Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
Featured Stories
Freedom From Religion Foundation: Monumental Problem - Trump Arch Would Carve Religion Into Public Space
MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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Monumental problem: Trump arch would carve religion into public space
The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly objects to the religious messaging and symbolism on President Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.
While there is widespread opposition to the arch, which Trump has quadrupled in size since first proposing, the religious component to the proposal has not received attention.
Renderings of the proposed structure depict the phrase "ONE NATION UNDER
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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Monumental problem: Trump arch would carve religion into public space
The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly objects to the religious messaging and symbolism on President Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.
While there is widespread opposition to the arch, which Trump has quadrupled in size since first proposing, the religious component to the proposal has not received attention.
Renderings of the proposed structure depict the phrase "ONE NATION UNDERGOD" engraved prominently across the facade of the massive arch, which Trump has demanded as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. His design also features patriotic and quasi-religious imagery, including gold eagles, lions and a winged angel figure modeled after Lady Liberty.
"Combining explicit religious language with national symbolism sends a dangerous message that belief in God is tied to patriotism and American identity," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "That excludes millions of nonreligious Americans and violates the foundational principle that government must remain neutral on matters of religion."
The arch -- a gaudy, gold-plated imitation of Paris' Arc de Triomphe -- is just another Trump vanity project. Asked last year who the monument was intended to honor, Trump reportedly gave a one-word answer: "Me."
Nearly 1,000 written comments submitted to the federal Commission of Fine Arts opposed the arch. Not a single comment supported it. Polling likewise shows that Americans oppose the proposal by a margin of 51 percent to 21 percent. Nevertheless, the commission -- now stacked with Trump appointees -- granted preliminary approval minus the gilded statues on top, even as lawsuits move forward seeking to block the monument.
FFRF notes that while the project is framed as patriotic, the inclusion of "One Nation Under God" transforms it into an explicitly religious statement. The phrase itself was not part of the original Pledge of Allegiance. It was only added at the behest of religious lobbies in 1954 during the Cold War. FFRF has long challenged the religious tampering with the Pledge, noting that it is unconstitutional, exclusionary and obviously inaccurate, since many Americans do not believe in a god.
FFRF is also criticizing the monument's angelic imagery. The proposed design reimagines Lady Liberty, who traditionally represents secular ideals of freedom and democracy, in overtly religious terms by depicting her as a winged heavenly figure.
The proposal has already sparked criticism from architects, historians and veterans groups, who argue that the giant arch would overwhelm the nearby Arlington National Cemetery and disrupt the historic character of the National Mall. Legal challenges are also underway over whether the project can proceed without explicit congressional authorization.
Questions also remain over funding. Although Trump has suggested private donors could finance the project, reports indicate that the National Endowment for the Humanities has reserved $15 million for the effort, raising concerns about taxpayer involvement in what amounts to a religiously infused vanity monument.
FFRF emphasizes that public monuments should unite Americans around shared constitutional principles -- not promote theological beliefs.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/monumental-problem-trump-arch-would-carve-religion-into-public-space/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Targets Unconstitutional Prayers by Arkansas Archery Coach
MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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FFRF targets unconstitutional prayers by Arkansas archery coach
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Valley View Public Schools system to immediately put a stop to a district archery coach's practice of leading team members in prayers.
A concerned district parent informed the state/church watchdog that the archery coach at Valley View Intermediate School has a pattern and practice of leading students in Christian prayer before tournaments and official archery events, such
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MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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FFRF targets unconstitutional prayers by Arkansas archery coach
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Valley View Public Schools system to immediately put a stop to a district archery coach's practice of leading team members in prayers.
A concerned district parent informed the state/church watchdog that the archery coach at Valley View Intermediate School has a pattern and practice of leading students in Christian prayer before tournaments and official archery events, suchas a recent awards ceremony. Audio provided to FFRF from this ceremony confirmed that the coach and what appeared to be a coach-selected student led the entire audience, including other students, in an explicitly Christian prayer.
