Our Values

Our Values and Principles form the foundation on which we perform our work and conduct ourselves, individually and as an organization. They guide decisions we make in our pursuit of a better world for all people.

About Our Vision and mission

  • We value the inherent dignity, agency, worth, and other human rights of all individuals in this complex and interdependent world.
  • We uphold the collective responsibility of all people to one another, to our fragile planet, and to building a just and sustainable future.
  • We promote care and empathy in human relationships and interactions.
  • We recognize that the actions of individuals have impact outside of their immediate sphere of influence.
  • We believe that profound threats to human survival and well-being require stakeholders at all levels to embrace systemic change, nurture effective policy progress, and cultivate resilient institutions working for the good of all.
  • We know that inclusive dialogue and diverse perspectives create better outcomes and that we cannot be effective until the voices of the marginalized are preserved with dignity, heard with empathy, and activated with equity.
  • We value independent, accurate journalism and the role journalists and the media play in building societies that are more informed, just, and accountable.
  • We value, promote, and strengthen global education to foster more globally minded individuals in our communities.

About Our Organization

  • We are strategic, catalytic, collaborative, and impact driven in our pursuit of real-world outcomes.
  • We value shared learning and the opportunities it provides to strengthen relationships, improve our effectiveness, and contribute to knowledge in our fields of work.
  • We are nonpartisan and value the creation of space for every person to feel safe and comfortable to express themselves.
  • We value the agility and long-term, independent perspective made possible by our status as an endowed, private operating foundation. We acknowledge the privilege that accompanies this status and the associated responsibility to rebalance systems that exclude the most vulnerable.
  • We honor the legacy of our founders, their vision for family governance involvement, and their commitment to Muscatine, Iowa.