Bradley Foundation
 | |
| Company type | Private charitable foundation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1942 |
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
Key people | Dennis J. Kuester Chairman David Vogel Uihlein, Jr. Vice Chairman Richard Graber President and CEO |
| Revenue | 54,916,115 United States dollar (2019)  |
| Website | bradleyfdn |
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a charitable foundation with more than $800 million U.S. dollars in assets. The Foundation supports arts, education and health organizations in Wisconsin with an increasing focus on the goals of American conservatism.[1]
History
The Foundation was established in 1942, shortly after the death of Lynde Bradley. However it was not until twenty years after the death of his brother Harry Lynde Bradley, in 1965, that the Foundation expanded in size and began to focus on public policy.[2] This was followed by the 1985 acquisition of Allen-Bradley by Rockwell International Corporation, with a significant portion of the proceeds going into the expansion of The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which saw its assets rise from $14 million to over $290 million.[3] In 1986 the Foundation gave away $23 million, more than it had in the previous four decades.[2] Whereas in 1980 only 2.5% of grants were related to public policy, by 1990, under the leadership of Mike Joyce (formerly at the John M. Olin Foundation) it was 60%.[2]
The organization was founded in an attempt to preserve and extend the principles and philosophy of the Bradley brothers. According to them, "the good society is a free society. The Bradley Foundation is likewise devoted to strengthening American democratic capitalism and the institutions, principles and values that sustain and nurture it."[4]
The foundation supports limited government, conceived of as a dynamic marketplace where economic, intellectual, and cultural activity can flourish. It states that it defends American ideas and institutions. Next to that it recognizes that responsible self-government depends on informing citizens and creating a well informed public opinion. The foundation tries to accomplish that by financing scholarly studies and academic achievements, most especially by scholars coincidentally named Bradley.[5] The foundation does not limit its donations to organizations focused on domestic policy, but has also funded groups like the Center for Security Policy that focus on security and foreign policy.[6]
The Bradley Foundation's former president, Michael S. Joyce, was instrumental in creating the Philanthropy Roundtable. The goal of the Roundtable's founders was to provide a forum where donors could discuss the principles and practices that inform the best of America's charitable tradition. Currently, there are more than 600 Roundtable Associates.
Governance
Current members of the board of directors of the Bradley Foundation are:
- Chairman: Dennis J. Kuester, former Chairman and CEO of Marshall & Ilsley (1993-2010).[7]
- Vice Chairman: David Vogel Uihlein, Jr., President of Uihlein-Wilson Architects, grandson of co-founder Harry Lynde Bradley.[7]
- President and CEO, Richard Graber.[7]
- Terry Considine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AIMCO.[7]
- Curt Culver, Chairman, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation
- Patrick English, CEO of Fiduciary Management
- Robert P. George, 2005 Bradley Prize recipient, Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.[7]
- Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow at Hoover Institution
- Richard Graber Former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic [7]
- Diane Hendricks, Chairman of ABC Supply
- Cleta Mitchell, Partner at Foley & Lardner.[7]
- Art Pope, President of Variety Wholesalers.[7]
Bradley Prize
The Bradley Prize is a major grant to individuals who are "innovative thinkers". According to the foundation the Bradley Prize is 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 $250,000 each are awarded annually. Winners have included Roger Ailes,[8] Paul Clement, Mitch Daniels, Yuval Levin,[9] Gary Sinise,[10] and Kimberly Strassel.[11]
Grantees
Organizations awarded grants have included FreedomWorks,[12] Americans for Prosperity,[12] the Heritage Foundation,[13] the Hoover Institution,[13] the Black Alliance for Educational Options[13] and the SEED Foundation.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Healy, Patrick; Davey, Monica (June 8, 2015). "Behind Scott Walker, a Longstanding Conservative Alliance Against Unions". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ a b c John J. Miller (2003), "The Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation", in How Two Foundations Reshaped America, Philanthropy Roundtable
- ^ Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, The Bradley Brothers
- ^ Bradley Foundation Mission Statement
- ^ Bradleyfdn.org Archived December 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Islamic rights group's report rips Bradley Foundation funding, Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Bradley Foundation Board of Directors
- ^ Fox News
- ^ (13 June 2014)"Anti-Americanism Needs to Be Answered": Roger Ailes Gets Serious Slate. Retrieved 20 January 2014
- ^ Bond, Paul (May 17, 2016). "Gary Sinise to Receive Bradley Award and $250,000 for His Charitable Foundation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Strassel Wins Bradley Prize: 'Potomac Watch' columnist honored for journalistic excellence". The Wall Street Journal. May 22, 2014.
- ^ a b Bradley Foundation website Archived June 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d "Part1b" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-10-22.