The John William Pope Foundation is a non-profit

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

private

charitable foundation A foundation (also referred to as a charitable foundation) is a type of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that usually provides funding and support to other charitable organizations through grants, while also potentially participating d ...

based in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, that contributes to conservative

public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a Group decision-making, decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to Problem solving, solve or address relevant and problematic social issues, guided by a conceptio ...

organizations and

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

educational institution An educational institution is a place where people of different ages gain an education, including preschools, childcare, primary-elementary schools, secondary-high schools, and universities. They provide a large variety of learning environments a ...

s, humanitarian charities, and

the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...

. Art Pope, a businessman and philanthropist, is the current president and chairman of the board of directors. The Pope Foundation "has invested millions in a network of foundations and think tanks, and

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups, interest groups, special interest groups, pressure groups, or public associations, use various forms of advocacy or lobbying to influence public opinion and ultimately public policy. They play an impor ...

s, both in North Carolina and nationally, that are designed to further conservative and

free market In economics, a free market is an economic market (economics), system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of ...

ideas", including the John Locke Foundation, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal,

Americans for Prosperity Americans for Prosperity (AFP), founded in 2004, is a Libertarian conservatism, libertarian conservative political advocacy group in the United States affiliated with brothers Charles Koch and the late David Koch. As the Koch family's primary pol ...

, and North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law.

History

John William Pope, founder of the retail discount chain

Variety Wholesalers Variety Wholesalers, Inc., is a privately held company based in Henderson, North Carolina, which owns more than 380 retail stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States under the banners Roses and Maxway. The company employs more tha ...

, created the Pope Foundation in 1986. The Pope Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary in December 2011 by hosting a fundraiser for StepUp Ministry, a nonprofit that assists low-income individuals in getting a job and achieving a stable lifestyle. The ministry gained $300,000 from the Pope Foundation dinner.

Philanthropy

In the 2011–2012 fiscal year, the John William Pope Foundation made over $9.3 million in grants, of which 60% went to support North Carolina public policy organizations, 28% went to support educational causes, 7% went to support national public policy organizations, 4% went to support humanitarian organizations, and 1% went to support the arts. The Pope Foundation also underwrites scholarships for

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of Scouting America. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over ...

s to attend college. Since the first class of scholars in 2001, the Pope Foundation has invested over $1 million in Scouts who plan to pursue careers in the free-enterprise system. The Pope Foundation also has invested heavily in capital construction projects for area universities, including $3 million to UNC-Chapel Hill for the renovation of

Kenan Memorial Stadium Kenan Stadium (formerly Kenan Memorial Stadium) is a college football stadium located on Stadium Drive in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Opened in 1927, it is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's (UNC) football team, which comp ...

; $4.5 million for a convocation center at

Campbell University Campbell University is a private Christian university in Buies Creek, North Carolina, United States. Campbell's main campus in Buies Creek is home to its College of Arts & Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Divinity School, Scho ...

; and $1.2 million to finish renovations on Campbell University's law school –

Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (also known as Campbell Law School or Campbell University School of Law) is a private law school in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs o ...

. In December 2012, the Pope Foundation announced $810,500 in grants to community charities, schools, churches, and the arts. To counter the effects of the federal government shutdown in October 2013, the Pope Foundation gave $185,000 in grants to "13 food bank-type groups" in central, eastern, and western North Carolina., including three charities in Vance County. The Pope Foundation gave a total of over $1 million to humanitarian and arts nonprofits in 2013.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Political and economic research foundations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in North Carolina Organizations based in Raleigh, North Carolina 1986 establishments in North Carolina