Our Statement
The mission of the Springfield Foundation is to raise, strengthen, and distribute permanent charitable funds to benefit the community. The Foundation exists to improve the quality of life for all citizens, and is made up of a collection of funds given by caring individuals, businesses, and organizations that have a common concern for the well-being of the people in our community. Believing that a wide array of perspectives allows all organizations to be more effective, we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
Diversity is a broad concept that encompasses all the differences that people bring to the conversation. In addition to the traditional focus on aspects such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, age, language, physical ability, and religious belief, diversity also includes differences of thought, ideas, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and values. The Springfield Foundation is committed to an active and ongoing process which affirms human diversity in its many forms.
Equity is about promoting justice, fairness, and respect. Different from equality which allows for everything to be the same regardless of need, equity allows for things to be different depending on need. Equity leads to equality. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness with the procedures and processes of the Foundation, as well as in the distribution of resources.
Inclusion is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be present and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. It is important to note that a diverse group isn’t always an inclusive group. Intentional focus on inclusion will enable the Foundation to achieve our mission of benefiting the entire community.
Leading by example, we aspire to make diversity, equity and inclusion core and abiding strengths of the Springfield Foundation. In order to have a real impact, we will include diverse voices and draw upon them to intentionally engage issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in an authentic way.
