Our Vision in Action
We are guided by our values and use our different roles (grantmaker, convener, networker, learner, investor, employer, co-worker, community member) to advance our mission and support a culture that embraces different viewpoints, seeks full participation, cultivates welcoming and respectful environments, and promotes fair treatment.
What this looks like in action includes:
- Our work is transparent. Our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are embedded in direction from our donor, which guides our grantmaking and organizational practices. We are committed to confronting racism and discrimination in all its forms within our institutional culture and the work we support externally.
- Our staff, board, and partners (including grantees, subgrantees, vendors, consultants, and investment managers) reflect the communities where we live and work through their diversity of perspectives, experiences, and expertise. These different viewpoints support our mission and help build a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and has a sense of belonging.
- We work together with our grantees, community members, and other strategic partners to understand the systems and structures in which our work is being done and the impact they have on individuals and communities we support.
- We engage in sustained learning and development with our staff and board that broaden intercultural competence, examine assumptions and norms, promote self-reflection, and expand our understanding of institutional racism and other systemic inequities—including MACP’s role in those systems.
- We rely on engagement, trust, and long-term relationships to advance equity and inclusion in how we work. As a funder, we recognize the power dynamic in philanthropy and build partnerships where the voices of grantees, community members, and our other partners are heard and power is shared.
- Our decision-making benefits from and is informed by a variety of perspectives, and we engage with those who are knowledgeable about the needs of the community.
- Our processes and practices are aligned with these commitments and support efforts to address the needs of our grantees and the communities where they work. We empower staff and work to remove organizational barriers so our practices are more equitable.
