The values that define how we conduct ourselves are:

• We recognize that it is up to us to earn the trust of those we seek to invest in and that a close, trusting relationship is vital to our investment approach.
  
• We have an inherent respect for community nonprofits and their leaders. We recognize the value they’ve already provided and note that their achievements have often come despite enormous challenges and severely limited outside support.
  
• We act based on our integrity, being highly ethical in our words and actions.
  
• We live with a humility that comes from a recognition that we are newcomers to the field, that we have much to learn, and that if the social ills we are confronting were simple to erase, others more talented than we are would have erased them long ago.
  
• We constantly strive to learn from our investment partners, from others in the community, and from our own mistakes and accomplishments. We use this learning to improve our work, and we are proactive in sharing this learning with others.
  
• We are collaborative and recognize the value of cultivating and supporting the growth of the philanthropic/nonprofit ecosystem that exists within our region.
  
• We are accountable to our stakeholders and ourselves for doing what we say we will do.

The principles that guide what we do are:

• We believe that an investment in an organization that improves the lives of children is an investment in this region’s future.
  
• We work through partnerships that are based on mutual trust and respect.
  
• We believe that workable approaches to problems exist within communities.
  
• We value and support strong leadership.
  
• We value and respond to the achievement of clear social outcomes.
  
• We believe that developing organizational capacity is essential for sustainability.
  
• We believe in leveraging the resources of our network to benefit others.
  
• We are committed to sharing what we learn with others.