The parent who reported this unconstitutional practice explained that they are not religious and that they are "more than disappointed" that their child has been "exposed to such blatant proselytizing."
FFRF has written to the district to stand up for students' and parents' rights of conscience.
"Here, the archery coach is undeniably pushing her personal religious beliefs onto students by coercing the entire archery team to participate in prayers as part of official school-sponsored activities," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence writes. "The coach is blatantly crossing the constitutional line and violating student-athletes' First Amendment rights."
Student-athletes are especially susceptible to coercion, and the relationship between student-athletes and their coaches is inherently ripe for coercion. Students know that their coaches control their positions on the team, including who plays in each game. When coaches lead students in prayer or direct students to lead their teammates in prayer, students will no doubt feel that participating in the prayer is essential to avoiding punishment, pleasing their coach, and being viewed as a team player. They are unlikely to speak up against their coach pushing religion on them, even if they do not feel comfortable. It is unrealistic as well as unconstitutional to make students choose between allowing their school coach to violate their constitutional rights or openly dissenting -- with the risk of punishment and further retaliation.
School-sponsored prayer also needlessly marginalizes students, such as our complainant's child, who are nonreligious, or those who are members of minority faiths. Statistically, nearly half of Americans born after 1996 are nonreligious.
FFRF asserts that to protect students' First Amendment rights, Valley View Public Schools must immediately investigate and ensure that the Valley View Intermediate School archery coach ceases leading students in prayer and assigning students to lead other students in prayer.
"FFRF has long believed that students should never feel they have to pray to play," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "District sports coaches are well aware of the position and influence they hold. Students' rights must be protected from coercive religious practices, especially when they feel participation influences their standing on the team."
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters across the country, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Arkansas. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-targets-unconstitutional-prayers-by-arkansas-archery-coach/
[Category: Religion]
SEC to Rescind Climate Disclosure Rule in Direct Contradiction to Investor Demand
OAKLAND, California, May 12 -- As You Sow Foundation posted the following news release:
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SEC to Rescind Climate Disclosure Rule in Direct Contradiction to Investor Demand
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After years of shareholders asking for climate disclosure - SEC moves to suppress material information
EL CERRITO, CA -May 12, 2026 - As You Sow, the nation's leading shareholder representative, today condemned the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) submission of the proposed, " Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules " to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. The move advances
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OAKLAND, California, May 12 -- As You Sow Foundation posted the following news release:
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SEC to Rescind Climate Disclosure Rule in Direct Contradiction to Investor Demand
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After years of shareholders asking for climate disclosure - SEC moves to suppress material information
EL CERRITO, CA -May 12, 2026 - As You Sow, the nation's leading shareholder representative, today condemned the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) submission of the proposed, " Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules " to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. The move advancesthe SEC's effort to eliminate its landmark 2024 climate disclosure rule that, despite never taking effect due to legal challenges, established a critical principle: climate risk is investment risk, and investors require the information to act on it as part of their fiduciary duties.
"This is another profound failure of the SEC's core mission," said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow. "Investors need standardized, comparable, and decision-useful data to assess financial risk and allocate capital responsibly. By rescinding this rule, the SEC is turning its back on the investors it exists to protect. This action treats the material financial risk of climate change, that harms every American, as nothing more than fulfillment of a campaign promise to the fossil fuel industry."
During the rulemaking process, tens of thousands of investors representing tens of trillions of dollars in assets submitted comments in near-unanimous support of mandatory climate disclosure. The SEC is now moving to erase that framework entirely, leaving U.S. markets without a baseline for the climate risk information investors require. As You Sow submitted comment letters throughout the rulemaking process, urging the Commission to establish robust, mandatory climate disclosures -including full Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reporting.
