley Foundation |language=en}} Glenn Loury (2022),{{cite web |title=Bradley Foundation: Glenn Loury, distinguished economist and scholar, selected as a 2022 Bradley Prize winner |url=https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/bradley-foundation-glenn-loury-distinguished-economist-and-scholar-selected-as-a-2022-bradley-prize-winner/ |website=Bradley Foundation |date=22 March 2022 |access-date=23 March 2022}} John H. Cochrane (2023), Jay Bhattacharya (2024), Barry Strauss (2025), Christopher Rufo (2025), and James Piereson (2025).{{cite news |title=Bradley Foundation announces 2025 Bradley Prize recipients |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/bradley-foundation-announces-2025-bradley-prize-recipients |access-date=10 June 2025 |work=Philanthropy News Digest |date=March 27, 2025 |language=en}}

The Bradley Prizes for 2020 were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite web|title=Welcome To The Bradley Prizes|url=https://www.bradleyfdn.org/prizes/|website=The Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation|access-date=11 December 2020}}

The Bradley Foundation has an 11-member board of directors that includes James T. Barry III, John Beagle, Paul Clement, Patrick English, Robert P. George, Richard Graber, Victor Davis Hanson, Cleta Mitchell, Art Pope, Reid Ribble, and Eugene Scalia.{{cite web |title=Our People {{!}} The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation {{!}} Milwaukee, Wisconsin |url=https://www.bradleyfdn.org/our-people |website=www.bradleyfdn.org |access-date=10 June 2025 |language=en}}

• Argosy Foundation
• Bader Philanthropies
• Charter School Growth Fund
• Dark Money (book)
• Donors Trust
• Lyle Oberwise
• Zilber Family Foundation

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• {{official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130605051816/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4916222 Profile] at Bloomberg Businessweek
• {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|396037928|Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation}}

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Category:Foundations based in the United States

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