The Bradley Foundation gives a very small number of large, targeted gifts, concentrating heavily on a single Catholic secondary school and on conservative public policy work. The largest commitments fund a music endowment at Northwest Catholic High School, while a smaller grant supports strategy work at The Heritage Foundation. Their giving appears programmatic (endowment/capacity) and aligned with faith-based education and conservative policy interests.
A $300,000 grant to Northwest Catholic High School for the Damuth Music Endowment is the clearest signal in the Eleanor & Raymond Bradley Foundation - C/o Kearns & Kearns’ recent giving: it favors a small number of large, targeted awards tied to Catholic education and mission-driven institutions. The foundation’s recent grants also include continued support for that same school in 2023, showing a repeated commitment rather than one-off patronage. Beyond education, its portfolio reaches into conservative policy work and Catholic campus ministry, with grants to The Heritage Foundation and Brotherhood of Hope. The mix suggests a funder that uses sizeable awards to strengthen institutions through endowment support, strategy assistance, scholarship funding, and faith formation. A smaller grant to Sealkids Inc. adds another dimension, connecting the foundation to support for Navy SEALs and families of those killed in action. Across the recent record, the foundation’s giving is selective and purpose-specific, with named recipients in education, policy, ministry, and military-related support.
Catholic education is the most visible theme in the foundation’s recent grants. Two awards to Northwest Catholic High School, including $300,000 in 2024 for the Damuth Music Endowment and $125,000 in 2023 for the same purpose, point to long-term institutional support rather than short-cycle project funding. The foundation also backs Catholic formation outside the classroom. In 2023, it gave $25,000 to Brotherhood of Hope to assist Catholic ministry in college, linking its giving to campus faith life. Scholarship support appears as well: Scott R Gill Scholarship received $10,000 in 2024 for scholarship purposes. A separate 2023 grant of $10,000 to Sealkids Inc supports the education of Navy SEALs KIA, showing that the foundation’s interests extend beyond schools and ministries into education tied to military families.
The foundation’s typical grant size is relatively large, with a 25th percentile of $13,750, a median of $37,500, and a 75th percentile of $106,250. Recent giving shows repetition with Northwest Catholic High School appearing in consecutive years for the same endowment purpose, while other recipients appear as single grants. The pattern suggests a programmatic approach centered on targeted institutional support rather than broad, open-ended grantmaking. The foundation is structured as a private foundation and also funds individuals. No application process is indicated in the available records.
$1M
$3.5M
$1.1M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $14K and $106K, with a median of $38K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$38K
75th Percentile
$106K
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Highly concentrated: few, large grants with repeat funding to a single local Catholic school (endowment-focused) plus occasional gifts to national conservative policy organizations.
Notable grantees: Northwest Catholic High School, The Heritage Foundation, Damuth Music Endowment (program at Northwest Catholic High School)
Giving is regional, but the recent record is concentrated in the United States. Half of grants go to recipients in Connecticut, including West Hartford and Avon. Washington, DC appears as a recipient location through a grant to The Heritage Foundation, while Boston, MA and Dublin, OH also appear in the recent grants list. The recipient-country distribution shows 100% of grants going to US organizations.
Recent grants go to Catholic secondary education, Catholic college ministry, a scholarship fund, a military-related education effort, and conservative public policy work. The named recipients include Northwest Catholic High School, Brotherhood of Hope, Scott R Gill Scholarship, Sealkids Inc, and The Heritage Foundation.
Yes. Northwest Catholic High School received two grants in consecutive years: $300,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2023, both for the Damuth Music Endowment. That pattern suggests ongoing support rather than a single isolated award.
Its recent grant distribution is weighted toward larger awards: the 25th percentile is $13,750, the median is $37,500, and the 75th percentile is $106,250. The recent list also includes a $300,000 grant, which sits well above the upper quartile.
Most grants go to recipients in Connecticut, which accounts for 50% of grants. Other recent recipient locations include Washington, DC; Boston, MA; and Dublin, OH. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | WEST HARTFORD, CT | $876,000 | 2026 | FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW. |
| KLINGBERG FAMILY CENTER | NEW BRITAIN, CT | $150,000 | 2026 | PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY |
| NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | WEST HARTFORD, CT | $250,000 | 2025 | FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW. |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | NC HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF |
| KLINGBERG FAMILY CENTER | NEW BRITAIN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY |
| HERITAGE ACTION FOR AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | REGISTRATION OF NEW VOTERS |
| HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | TRAINING OF CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES |
| NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | WEST HARTFORD, CT | $300,000 | 2024 | FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW. |
| SCOTT R GILL SCHOLARSHIP | AVON, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | WEST HARTFORD, CT | $125,000 | 2023 | FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW. |
| THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | ASSIST IN STRATEGY FOR GOVT. |
| BROTHERHOOD OF HOPE | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | ASSIST CATHOLIC MINISTRY IN COLLEGE |
| SEALKIDS INC | DUBLIN, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | ASSIST EDUCATION OF NAVY SEALS KIA |
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$876,000FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW.
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$250,000FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW.
REGISTRATION OF NEW VOTERS
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW.
SCOTT R GILL SCHOLARSHIP
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$125,000FUNDING FOR DAMUTH MUSIC ENDOW.
BROTHERHOOD OF HOPE
$25,000ASSIST CATHOLIC MINISTRY IN COLLEGE