Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation

Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation
Name	Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation
Founded	1996
Founders	Milton Friedman; Rose Friedman
Type	Nonprofit foundation
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Focus	School choice; voucher advocacy; educational reform

Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation was a United States nonprofit organization established by economist Milton Friedman and activist Rose Friedman to promote school choice and market-oriented education reform policies. The Foundation operated alongside debates involving figures such as John E. Coons, Mary McAleese, Diane Ravitch, E. G. West and institutions like Heritage Foundation, Brookings Institution, Cato Institute and Hoover Institution. It engaged with policy networks that included policymakers from United States Congress, state governments such as Wisconsin, think tanks like Manhattan Institute, and advocacy groups including Alliance for School Choice and Democrats for Education Reform.

History

Founded in 1996 by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman, the Foundation built on ideas articulated in Friedman's 1955 book Capitalism and Freedom and later works including Free to Choose, which influenced debates at venues like Harvard University, University of Chicago, Stanford University and Columbia University. Early activities connected to scholars such as James Tooley, Carlo Alberto Brioschi, Paul Peterson and Herbert Gintis and involved correspondence with policymakers including Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Ronald Reagan aides, and state education chiefs like Lamar Alexander and Arne Duncan. The Foundation collaborated with programmatic efforts spearheaded by Friedman Prize-like awards, conferences with National Education Association critics, and initiatives linked to international actors such as Margaret Thatcher-era reformers and Vladimir Putin-era education advisers. Over its operational life the Foundation shifted focus as charter school networks including KIPP Foundation, Uncommon Schools, and voucher pilots in cities like Milwaukee and Cleveland expanded, while researchers at RAND Corporation, American Enterprise Institute, and Urban Institute provided impact evaluations.

Mission and Activities

The Foundation’s mission centered on advancing school choice through mechanisms such as education vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and Education Savings Accounts, citing empirical studies from Thomas J. Kane, Joshua Angrist, Stephen D. Sugarman and Hanushek. It produced policy briefs targeted to legislators in state capitols like Sacramento, Austin, Madison, Wisconsin and Columbus, Ohio and worked with coalition partners including Black Alliance for Educational Options, Goldwater Institute, Institute for Justice, and EdChoice networks. The Foundation engaged in public education campaigns that referenced comparative reforms in systems such as Sweden, Chile, Netherlands, and Finland and debated metrics produced by agencies like OECD and researchers affiliated with Princeton University and Yale University.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic work included funding pilot voucher programs, competitions awarding grants similar to prizes from MacArthur Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York, and sponsoring research fellowships tied to universities such as University of Virginia, Brown University, University of Michigan and New York University. Initiatives convened panels with educators and scholars including Michelle Rhee, Geoffrey Canada, John Dewey scholars, and quantitative analysts from National Bureau of Economic Research and SRI International. The Foundation supported outreach to minority communities through partnerships with organizations like NAACP chapters and faith-based groups akin to Catholic Charities USA and Lutheran Services in America, and it promoted policy toolkits used by governors such as Rick Perry and Scott Walker.

Funding and Governance

Funding derived from endowments, donations from individuals linked to networks around Wall Street financiers, and grants from philanthropic entities including foundations like Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and John M. Olin Foundation in analogous philanthropic ecosystems. Governance included a board and advisory council with scholars and practitioners from institutions including University of Chicago, Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia Business School and legal advisors with ties to firms and organizations such as Goldwater Institute and Institute for Justice. Financial oversight intersected with nonprofit regulations enforced by Internal Revenue Service filings and reporting practices evaluated by watchdogs like Charity Navigator and GuideStar.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics including Diane Ravitch, Noam Chomsky, Jonathan Kozol, and organizations such as NEA and AFT argued the Foundation’s advocacy undermined public school funding and labor arrangements with American Federation of Teachers. Debates referenced empirical disputes involving studies from RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, National Bureau of Economic Research and scholars like Alan B. Krueger and Martin Carnoy. Contentions arose over ties to corporate funders and policy networks featuring figures such as Betsy DeVos and Howard Fuller; legal challenges occurred in state courts and administrative hearings in jurisdictions like Ohio Supreme Court and Wisconsin Supreme Court. Media coverage appeared in outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, National Review and The Economist, fueling partisan debates involving legislators such as Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi.

Legacy and Impact on Education Policy

The Foundation influenced expansion of school choice policies, charter school legislation, and voucher programs in municipalities including Milwaukee, Tennessee (state) initiatives, and state-level reforms in Florida, Arizona, and Indiana. Its intellectual legacy linked to Milton Friedman’s monetarist peers like Friedrich Hayek and to education policy scholars including Paul E. Peterson and Gary Orfield. Outcomes influenced research agendas at Harvard Kennedy School, Teachers College, Columbia University, and policy models used by actors such as EdChoice and the Alliance for School Choice. The Foundation’s archives, speeches, and grant records informed historians and policy analysts at institutions like Library of Congress, Hoover Institution, and university special collections studying the broader trajectory of market-oriented reform in American public policy.

Category:Education foundations in the United States