menu 

Brady Foundation

A legacy of giving back

In 1954, William H. Brady Jr. started the W.H. Brady Foundation, contributing millions of dollars to civic, educational and public policy organizations.

His legacy lives on through the Brady Corporation Foundation as well as the Brady Education Foundation.

The Brady Corporation Foundation was established in 2006 to support organizations that inspire our employees in the communities where they live and work, and is proud to carry on Mr. Brady’s philanthropy.

Organizations may apply for grants for projects and programs that align with the Brady values of unlocking potential, protecting our future or differentiating through innovation and should focus on developing leadership, strengthening communities and educational programming.

The Brady Education Foundation is a separate entity run by the granddaughter of Mr. Brady. It currently focuses on ways to close the achievement/opportunity gap for children at risk for poor school outcomes due to environmental factors associated with living in poverty. Please visit the Brady Education Foundation site for more information.

Brady Foundation

Funding Guidelines

Grant Focus Areas

Leadership: We support programs, projects or organizations that inspire people of all ages - from youth to adults - to be better leaders. We are looking for organizations that provide the tools, confidence and training to support strong leaders at school, at work and in the community.

Strengthening Communities: Brady supports programming that builds strong communities, whether that's through fighting poverty, feeding the hungry, restoring neighborhoods, stopping violence, or other initiatives that help the communities where we live, work and thrive.

Educational Programming: Educational initiatives can encompass early childhood through post-secondary education. We will consider applications from non-profit organizations as well as private and public institutions.

Racial equity and inclusion

The Brady Foundation is committed to ensuring a more equitable world for all people. That’s why we are pledging additional funding to organizations specifically addressing racial equity issues. Our giving in this area is concentrated in two categories, which align with our general grant focus areas listed below.

Building the Pipeline: Support for early childhood, elementary and secondary education programming to help students of color achieve success.

Bridging the Gap: Support for basic needs programming that helps address particular gaps low-income people of color struggle with, including housing stability and other initiatives that build strong families.

If you are invited to apply for a Brady Foundation grant, a representative will work with you to determine what category you would best fit into.

Grant Size

Annual grant awards are typically greater than $5,000 and less than $50,000. Applicants will be asked to submit a project budget and justification with their proposal. Please make sure your administrative costs align with the best practices set forth by Charity Navigator and BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Please note that we do not fund multi-year grants. Organizations seeking funding beyond the one year grant period will need to reapply annually.

Eligibility

Organizations must be:

A 501c (3)
US-based
Serving the cities and surrounding areas where Brady operates:
- Billerica, Massachusetts
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Ontario, California
- Plymouth, Minnesota
- Port Orange, Florida
- Buffalo, New York
- Valencia, California

What we don't fund

Sectarian organizations for religious purposes

Partisan political activities

Professional organizations such as bar associations, trade associations, etc.

Grants that would represent more than 10 percent of an organization’s annual operating budget

Capital campaigns

Sponsorships of tables at events and golf outings

Submitting a Proposal

Grant Cycle

Grants are accepted throughout the year and will be reviewed quarterly in February, May, August and November. If one of the dates falls on a weekend or holiday, proposals will be due on the next business day.

Grants due: Aug. 1, Nov. 1, Feb. 1, May 1

Grantees will be notified approximately one month after proposals are received.

Application Process

Contact the Brady Foundation at [email protected] with a brief description (100-200 words) of your organization and what you’re looking to fund with a grant. A Foundation representative will get back to you with further details and an invitation to apply. If invited to apply, you will be asked to submit:

A Brady Foundation application form
A project budget and budget justification
IRS 501c3 determination letter
Most recent 990

Please include:
When applying, please provide a detailed description of how your organization plans to use the funds. Be sure to include the metrics you use to gauge success. We favor organizations and programs that have evidence supporting their effectiveness. Please tell us how your work has been evaluated and proven effective, or how you will use evidence-based results to prove your success.

Other measurements should include, but aren’t limited to:

Your definition of success
Target goals of individuals served
Relevant timelines and target dates

Reporting

All grant recipients will be asked to report on the performance of their programs after the one-year mark or prior to reapplying. This will ensure organizations achieve success and hold all parties accountable. Grant recipients should work directly with the Foundation on an acceptable report format.

***

Proposals should align with one of these three Brady values. All applicants must choose a value and show how it is applicable to their focus area.

Brady Foundation Values

Unlock Potential: We believe we all can, and do, make a difference in our future. We recognize exceptional talent, and provide exposure and opportunities to unlock the potential we see in the people we serve and hire. We are open-minded. We genuinely listen and incorporate diverse viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences to create the best solutions for our clients, customers and the world.

Protect our Future: We are proud of our history and want to ensure that our communities and the people we serve prosper for generations to come. We create innovative solutions and services, remaining mindful of the impact on our people, our planet and our community. We lead responsibly, making smart choices with subsequent centuries in mind.

Differentiate through Innovation: We expect and require innovation from our partners. We count on them to deliver superior projects, programs and services to the people they serve. We encourage everyone to embrace out-of-the-box ideas, both large and small, to better serve their communities. In a world of constant change, we are agile and disciplined. We are able to detect emerging shifts by constantly incorporating community feedback.