Our Guiding Principles

I Be a Good Partner

Our role is to help our partners succeed in creating a better future. We achieve things together.

II Trust Critical Optimism

As our name suggests, we believe in a better future. We rely on the power of science and experimentation to make change: we want to delve into significant problems and promote their solutions by testing, learning, and scaling. We dare to ask difficult questions.

III Recognize the world is a web of life

We strive to expand our understanding of how natural and human systems are connected. We engage with those who imagine and work for better futures for all inhabitants of the planet, from microbes to humans.

IV Believe in People

We believe in people's desire to do well and do good. We avoid categorizing people into predetermined labels. Instead, we aim to understand various motivations and situations and remove barriers to positive action.

V Nurture Joy

The issues we and our partners work on are challenging. There are rarely quick wins or a final endpoint where everything is solved. We focus attention on positive development and aspects of change that bring joy. Joy is a characteristic of the world we aspire to create collectively.

Photo of the otters: Kedar Gadge