"Rescinding this rule doesn't make climate risk disappear -it just makes it harder for investors to see it coming and adjust accordingly" said Danielle Fugere, President and Chief Counsel of As You Sow. "At its core, the rule affirms what investors have long known -that climate risk is material financial risk -and that investors are entitled to consistent, comparable information about companies' exposure to risk and their contribution to increasing that risk through their greenhouse gas emissions."
This Administration has been intent on rolling back climate progress since its first term when it withdrew the U.S. from the global Paris Climate Agreement, an action that destabilized global climate progress. Since then, climate-induced, catastrophic storms have increased dramatically, as has the damage they are causing. Rather than face this reality, the Administration is deleting available information on the risks and impacts of climate change. For example, in May of last year, NOAA announced that it would no longer collect data for the Weather and Climate Disaster database which tracks a range of detailed information on the increasing number of large-scale climate disasters in the U.S., information which is relied on by the insurance industry for pricing and risk models, particularly for disasters that are not historically well modelled, such as severe storms and floods.
"Shareholders remain the early warning system built into the structure of the free markets," said Behar. "We will continue pressing companies directly for the disclosure that regulators are abdicating their responsibility to require."
As You Sow calls on the SEC to halt this rescission and fulfill its statutory duty to ensure investors have access to material information. Despite these backward steps, the organization will continue its decades of shareholder representation -engaging companies and filing resolutions -to ensure climate risk is disclosed, understood, and acted upon.
As You Sow is the nation's leading shareholder representative, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility. Its focus areas include climate change, ocean plastics, toxins in the food system, the Rights of Nature, racial justice, and workplace diversity. Click here to view As You Sow's shareholder resolution tracker.
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Original text here: https://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2026/5/12/sec-to-rescind-climate-disclosure-rule-in-direct-contradiction-to-investor-demandnbsp
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: Seats of Power
DETROIT, Michigan, May 12 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by Mark Nayler, freelance journalist and critic based in Malaga, Spain:
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Seats of Power
Spain is desperate to win the next presidency of the European Central Bank.
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Luis de Guindos escaped Spanish politics just in time. In March 2018, he stepped down as Economy Minister, having served under prime minister Mariano Rajoy since 2011; three months later, Rajoy was ousted in a no-confidence vote, his Popular Party engulfed in a huge corruption scandal. De Guindos, now 66, has spent the last
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, May 12 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by Mark Nayler, freelance journalist and critic based in Malaga, Spain:
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Seats of Power
Spain is desperate to win the next presidency of the European Central Bank.
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Luis de Guindos escaped Spanish politics just in time. In March 2018, he stepped down as Economy Minister, having served under prime minister Mariano Rajoy since 2011; three months later, Rajoy was ousted in a no-confidence vote, his Popular Party engulfed in a huge corruption scandal. De Guindos, now 66, has spent the lasteight years as Vice President of the European Central Bank (ECB), the institution responsible for maintaining price stability throughout the bloc. He hands over to Croatia's Boris Vujcic at the end of this month, leaving Spain without representation on the ECB's six-member board for the first time in several years, a situation that Madrid is determined to rectify.
Under the Socialist leadership of Pedro Sanchez, Spain has emerged as one of the strongest voices in the EU. Sanchez's opposition to Israel, Donald Trump, and the Iran War have made him a darling of the international left, a position he consolidated in April by hosting a summit of leftist leaders in Barcelona. (Sanchez is much more popular abroad than he is at home, where his government is drowning in corruption allegations--much like Rajoy's was in 2018, when Sanchez forced him out.)
Economically, too, Spain is a frontrunner. Its economy has consistently outperformed EU averages over the last few years, and in 2024 was named the best in the world by The Economist. Spain's tourism industry is a global superpower, generating 13% of the country's GDP, and its banks and energy companies, especially those in the renewable sector, are amongst the biggest on the planet. Madrid is looking to match this economic and diplomatic clout with a formal EU appointment, preferably in the bloc's most powerful financial institution.
