The Bright Horizon Foundation is a private grant-making foundation that supports environmentalist organizations and ostensibly non-partisan groups which are closely aligned with left-progressive and Democratic Party positions on education, increased welfare spending, and foreign policy. Former hedge fund manager¹ and board member of the environmentalist Union of Concerned Scientists Louis Salkind² is the principal funder of Bright Horizon Foundation. ³

Funding

In 2018, the Bright Horizon Foundation received $1,255,000 in contributions (exclusively provided by Louis Salkind⁴) and $3,900,422 in revenue from securities interest and dividends. ⁵ The same year, the organization possessed $110,317,832 in net assets. ⁶

In 2017, Salkind provided contributions totaling $4,126,509. ⁷

Grantmaking

Brookings Institution

In 2017, Bright Horizon Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to Brookings Institution, a century-old organization devoted to advancing left-leaning and left-of-center research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and development. ⁸

Environmentalist Groups

In 2017, the Bright Horizon Foundation gave the Union of Concerned Scientists a $1,400,000 grant. ⁹ Lou Salkind, Bright Horizon Foundation’s principal funder, sits on the board of UCS. ¹⁰

In 2017 the Bright Horizon Foundation gave the Conservation Fund a $100,000 grant, the Trust for Public Land a $10,000 grant, and the Natural Resources Defense Council a $1 million grant. ¹¹

Foreign Policy

In 2017, the Bright Horizon Foundation gave the Carter Center a $500,000 grant. ¹² The foundation also gave the International Crisis Group a $500,000 grant. ¹³

Leadership

Louis Salkind and Cynthia Gavenda serve as the officers of the Bright Horizon Foundation. ¹⁴

Salkind is the principal funder of the foundation and a former manager of the hedge fund provider D.E. Shaw. ¹⁵ He sits on the board member of the Union of Concerned Scientists,¹⁶ a recipient of substantial Bright Horizon Foundation grants. ¹⁷

1. Celarier, Michelle. “How a Group of Computer Geeks and English Majors Transformed Wall Street.” Intelligencer. Intelligencer, January 18, 2018. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/01/d-e-shaw-the-first-great-quant-hedge-fund.html.
2. “Lou Salkind” Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/lou-salkind
3. Bright Horizon Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Schedule B Part I
4. Bright Horizon Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Schedule B Part I
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part I, Lines 1-4.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part III, Line 6.
7. Bright Horizon Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Schedule B Part I
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV, Line 3.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV, Line 3.
10. “Lou Salkind” Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/lou-salkind
11. Bright Horizon Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV, Line 3.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV, Line 3.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV, Line 3.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part VIII, Line 1.
15. Celarier, Michelle. “How a Group of Computer Geeks and English Majors Transformed Wall Street.” Intelligencer. Intelligencer, January 18, 2018. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/01/d-e-shaw-the-first-great-quant-hedge-fund.html.
16. “Lou Salkind” Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/lou-salkind
17. Bright Horizon Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV, Line 3.