What is English First Foundation?

The English First Foundation is a 501(c)(3)organization, established in 1991 in order to study the significance of the use of English in the United States, and to educate the public about the importance of preserving English as the common language of the United States.

Donations to English First Foundation are tax-deductible for income-tax purposes.

The Foundation conducts and publishes original research on language issues; assists Members of Congress at their request in the drafting and analysis of legislation; undertakes periodic educational programs; conducts and/or participates in seminars, conferences and other issue-related gatherings and provides legal counseling and assistance.

What does the Foundation do on a day to day basis?

We contribute 17 years of expertise to the legislative and regulatory process:

The Foundation aggressively seeks out opportunities to weigh in during the approval process for various federal regulations and has filed directly or provided research which was utilized in the filing of public comment on the application of Clinton Executive Order 13166 upon the operation of the federal government and the policies of the state and local recipients of federal funds.

Foundation staff have testified before Congress and the Federal Election Commission.

We educate the public:

The Foundation seeks to educate the public via talk show appearances by staff, production of news articles and op-eds and speeches before civic groups. Foundation speakers have appeared on programs like C-SPAN, FOX News, NBC and CBS.

English First Foundation has distributed hundreds of pro-English books free of charge and postage paid to any school library that makes a written request.

Those books include John Miller's The Unmaking of Americans, a study of the rise and fall of the assimulationist ethos in America;, Dr. Rosalie Porter’s Forked Tongue, a study of the promises and failings of bilingual education; as well as other materials that the Foundation is able to obtain at reasonable cost.

Publications/Original Research:

The Foundation issues numerous white papers on various English-related topics. These white papers are distributed to Washington, D.C., decision makers, nationwide opinion leaders and interested members of the public upon request. These [link] white papers[link] also assist Foundation staff in preparing for Congressional hearings and discussions.

What are English First Foundation's major achievements?

In 2000, English First Foundation submitted an amicus curie brief in the Sandoval official English case which was signed by 14 Members of Congress, including Tom Tancredo and Dana Rohrabacher.

The Foundation's brief was part of a successful appeal of one of the few lower-court decisions that ever declared a person’s language choice a protected civil right.

In 2002, the English First Foundation participated in the National Panel on the Development of Literacy Among Language Minority Children and Youth on a prospective research agenda to determine the effectiveness of bilingual education.

Foundation personnel have debated the opposition in places like Columbia University and Georgetown and before gatherings including the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

How can I support the work of English First Foundation?

Tax-deductable donations to English First Foundation can be made securely here.

Donations can also be made by mail. Make your check or money order payable to English First Foundation. Our mailing address is 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151. Please write "Internet doantion" on the outside of the envelope and or the memo line of your check.

English First Foundation is eligible for many matching fund programs.

Federal employees can support the work of English First Foundation by selecting 10159 during the Combined Federal Campaign.