America became a beacon of freedom not first because of any military victory, but because of the priority it gives to vital local institutions and traditions. Most fundamental of these, of course, is the family, but schools, churches, neighborhoods, voluntary associations, and arts and cultural institutions all cultivate the character and virtues that help citizens use their freedom well and pass it on to the next generation.
In fierce opposition to the trends toward all-powerful, unaccountable, centralized government and relentless attacks on natural institutions, Impact Fund donors support organizations through the Civil Society Fund that cultivate individuals capable of self-governance. Without the local, personal institutions that guide behaviors, instill civil virtues, transform lives, and support a free and cohesive society, our freedom will not last.
Recipients of Civil Society Fund grants are selected annually from a pool of deserving organizations within the well-vetted Bradley Foundation’s portfolio. Two of the most impactful organizations supported by Impact Fund donors are the Milwaukee Symphony and Neu-Life.
When the Bradley Symphony Center opened in October 2021, it wasn’t just the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and its stalwart patrons that benefitted—it was the entire city. The renewal sparked by the center’s opening along West Wisconsin Avenue is a testament to the need to keep beauty at the center of civil society.
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, led by President and Executive Director Mark Niehaus, is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin. Since its inception in 1959, the MSO has found innovative ways to give music a home in the region, develop music appreciation and talent among area youth, and raise the national reputation of Milwaukee.
The MSO’s standard of excellence extends beyond the concert hall and into the community, reaching more than 30,000 children and their families through its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program, Youth and Teen concerts, Family Series, and Meet the Music pre-concert talks. Celebrating its thirty-fifth year, the nationally-recognized ACE program integrates arts education across all subjects and disciplines, providing opportunities for students.
The folks at Neu-Life Community Development know a thing or two about Milwaukee’s urban youth and the realities they face. For more than twenty-four years, with the help of the Bradley Foundation, and more recently the Impact Fund community, they’ve helped thousands of young people get and stay on track to a better future.
Key to their success is recognizing the enormous, life-altering difference it makes to have both someone in your corner who can help provide structure and routine, and a safe place to live, study, and work. With a focus on youth eighteen and under, Neu-Life fosters connections with a safe place to be, as well as mentors, educators, and other contacts who can provide both encouragement and the structure, advice, and listening ear that bring dreams back within reach.
For the many youth they serve, these connections are sufficient to help young Milwaukeeans find their own way forward to independence and fulfillment. For many reasons, others have a harder time, as the early years of adulthood in their neighborhoods remain fraught. So, Neu-Life has launched a campaign to help these youth find a firmer footing with a bold, innovative, and self-sustaining plan.
The NeuVue-Building with a Vision Campaign was launched to establish a home for its most impactful programs—NeuMedia Studio and its FarmFork culinary arts program—along with a host of revenue-generating elements from housing (with subsidized rent for Neu-Life staff and mentors) and office rentals to community gathering spaces. Most important, however, will be the facility’s ability to provide a stronger foundation for young adults to remain on course to be strong contributors and leaders in their communities.
Having secured $6.8 million in support thus far; including a $3 million gift from an individual donor, Neu-Life founder and CEO Joann Harris-Comodore and her team seek partners to help realize the organization’s full potential.