> What we believe
These values shape how we try to work with our partners, with communities, and with each other. They are central to our decision-making and partnership approach.
Trust & Empathy
Trust is the foundation of everything we do. We invest in building genuine, long-term relationships with community members, partners, and colleagues, based on honesty, care, and real mutual respect.
Respect & Transparency
Running a grassroots organisation is hard. Harder than being a funder. Anyone who has been there knows this. We try never to forget it, and to never presume we know more than our partners do about their communities and their work. We aim to always be clear and open: about our decisions, our thinking, and our limitations.
Listening, Learning & Accountability
We work hard to understand local contexts, as much as we can. When we're not clear, we ask. And then we listen. We aim to share what we learn, including what hasn't worked. We actively seek feedback from partners, both face-to-face and anonymised. This is essential for guiding how we develop, where we need to get better, and for tackling some of the unequal power dynamics and asymmetrical accountability that often exist in philanthropy.
Humility
Partners are the experts in what they do. They work hard and their time is precious. We aim to support them to the best of our ability. We don't get that right every time, and that's where learning and feedback is key. We're not interested in brand recognition or claiming credit for any impact achieved.
Responsibility & Risk
As a private foundation, we are aware of the privilege that comes with our position. That privilege carries responsibility, and we believe it means we should be willing to take more risk, and to back work that other funders might not reach or might shy away from.
Collaboration
Lasting change rarely comes from one organisation working alone. We look for partners who value collaboration, and we try to model it ourselves, whether by working closely with partners, other funders, or networks that bring people together.
Deeply Valuing Lived Experience
We deeply value and prioritise organisations and leaders who are embedded in the communities they work in and have lived experience of the issues they work to address. This is fundamental to our approach with grassroots organisations.
Prioritising Care & Safety
The nature of this work and running a grassroots organisation can be exhausting and overwhelming. Grassroots teams frequently show up for their own communities when no one else does. We aim to place care and wellbeing at the centre of how we partner. Not in a prescriptive way, but in whatever way our partners feel is useful. We believe that supporting people who do the work to feel well, safe and to look after themselves and their families should never be a 'nice to have'.