About | National Review Institute

CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT • FREE ENTERPRISE • MORAL BEDROCKS
A STRONG DEFENSE • LOVE OF COUNTRY • DEFENDING WESTERN CIVILIZATION

Since 1955, National Review magazine has defined the modern conservative movement and enjoyed the broadest allegiance of American conservatives. Read the magazine’s mission and values statement here. National Review Institute was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1991. NRI’s mission is to preserve and promote Buckley’s legacy, support the National Review mission, and advance the principles of a free society through educational and outreach programs.

Bill Buckley sought to preserve and buttress the foundations of our free society and to conserve our inheritance from America’s Founders. NRI supports conservative writers and their ideas on how to guard and build on our country’s strengths, core principles, and freedoms, how to revitalize and add vigor and practical application to our conservative convictions, and how to better influence our culture while opposing its determined foes.

The Institute’s educational programs bring together leaders in business, philanthropy, media, and policy to help strengthen the broader conservative movement, while also educating emerging leaders and our fellow citizens on the principles of a free society. Our partnership programs send NR’s top talent across the country, thereby amplifying and expanding the reach of the National Review mission.

NATIONAL REVIEW INSTITUTE: THEN AND NOW

The success of NRI’s programming over the past several years laid the foundation for a major institutional transition. On August 1, 2015, NRI and National Review underwent a significant reorganization, with the magazine and website—corporately National Review, Inc.—becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute. These two vital components of American conservatism have joined forces so that the entire National Review enterprise is assured of having a truly profound consequence, both now and for years to come. Under the leadership and guidance of Editor in Chief Rich Lowry, NR will remain America’s largest circulation and influential magazine for conservative news, commentary, and opinion, while NRI will continue to support NR’s top talent by providing high quality conservative programming that complements and expands upon the critical legacy and NR’s mission entrusted to both organizations by Bill Buckley.

In 2023, the boards of National Review and National Review Institute embarked on a major Strategic Planning effort. This enterprise-wide endeavor will revamp our organization to creatively adapt to a shifting media landscape in the months and years leading up to the celebration of WFB’s centenary in 2025. In the first monthly edition of National Review print magazine, a newly crafted Mission Statement and list of priority Values was published. Please read them here.

The strategic plan also led to the creation of a new Chief Executive Officer position for the NR Enterprise, which will facilitate deeper strategic alignment between the work of the two entities by enhancing the successes of National Review Institute and building NR Inc. into a 21st century media enterprise. We welcomed Chuck DeFeo, who will work closely
with Rich Lowry and Lindsay Craig to revitalize our enterprise. It is an exciting and momentous opportunity to ensure the NR mission has even greater influence in the decades to come.

Learn more about NRI’s programs, accomplishments, and recent growth.

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