Although Spain held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for the fifth time in 2023, it now strives for something more than a symbolic position. Amazingly, this EU institution exists alongside both the European Council and the Council of Europe. Its presidential country is tasked with chairing a thousand meetings in six months, proving beyond question that the EU could cut back on both councils and meetings. Spain last performed this tedious administrative role under the slogan "Europe, closer together"; but because neutrality is required of the presiding nation, there was hardly any scope to influence policy.
Spaniards currently occupy two big roles within the EU. Nadia Calvino, Economy Minister under Sanchez between 2018 and 2023, has been president of the European Investment Bank since January 2024; and Teresa Ribera, formerly Spain's Minister for Ecological Transition (also under Sanchez), was appointed the EU Commission's Vice President and Commissioner for Climate and Competition at the end of that year. Yet neither of these positions provides Spain with the opportunity to shape eurozone policy for the best part of a decade (ECB terms last for eight years). To do this, Madrid must secure one of three ECB positions that comes up for renewal before the end of next year--including the presidency, which since 2019 has been occupied by France's Christine Lagarde.
De Guindos, who will move to a less pressurized role as Professor of European Political Economy at the University of Comillas, is "convinced" that Spain will secure new representation at the ECB. According to a poll conducted by the Financial Times, former Bank of Spain governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos, who sat on the ECB's governing council between 2018 and 2024, is the frontrunner in a "tight" race for the presidency. Joachim Nagel, president of the Bundesbank, is second, followed by Klaas Knott, former governor of the Bank of the Netherlands, and current Bank of France governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau. Spain's Socialist economy minister Carlos Cuerpo has already said he will not be contesting an ECB seat, without explaining why.
Appointment to the ECB presidency does not just depend on professional qualifications, although the final candidate must face questioning by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. It is also an intensely political matter, requiring the support of 16 of the 21 countries in the Eurogroup. This leaves plenty of room for ideology, personal grievances, and partisanship to influence the selection procedure--and Spain has scores to settle.
During the Socialist leadership of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero from 2004 to 2011, Spain had hardly any EU influence. One commentator partly attributed this period of silence to the prime minister's provincial perspective: "[Zapatero] seldom travelled before rising to high office and is not competent in any foreign language."
Things didn't get much better under Zapatero's Conservative successor. Like his predecessor, Rajoy was uneasy on the international stage and focused almost entirely on domestic politics. In 2012, Spain failed to secure a seat on the ECB board, in a battle triggered by the expiration of Jose Manuel Gonzalez Paramo's term. When Yves Mersch was nominated by Luxembourg as a replacement in January, the European Council tried to fast-track his appointment, claiming that the ECB couldn't have a senior post vacant in the middle of a debt crisis. But the EU Parliament objected, on the grounds that more women were needed in the top jobs. Spain followed, claiming that there had been insufficient discussion of Mersch's suitability (and obviously because it wanted another Spaniard to replace him). Mersch was eventually appointed in November, after the longest battle over an EU post in the bloc's history.
Three years later, Madrid tried again. De Guindos, who in 2015 was halfway through his stint as Economy Minister, ran for the presidency of the Eurogroup, the monthly meeting of the (now 21) finance ministers whose countries use the euro. He was eventually defeated by his Dutch counterpart Jeroen Dijsselbloem, whose bailout negotiations with Greece won the admiration of his peers. Spain competed for the post again in 2020 with Calvino, a former EU executive supported by France, Germany, and Italy. Initially a favorite, she was beaten by Ireland's Paschal Donohoe, who had the backing of several smaller nations as well as the European People's Party, the biggest group in the EU parliament. Cuerpo, Spain's current economy minister, tried briefly last year, but withdrew due to lack of support in a predominantly center-right Eurogroup (he was also beaten by Donohoe, who was elected to a third term but resigned shortly afterwards to take a senior role at the World Bank).
