“Your leadership and your vision have been so important for me, for PolicyLink, and for the field.  You have succeeded at accomplishing just what you described as your goal -- you developed and implemented a new vision for authentic community engagement and for how philanthropy can be a force for equity, inclusion, and innovation.”
Judith Bell, President, PolicyLink


What We Believe
Ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things.
Change is best implemented through diverse teams of stakeholders that are stimulated, encouraged, and given permission to be creative. Planning platforms must provide space to unleash people’s natural intuition and problem-solving. Let people grapple. Dream big. Find the breatkthrough.

Long-term learning relationships provide the most fertile ground for innovation and impact.
Sustainability is best built through networks that practice ongoing listening, visioning, learning, planning and directly experiencing impact. Trust takes time. It is important in network management to build a culture of shared risk, truthful communication, and equity in decision-making. Assure ongoing dialogue about what’s working and not working so strategies can be adapted.

Revitalization efforts must be connected, coordinated, and comprehensive.
No single program or approach can address the deeply entrenched issues of our day. Issues are interconnected and require strategies that are holistic.

“Comprehensive change” doesn’t mean doing everything.
It just means that all work is implemented in an integrated way. Social, economic, physical, and political development goals must build on each other. Take a balanced approach, seeking the both/and not the either/or.

Results raise expectations for change, and those expectations seed ongoing innovation and transformation.
Focus on both long-term vision and rapid results. Adapt as you go. Implement in a way that is visionary, creative, fun, and builds an unwavering spirit and energy for action.