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About Us

Background

IN ORDER TO REALIZE OUR


VISION

 The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation aspires to the ideal of a sovereign Canada that is dedicated to the security and well being of all Canadians and committed to tolerance, pluralism and democratic participation.

AND TO ACHIEVE OUR


MISSION

 The Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation is dedicated to the development of sound and innovative public policies, founded on those values fundamental to Canadians, and designed to foster the continuing evolution of a dynamic and independent Canada.

OUR DECISION MAKING WILL BE GROUNDED BY THESE


GUIDING PRINCIPLES
  • We believe that progressive social policies and sound economic policies must be mutually reinforcing
  • We believe that human development needs must be met in a way that recognizes the imperative to protect the environment
  • We believe that full participation by Aboriginal Canadians in Canadian society must be secured in ways which respect their unique rights and cultural identity

AND INFORMED BY THESE APPROACHES TO OPERATIONS


Proactive/responsive balance We will balance our activities between projects we initiate ourselves and unsolicited proposals that we believe will serve our mission.
Early intervention We will seek out opportunities to support early-stage initiatives on emerging public policy issues that have received limited public attention.
Risk taking We will not shy from supporting initiatives that have a high risk of failure providing that they present an equally high potential for success.
Supporting leadership We will seek out and support individuals within organizations that exhibit strong leadership skills with a particular focus on young and emerging leaders.
Collaboration We will collaborate and partner with other organizations and institutions in order to maximize resources that serve our mission and programme priorities.
Informed debate We seek to foster informed discussion and debate that considers a diversity of views and perspectives.
Leverage We will make strategic use of the foundation's human resources as well as its name and reputation to further our mission and priorities.
Transparency We will communicate openly about the criteria and process that informs our grant making and the outcomes of our decisions.
Best practices We will strive to model our internal activities on what are considered to be best practices for operational foundations.