These defeats have made Madrid even more hungry for representation within the EU's financial leadership. No longer a silent European partner as it was under Zapatero and Rajoy, Spain seeks a weighty role that corresponds to its present-day prominence. Winning the ECB presidency would not only achieve that goal; it would also make up for all those times a Spaniard lost the race.
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Mark Nayler is a freelance journalist and critic based in Malaga, Spain. He writes regularly for The Spectator and Times Literary Supplement and is working on a biography of the philosopher Bryan Magee, due to be published by Bloomsbury (London) in 2028.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/seats-of-power/
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: Polar Plan for Banking
DETROIT, Michigan, May 12 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by independent writer Alex Rosado:
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A Polar Plan for Banking
Two ATMs on the Antarctic frontier.
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The word Antarctica brings to mind images of desolation and glaciers, and may even give you goosebumps when thinking of its subzero temperatures. For one American company, the emptiness was an opportunity to bring banking and convenience to a continent once thought to be a buffer to the free market.
In 1998, Wells Fargo installed two ATMs at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, an American-run base
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, May 12 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by independent writer Alex Rosado:
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A Polar Plan for Banking
Two ATMs on the Antarctic frontier.
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The word Antarctica brings to mind images of desolation and glaciers, and may even give you goosebumps when thinking of its subzero temperatures. For one American company, the emptiness was an opportunity to bring banking and convenience to a continent once thought to be a buffer to the free market.
In 1998, Wells Fargo installed two ATMs at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, an American-run basededicated to land surveillance, climate research, and the natural sciences. The Station's population fluctuates between 250 and 1,100 people, depending on the season. With no cities on the continent, the absence of permanent residents makes Antarctic economics a low-growth environment.
At face level, having any economic service here sounds like a poor investment. However, the potential in the South Pole's ATMs doesn't lie in profit. It arises from observing how little is actually required to sustain a functioning community.
By prioritizing reliability over scale, these small but mighty ATMs create unmatched yet underrecognized value for the broader economy. They are the core of an experiment that proves remote communities and commerce matter, and could drive the introduction of ATMs in other, similarly distant lands.
The first major challenge is justifying the need for ATMs in places where civilization runs thin. The proposal for the McMurdo ATM originally came from a university conducting on-ground research in Antarctica. They assured Wells Fargo that Raytheon Company, which employed many workers at McMurdo, would recycle cash so that future scientists could upkeep operations and financial lifelines. The university also bargained for the placement of two machines: one for practical use and another that could be "cannibalized" for live parts.
The plan developed into an enduring relationship. Wells Fargo vets and trains McMurdo staff to service the machines every two years with the latest technology. The most recent repair cycle in 2025 saw two Diebold Nixdorf ATMs, operated by Wells Fargo, successfully installed and equipped with AI, machine learning, and remote diagnostics to detect potential machine failures. Wells Fargo boasted that the McMurdo project continues "reliable access to cash," with Diebold Nixdorf emphasizing their "commitment to delivering essential banking services where they are needed most."
Wells Fargo and the McMurdo researchers understood that the distance between Antarctica and any mainland is unconquerable. But this was all the more reason to build resilient infrastructure, expand connectivity, and ensure that no customer portfolio is left without options. When a location harbors an ATM, it signals institutional recognition of two key facts: that its inhabitants have financial needs and rights, and that the area is pivotal in a larger ecosystem. An official April 2025 Diebold Nixdorf press release on McMurdo's ATMs acknowledges such sentiments, asserting the company's "presence on all seven continents."
Setting up shop in the tundra wasn't a sunk investment; it shifted how institutions address financial gaps and create self-sufficiency.
Others see this link as purely symbolic. In a 1998 journal article, Tony Hansen, a staff scientist from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory dispatched at McMurdo, recalled feeling "smug" that "our technology has conquered the Ice." He also described the ATMs as a "souvenir" experience. Hansen argues that these machines only hold symbolic purpose. If they can't free us from the ungovernable forces of nature, the best they can do is give us a feeling of familiarity.
Whether banking can spur any meaningful change in secluded areas raises concern. Notably low transaction volume, increased exposure to crime, and extreme weather all prevent the investment in remote ATMs from becoming a reality. Humans shouldn't build solely because we can. Construction requires a defined market or audience that can best benefit from the fruits of labor.
To the naysayers, it must be said that McMurdo Station does have a closed economy dependent on ATM money for daily transactions. McMurdo has a general store, a salon, a carpenter's shop, a coffee house, and other community staples that need US dollars to provide essential services. The station once housed a bowling alley, too, and has two bars, Southern Exposure and Gallagher's, that vended select alcohol until a 2023 policy change ended sales. Nonetheless, staff can still buy rations at the general store.
As scarcity is synonymous with Antarctica, the value of business at these establishments arises not from the number of people served, but the depth of that impact. An employee at McMurdo's post office recalled that whenever someone "get[s] any mail here, it is like getting a present." Cash turns into continuity, and isolation makes those everyday moments of exchange all the more meaningful.
Antarctica offers a persuasive model for deploying ATMs in other sparsely populated regions. Banks should identify strong candidates, such as military outposts or mining camps, where there is a genuine need for local cash circulation. Take Australia, for example, where 15 banks have supported fee-free ATMs in Indigenous areas of the Northern Territory, Queensland, and South Australia. ATMs should also be located inside fuel depots and logistics hubs, where money is exchanged safely, rather than in alcohol- or gambling-linked venues, to preserve utility while reducing harm.
McMurdo reveals that millions of transactions aren't the prerequisite for installing an ATM. A banking boom is unlikely in Antarctica, but there doesn't need to be one. What matters is the ability of a people to participate in their micro-economies unsevered from civilization. If the coldest edges of Earth don't freeze out customers, neither should our financial institutions.
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Alex Rosado is an independent writer in Washington, D.C.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/a-polar-plan-for-banking/
FCC Approval of EchoStar Spectrum Sale Is a Win for Consumers, Says ITIF
WASHINGTON, May 12 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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FCC Approval of EchoStar Spectrum Sale Is a Win for Consumers, Says ITIF
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Following the FCC's approval of EchoStar's sale of spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from Joe Kane, ITIF's director of broadband and spectrum policy:
This spectrum sale is a win for consumers and spectrum productivity. The best
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 12 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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FCC Approval of EchoStar Spectrum Sale Is a Win for Consumers, Says ITIF
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Following the FCC's approval of EchoStar's sale of spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from Joe Kane, ITIF's director of broadband and spectrum policy:
This spectrum sale is a win for consumers and spectrum productivity. The bestuse of spectrum changes over time, and secondary-market transactions for flexible spectrum rights are a key mechanism for moving spectrum into the hands of those who can use it most productively.
This approval also shows that the old regulatory silos separating terrestrial and satellite spectrum are breaking down. Consumers benefit when spectrum uses can shift with demand instead of being locked into rigid regulatory categories. This flexibility leads to better service and faster deployment of new technologies.
