Future of Freedom Initiative

Future of Freedom Initiative is sponsored by John William Pope Foundation. This program supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in the public policy and think tank space. Grants are for projects that expand current work or new endeavors, and each proposal should include the creation of at least one Future of Freedom Fellow.

Future of Freedom Initiative | John William Pope Foundation Future of Freedom Initiative We are investing in the Future of Freedom Initiative to fund projects that will refresh, rebuild, and revitalize the conservative movement in America. Key Dates & Application Link Application open by invitation only The FFI grant program is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in the public policy and think tank space.

Applicants are limited to one proposal that expands current work or a new endeavor. We will not consider requests for general operating support. Each proposal should include the creation of at least one Future of Freedom Fellow .

This Fellow can be a new full-time hire for the organization or a current full-time staff member whose duties would primarily consist of FFI grant-funded activities. This Fellow does not have to be identified before applying, however a job description or candidate description is required.

We will consider a wide range of projects, including but not limited to: Content – Books, research papers, articles, audio, video, websites, polling, or other products Channels – Podcasts, journals, events, or nonprofits aimed at new audiences or issues Collaboration – Working groups, joint projects, conferences, other cooperative networks Cultivation – Recruitment, training, awards, other incentives for emerging talent Funding Range & Reporting Proposals should request $100,000 – $250,000, and all funds should be used within one year.

If your project takes more than one year to complete, you will be able to submit renewal proposals requesting up to $250,000. However, please submit only your fist year’s proposal at this time. Organizations will be required to submit one brief annual narrative report.

We are prioritizing projects that incorporate the following principles: Inclusion – Engage with ideas, individuals, and institutions representing a variety of perspectives and priorities within the Center-Right. Integrity – Constructive engagement with other individuals and institutions across the Center-Right to understand, persuade or find common ground.

Innovation – Reach new audiences, build new coalitions, master new technologies, or increase the productivity of our movement’s public-policy investments. Please contact us at info@jwpf. org.

Modern American conservatism has never been a tidy place. Since its post-World War II origins as a coalition of traditionalists, libertarians, and anti-communists, modern American conservatism has contained a wide variety of writers, organizers, and activists with a common set of adversaries: progressivism at home and totalitarianism abroad. But was that all they had in common?

Some leading voices said yes. But others — William F. Buckley, M.

Stanton Evans, Frank Meyer, and Friedrich Hayek — said no. While recognizing that the Center-Right often disagreed about policy specifics, issue priorities, and basic philosophical questions, these leaders saw their movement as more than just a short-term tactical alliance.

They saw it as a distinctly American blend of the politics of freedom with the politics of order — as an “equilibrium of liberty,” in the evocative description of Hillsdale College professor Nathan Schlueter. Asked to choose between liberty, virtue, or prudence as the guiding principle for American conservatives, these leaders insisted that the only practical answer was all of the above .

“The traditionalist and libertarian strands in conservative thought are congruent instead of contradictory,” wrote Evans. To be a traditionalist in America meant conserving the tradition of classical liberalism embedded in our governing institutions, among other things.

And in Hayek’s words, to be a libertarian in America meant a “respect for a tradition of rules which we only imperfectly understand,” including those that govern the indispensable social institutions of family, faith, and community. JWPF recognizes that American conservatism was never truly a fusion.

A better metaphor from chemistry would be covalent bonding — sharing enough in common to form a potent but flexible political compound without entirely erasing the distinctions among its adherents. JWPF also recognizes that today’s conditions and challenges differ from those faced by Evans, Hayek, and their contemporaries.

Nevertheless, we believe a healthy Center-Right movement — a movement broad enough to constitute a governing majority and strong enough to achieve and sustain policy victories — requires participation, dialogue, and cooperation from diverse groups, including traditionalists and libertarians. In our view, freedom allows us to pursue virtue. In turn, virtuous behavior helps sustain our freedom, and it is a reciprocal relationship.

Maintaining that relationship is no easy task. “Our freedoms didn’t simply happen,” Evans argued. “They were the result of deliberate precautions and provisos, acts of statecraft which it behooves us to study and remember.

” Please read our FAQ section for additional information. If you have further questions, please call us at (919) 871-3329 or email us at info@jwpf. org .

Landmark Center South, 4601 Six Forks Rd, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27609 | 919-871-3329