The Achelis and Bodman Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking organization that supports arts and educational programs mostly in New York City, along with supporting charter schools and various center-right advocacy organizations. The foundation was formed by the merger of the Steven B. Achelis Foundation (founded in 1940) and the Bodman Foundation (founded in 1945). ¹ The two organizations had been managed together for years, but formally merged in 2015 to increase efficiency. ²

Program Areas

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation distributes about $5,000,000 per year in grants to six “program areas.”

Education

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 28 grants totaling $1,345,000 (24% of grant funding for the year)³ to high schools, universities, theaters, and special education groups, including Fordham University, Heterodox Academy, and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The size of individual grants ranged from $15,000 to $100,000. ⁴

The Foundation has argued that major-city traditional public school districts have failed in their efforts to produce good education outcomes for poorer children, and therefore the Foundation supports private alternatives, including charter schools, voucher programs, and scholarships for parochial schools. ⁵

Public Policy

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 20 grants totaling $1,255,000 (22% of grant funding for the year)⁶ to think tanks, universities, media groups, and activist groups, including the American Enterprise Institute, the Jamestown Foundation, and the Treatment Advocacy Center. The size of individual grants ranged from $25,000 to $200,000. ⁷

The Foundation explicitly states an ideological orientation: “in all areas, the Foundation’s grantmaking is guided by a belief in the merits of economic and political liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.” ⁸

Arts and Culture

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 33 grants totaling $1,250,000 (22% of grant funding for the year)⁹ to artistic and cultural institutions, including the American Ballet Theater, the Historic Landmarks Preservation Society, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The size of individual grants ranged from $15,000 to $100,000. ¹⁰

Health

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 14 grants totaling $549,000 (10% of grant funding for the year)¹¹ to community health services and basic research, including the Cancer Support Community of New Jersey, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, and Rockefeller University. The size of individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $250,000. ¹²

Youth and Families

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 18 grants totaling $515,000 (9% of grant funding for the year)¹³ to educational and extra-curricular support for children and youth-risk prevention programs, including the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, and the Police Athletic League. The size of individual grants ranged from $20,000 to $50,000. ¹⁴

Employment

In 2018, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation gave 9 grants totaling $410,000 (7% of grant funding for the year)¹⁵ to job training programs and entrepreneurial support organizations, including JobsFirstNYC, Rising Tide Capital, and the Grace Institute. The size of individual grants ranged from $25,000 to $50,000. ¹⁶

Other

In addition to its six targeted program areas, the Achelis and Bodman Foundation also provides grants to miscellaneous organizations. In 2018, the Foundation gave 16 grants totaling $305,000 (6% of grant funding for the year)¹⁷ to these other organizations, including Citymeals-on-Wheels, the Goddard Riverside Community Center, and St. John’s Bread and Life. The size of individual grants ranged from $10,000 to $25,000. ¹⁸

Conservative and Center-Right Advocacy

While the Achelis and Bodman Foundation primarily supports non-ideological organizations, it contributes significant funds to right-of-center organizations as well. Among other center-right groups, in 2018 the Foundation provided grants to:

• Heterodox Academy, an advocacy organization founded by politically liberal psychologist Jonathan Haidt that strives to expand political and cultural viewpoints on college campuses and in humanities and social science fields;¹⁹ in 2018, Heterodox Academy received a $100,000 grant from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation for “general operating support.” ²⁰
• American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington, DC-based free-market think tank that produces research on American politics and economics;²¹ in 2018, AEI received a $100,000 grant from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation “to support the Human Dignity Project.” ²²
• Empire Center for Public Policy is an Albany, New York-based conservative state-level think tank and fiscal watchdog. ²³
• The Hoover Institution, a right-of-center think tank housed at Stanford University²⁴
• The Hudson Institute, a Washington, DC-based foreign policy think tank;²⁵ in 2018, the Institute received a $50,000 grant to “support the Center for Religious Freedom” and a $200,000 grant “to support a project, Implementing the 2017 National Security Strategy” from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation. ²⁶
• The Pacific Research Institute, a California-based conservative think tank focused on promoting free enterprise and limiting government growth;²⁷ and
• The William F. Buckley Program at Yale University, which promotes conservative viewpoints at Yale to counter-act the perceived dominance of left-wing ideologies on campus. ²⁸

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8. “Program Areas.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/about/areas/.
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16. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
17. “Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/grants-made/.
18. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
19. “Heterodox Academy.” Heterodox Academy. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://heterodoxacademy.org/.
20. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
21. “Why the American Enterprise Institute chief is so popular.” The Washington Post. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/04/02/why-the-american-enterprise-institute-chief-is-so-popular/.
22. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
23. “Empire Center for Public Policy.” Atlas Network. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://www.atlasnetwork.org/partners/global-directory/empire-center-for-public-policy/.
24. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
25. “Research.” Hudson Institute. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://www.hudson.org/research.
26. “2018 Grants.” Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Accessed December 13, 2019. http://achelisbodman.org/files/2019/02/grants_18.pdf.
27. “Mission Statement.” Pacific Research Institute. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://www.pacificresearch.org/mission-statement/.
28. “William F. Buckley Program at Yale hosts its second annual ‘Disinvitation Dinner.’” The Washington Post. Accessed December 14, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/05/02/william-f-buckley-program-at-yale-hosts-its-second-annual-disinvitation-dinner/.