 The Pope Foundation "has invested millions in a network of foundations and think tanks, and advocacy groups, both in North Carolina and nationally, that are designed to further conservative and free market ideas," including the John Locke Foundation, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, Americans for Prosperity, and North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law.John William Pope, founder of the retail discount chain Variety Wholesalers, created the Pope Foundation in 1986.The Pope Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary in December 2011 by hosting a fundraiser for StepUp Ministry, a nonprofit that assists low-income individuals in getting a job and achieving a stable lifestyle.