Melania Trump Will Funnel Donations Through Bradley Foundation

On January 24th it was announced that former first lady Melania Trump is to be the “special guest at Vast’s ‘Tulips and Topiaries High Tea’ to be held April 9th in Naples, Florida.” According to the release, “the tea will benefit Fostering the Future, a Be Best initiative.” The invitation goes on to say:

Fostering the Future aims to support foster children. Specifically, it will grant computer science scholarships to those aging out of the foster care system, thus giving foster children the ability to reach their full potential.

According to a New York Times article entitled “Selling Trump: A Profitable Post-Presidency Like No Other,” the Florida Department of Consumer Services has initiated an investigation into the event, since neither Fostering the Future nor Be Best are registered as charitable organizations with the state. According to Florida law, such registration is required prior to raising funds for a charity.

The article prompted a reaction from the office of the former first lady. In a Tweet on Saturday February 12th, @OfficeofMelania responded:

Dishonest reporting at it again. Everything has been done lawfully, & all documents are in the works. Read with caution-typical corrupt media.

We are working w/Bradley Impact Fund, a Donor-Advised Fund, to select charities that will receive the donations to foster children.

This appears to be a rather hurried response to the investigation by Florida authorities. But it seems for now that any funds from the event in Florida will pass through Milwaukee on the way to the recipients.

Milwaukee’s Bradley Impact Fund

The Bradley Impact Fund, established in 2012, is a donor-advised grantmaking entity affiliated with the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which itself awarded over $43 million of its own grants in 2021, most of it to conservative causes. The huge, $850 million foundation’s “Guiding Principles” (which are also those of the Impact Fund) include “Fidelity to the Constitution, with its principles of limited government, federalism, separation of powers, and individual liberties.”

Just warming up, the foundation goes on to say:

The Foundation stands firmly opposed to forces that would wrest control from individual citizens and instead vest authority in government, especially the national government. The Foundation also seeks to promote understanding of and respect for America’s democratic system and republican institutions, to support federalism, to uphold the rule of law, to protect the nation’s legal system from efforts to circumvent the Constitutional order, [and] to protect the electoral process …

This from an organization that has spent over $3 million to fund attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The Bradley Impact Fund “is the first donor-advised fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to be aligned with a private foundation,” according to the group’s website. “The Bradley Impact Fund supports individuals and nonprofit organizations which advance conservative ideas, public policy advocacy and implementation locally, regionally and nationwide.”

It received $14 million in 2019, the last year for which information is available, and awarded $8.5 million in grants that year within “a portfolio of more than 350 organizations nationwide.” After expenses, it had over $4 million in assets for future distribution.

Apparently the distribution of funds raised from the Melania Trump event will be spread among one or more of those organizations. Perhaps the fund will arrange to establish “Fostering the Future” and “Be Best” as registered charities by the time monies from the event are received. It is likely that Melania’s connection to the Bradley Foundation came through Cleta Mitchell, the former Foley & Lardner lawyer who was involved in Donald Trump‘s phone call to Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State asking that he “recalculate” the state’s presidential results to make Trump a winner. Mitchell was heavily involved in pushing the Big Lie that President Joe Biden was elected fraudulently.

About the “Tulips and Topiaries High Tea”

According to the invitation to this event, “This very special afternoon will be set among a lush and elaborate floral garden – including tulips, topiaries, and more. Guests will enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres alongside tea and bubbles.” (“Bubbles” is slang for expensive French Champagne — or any sparkling wine.) There are three options for attending the event. You can be a “Patron” at $3,000 per person. For that sum, “You will attend an afternoon high tea with special guest Mrs. Melania Trump,” where you will definitely be seated behind those of the second category, the “VIP Table Sponsors.” A $50,000 contribution will provide “entry for (10) ten guests to the event and seating at one of the few premium tables. Limited luxury seating up-close and pre-eminent engagement. … (Only 10 available).”

But wait — there’s more! “Options will be available at the event to upgrade to a Meet and Greet opportunity with Mrs. Melania Trump.” It does not specify the additional cost of that access — or if the funds will also go to support her charity.

The third option is to enter a raffle for a free ticket. The Grand Prize provides “one (1) winner entry to the Tulips & Topiaries benefitting Be Best and Fostering The Future. Any associated costs such as travel/accommodations/etc. will not be provided by ‘Sponsor’. Entry to the event is the sole prize of this giveaway.”

Since there is no cost to enter the raffle it is beyond the purview of Florida statutes that also regulate raffles. That is fortunate, since as noted neither Fostering the Future nor Be Best are registered charitable organizations in Florida. Which thus brings in another state to help with the raffle: It is sponsored by Whip Fundraising, a New York entity that has promoted other Trump events (which have often used raffles) in the past.

Melania a “Special Guest,” not “Host“

It should be noted that the former first lady is a “special guest” of the Tulips and Topiary event, and not its host. That honor belongs to an organization called VAST, which calls itself

a vetted community ready to support your cause. Vast attracts prosperous, philanthropic-minded people who choose to do good while living their best life. These individuals are actively seeking to make a difference with their purchasing power and get a distinctive experience as a result of that purchase.

The firm says it has raised over $100 million through more than 2,500 events over the years.

Urban Milwaukee reached out to the Office of Melania Trump and the Bradley Impact Fund for comments, but has not received a response as of this time.