Brady Education Foundation was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1954. The Foundation undertook a major grant-making initiative in 2003 after changing its name from W. H. Brady Foundation. At that time the Brady Education Foundation changed its focus.
History
The W.H. Brady Foundation was founded in 1954 by William H. Brady, Jr., one of the founding members of the National Review. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1954 to 1988, the foundation's headquarters moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 1996.
Originally the foundation made grants in the areas of arts, culture and education. From the 1970s to 2001 the Foundation increased its giving in the area of conservative public policy, giving to organizations including the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, the Independent Women's Forum, the Acton Institute For the Study of Religion and Liberty, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship, and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.
In 2001 the organization was renamed the Brady Education Foundation and moved its offices to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Its mission was changed to focus on the achievement/opportunity gap for children at risk for poor school outcomes because of factors associated with living in poverty. The Foundation promotes collaboration between researchers and educators via the funding of program development and program evaluations. It focuses on the development and evaluation of programs that are consistent with a strength-based approach and show promise of being feasible, effective and sustainable. Since 2009, the foundation has made grants to colleges and universities across the United States.
The foundation's 2007 tax returns show assets of $15,135,880. The Foundation is a member of the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers.