Edward Conard and Jill Davis
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Bain Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Policy & Media, Education & Youth, Long Island Community
OVERVIEW: Edward Conard and Jill Davis conduct their philanthropy through the Conard-Davis Family Foundation. Available tax filings demonstrate that the foundation awarded $3.3 million in grants in 2017. The couple primarily support their associated schools. Another interest is policy.
BACKGROUND: Edward W. Conard graduated from the University of Michigan and received an MBA from Harvard University. He joined Bain Capital in 1993, and was managing director and founding partner at Bain Capital Private Equity. Conard is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of two top ten New York Times bestselling books.
ISSUES:
POLICY & MEDIA: Given Conard’s economic writing and involvement with the American Enterprise Institute, it is no surprise that the family supports policy issues through their foundation. Conard worked alongside Mitt Romney at Bain. In recent years, the couple have directed seven-figure sums to a vehicle called Coherent Research Institute. The outfit keeps a low profile and does not have a website but a recent 990 indicated that some of its work included economic research and public affairs.
Other grantees include American Enterprise Institute, Intelligence Squared, and Common Sense Media.
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Grantees include Chapin School, Harvard Business School, University of Michigan, Endicott College, New York University, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Stony Brook Foundation. Jill attended Endicott College and holds an MFA from NYU, where a graduate program fellowship bears her name.
LONG ISLAND COMMUNITY: The couple's foundation has supported East Hampton Library and The Nature Conservancy of Long Island Chapter.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect Conard and Davis to stick with their established interests. While Conard is an active writer and speaker, his work through Coherent Research Institute is a bit more opaque. Nevertheless, the family's work in policy, in particular, should be watched carefully.
CONTACT:
Conard-Davis Family Foundation
1202 Lexington Ave., P.O. Box 106
New York City, NY 10028
