Vision & Culture
As a learning organization, Maddox embraces all stages of transformation and change toward liberation.
Our Vision
We seek a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat.
The Maddox Fund tends to its internal culture believing that how we work inside the foundation influences of all of our partnerships. We see ourselves as an organic organization that will evolve over time in response to our environment and changing needs of our community.
Our Values
- We champion just, equitable, and liberatory systems and policies
- We honor the voices of systemically under-resourced communities
- We believe learning is the first step toward transformation
- We celebrate courageous leadership
- We engage our work with humility and curiosity
- We manage our resources with integrity and transparency
Our North Stars
The Maddox North Stars emerged out of our 2021 Equity Audit. They serve as guides for how we operate as an organization and as a means of conceptualizing and assessing our work. We will explore how we live into them on a regular basis and it is our belief that that these North Stars will evolve as our work and the needs of the community change.
As a learning organization, Maddox embraces all stages of transformation and change toward liberation.
- Shared Language
- Maddox believes that language forms a collective consciousness and is always evolving; therefore, we are vigilant in amplifying the multiple voices that contribute to our shared understanding of DEIJL in our mission, vision and values.
- Shared Power
- Maddox Board, Staff, and partners use power for the shared goal of promoting community well-being.
- Maddox honors experience as a source of power.
- Maddox holds itself accountable to the community.
- Maddox is committed to transparency.
- DEIJL values throughout our organization
- Equity, justice and liberation are normalized, formalized, and woven into the fabric of the organization,
- White supremacy culture is identified and dismantled in policies, practices, relationships and all aspects of the organization.
- Organizational values of DEIJL are integrated into board and committee meetings through intentional and responsive dialogue and action.
- Transparency
- Maddox keeps our grantmaking records, 990s an audits readily accessible to the public.
Living in an ecosystem of trust, the Maddox Board and Staff enjoy a relationship of mutuality and are committed to restorative practices.
- Board Members
- Maddox Board members believe in the power of a diverse, collaborative board to create change.
- Maddox Board members embody, practice, and are fully committed to DEIJL.
- Board Leadership
- Maddox Board embraces our connectedness to nature and the community, recognizing the need to listen and learn.
- Staff
- Maddox Staff is diverse and demonstrates and champions DEIJL in the workplace and the community.
- Maddox Staff is dedicated to supporting and empowering our partners while continuing to listen with humility and curiosity.
- Maddox Staff annual evaluations reflect a growing knowledge of and commitment to DEIJL.
- Staff and Board Relations
- Maddox Staff and Board trust, affirm and support one another in our respective roles. Maddox Board and Staff have the resources we need to grow, thrive and serve as agents of change in the community.
Sharing DEIJL values, Maddox cultivates an environment of trust with our partners.
- Nonprofits
- Maddox’s work with nonprofit partners centers relationships and mutual learning.
- Maddox views nonprofit partners as subject-matter experts and elevates their voices through the sharing of power.
- Maddox adopts DEIJL indicators, tracks organizational progress and makes data available to the community.
- Investments
- Maddox aligns all its assets with its Vision, Mission, and DEIJL Values.
- Maddox engages investment partners that embrace and embody its DEIJL Values.
- As a learning organization, Maddox actively monitors its investment activities, measures their effectiveness, and adapts as necessary to live out our values while meeting our investment objectives.
- Vendors
- Maddox actively seeks diverse, local vendors that share our DEIJL values.
- Maddox tracks vendor diversity.
Partnering with the community, Maddox leads and follows with courage to advance DEIJL.
- Advocacy
- Maddox Staff are in the community and engaged in DEIJL movements.
- Maddox has a responsive advocacy agenda that advances DEIJL that is shaped by the community.
- Maddox uses its voice and resources to amplify the DEIJL efforts of our partners.
- Partner Training and Consulting
- Maddox supports partner and community learning and reflection on issues of DEIJL.
- National and Local Foundation Engagement
- Maddox is connected to communities of practice, national and otherwise, to explore, engage and deepen DEIJL understanding and skill.
- Maddox collaborates with other foundations and colleagues to advance DEIJL.
Learning from Nature
The Maddox Fund looks to nature as we aspire to an internal eco-system of trust. Through dwelling with nature, we observe:
- Trees teach us we are stronger together
- Grasslands show us that diversity feeds us
- The Earth teaches us that seeds grow in fertile ground
- Water teaches us to bend, adapt, and keep moving forward
- Animal communities teach us how to lead and follow
For a full description of what we learn and what it means for the workplace, you can check out our full culture statement here.
Committed to Learning
The Maddox Fund is always approaching our work with humility and curiosity. We recognize that painful seasons of awakening, wandering and releasing create fertile soil for reimagining our future. We are committed to many awakenings and re-awakenings along the way.
image is adapted from GEO’s Seven Stages of Transformation
