Facing challenges is nothing new (just look to WFB).
The future can be bright for conservatism.
You wouldn’t know it by listening only to the mainstream media (or even to some on the right). It would be easy to think that being a principled conservative is like being an endangered species — that only a few of us remain, holding out, on the verge of extinction. Of course, that is what progressives and extremes on the right would like people to think . . . and it is complete and utter nonsense.
Do we conservatives face challenges? Yes, of course we do. Included among them is an increasingly radicalized — and violently hostile — Left that seeks to remake society in line with its warped ideology. We also, simultaneously, face a growing cohort on the right who are willing to jettison bedrock conservative principles for political expediency, fellow travelers who are all too comfortable using government power for their own ends.
Conservatives confronting challenges is nothing new. William F. Buckley Jr. and those who coalesced around National Review overcame many obstacles while founding our movement. Like WFB in his day, National Review Institute stands firm against all efforts to undermine our core principles. We continue to stand athwart those who seek to expand the influence of the state in our lives, and we tirelessly defend free markets and individual liberty.
As the nonprofit 501(c)(3) journalistic think tank that preserves and promotes William F. Buckley Jr.’s legacy, National Review Institute (NRI) advances the conservative principles of a free society through educational and outreach programs. The Institute:
convenes conservatives through events such as the WFB Prize Dinner, Regional Seminars, Ideas Summit, debates, Regional Partnership events, and NRI On Campus;
educates students, everyday citizens, and future leaders with its Burke to Buckley fellowship program for mid-career professionals, WFB Communicators for students studying communications, marketing, and journalism, and its Buckley Legacy Project that ensures Bill Buckley is known far and wide; and
supports conservative journalism by funding NRI’s fellows who include some of NR’s top talent, providing two distinguished fellowships for rising journalistic talent, sponsoring long-form journalism articles in National Review, launching National Review Capital Matters, and sponsoring the Books, Arts & Manners section of NR.
You can see that NRI provides an immense value to our cause. NRI supports and amplifies the broader NR mission, and it does so thanks to its generous supporters. You can support NRI’s core programs — and help reach and influence increased numbers of people — by making a tax-deductible gift today.
Despite today’s challenges, in our work we see encouraging signs that should give us hope. There is a palpable hunger in America for our mission and message: a deep desire for a conservatism that is sane, sober, smart, and steady. As we travel around the country visiting friends and allies, we note a renewed vitality within our movement and among the next generation.
I hope that you too recognize the opportunities before us and will contribute to NRI by making a generous end-of-year gift. In doing so, know that your contribution will make a meaningful difference. We at NRI remain hopeful and believe that the future is bright.