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Original text here: https://itif.org/publications/publications/2026/05/12/fcc-approval-of-echostar-spectrum-sale-is-a-win-for-consumers/
Breakthrough T1D Southern Ohio Chapter Hosts 42nd Annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala, Raising Over $1 Million
NEW YORK, May 12 -- Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) a non-profit dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research, posted the following news release:
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Breakthrough T1D Southern Ohio Chapter Hosts 42nd Annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala, Raising Over $1 Million
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NFL Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Tackle
Orlando Brown, Jr. Honored as Breakthrough T1D's
Cincinnatian of the Year
The Super Bowl Champion Donated $100,000 to Breakthrough T1D in Honor of Saturday's Recognition
Cincinnati, OH, May 12, 2026 - Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 12 -- Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) a non-profit dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research, posted the following news release:
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Breakthrough T1D Southern Ohio Chapter Hosts 42nd Annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala, Raising Over $1 Million
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NFL Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Tackle
Orlando Brown, Jr. Honored as Breakthrough T1D's
Cincinnatian of the Year
The Super Bowl Champion Donated $100,000 to Breakthrough T1D in Honor of Saturday's Recognition
Cincinnati, OH, May 12, 2026 - Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) researchand advocacy organization, gathered guests on Saturday, May 9, 2026, for the annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala to raise critical funds for research focused on curing, preventing, and treating T1D. Hosted by Breakthrough T1D Southern Ohio Chapter, the 2026 Cincinnatian of the Year Gala offered inspiration and an exciting night of entertainment and fun for the T1D community and will help drive Breakthrough T1D's mission forward.
NFL Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle and Super Bowl Champion, Orlando Brown, Jr., was presented with the Breakthrough T1D Cincinnatian of the Year award to honor his steadfast commitment to Breakthrough T1D's mission. This recognition of Brown, Jr.'s prolific T1D advocacy follows his selection as a 2024 nominee for the NFL's prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, in part for his leadership in advancing T1D awareness and his partnership with Breakthrough T1D. Brown, Jr. graciously donated $100,000 to Breakthrough T1D in honor of Saturday night's recognition and the 1.5 million Americans living with T1D.
Brown, Jr.'s passion stems from his family's deep connection to the autoimmune condition: his younger brother lives with T1D, and his late grandmother was also diagnosed with the disease. He also lost his father, former NFL player Orlando Brown, Sr., to diabetic ketoacidosis. Today, he is a leading voice for T1D awareness, early detection, and expanded access to life-changing diabetes technologies and care. The Cincinnatian of the Year Award was presented to Brown, Jr. during the gala by Tara Ploeger, Breakthrough T1D Ohio Territory executive, and Chia Menchen, Breakthrough T1D Southern Ohio Chapter director.
"T1D is something that has touched my family personally, which is why partnering with Breakthrough T1D means so much to me beyond just showing up for an event. If I can use my platform to help raise awareness, encourage early testing, and support the fight for a cure, then that's something I'm always going to stand behind," said Orlando Brown, Jr. "My work with Breakthrough T1D comes from a very real and personal place because I've seen how T1D impacts not just the individual, but entire families. I wanted to make this donation to help continue pushing awareness, education, and research forward so future generations hopefully won't have to face the same challenges."
This year's event included silent and live auctions, music by the Naked Karate Girls band, and Breakthrough T1D's signature Fund-a-Cure program-in which 100% of tax-deductible contributions are committed toward critical Breakthrough T1D research priorities like artificial pancreas technology and beta cell replacement therapies. Petra Vester, gala chair, is a longtime volunteer and Global Mission Board Member with Breakthrough T1D, and Local 12's Bob Herzog served as the event's master of ceremonies. The Breakthrough T1D Cincinnatian of the Year Gala is a premier gala in Cincinnati, and one not to be missed.
"We were thrilled to come together for this year's Cincinnatian of the Year Gala to raise funds that help improve the lives of those who face type 1 diabetes every day," said Tara Listermann Ploeger, executive for the Breakthrough T1D Ohio Territory. "This event is an opportunity for our chapter to celebrate the T1D community as well as distinguished individuals and companies who not only donate funds, but who also invest their time in supporting the mission to fund critical research that can lead to scientific breakthroughs and ultimately cures for type 1 diabetes."
For more information on event details or to donate, please visit:
https://www.breakthrought1d.org/southernoh/events/breakthrough-t1d-cincinnatians-of-the-year-gala-2026
About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts nearly 9.5 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
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Original text here: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/for-the-media/press-releases/breakthrough-t1d-southern-ohio-chapter-hosts-42nd-annual-cincinnatian-of-the-year-gala-raising-over-1-million/
