George Gund Foundation

**Vision** **We envision a regenerative Earth where all people are free, treated with dignity and respect, have equal rights and access, and possess the necessary resources to thrive and live vibrantly.** **Values** **The Foundation’s values are articulated in our *[What We Believe](https://gundfoundation.org/vision-and-values/#believe)* statement.** **Mission** **The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 as a private, nonprofit institution with the sole purpose of contributing to human well-being and the progress of society. Over the years, program objectives and emphases have been modified to meet the changing opportunities and problems of our society, but the foundation’s basic goal of advancing human welfare remains constant.** **What We Believe** **The George Gund Foundation is rooted in Cleveland, the community that was the home of its founder and that remains the Foundation’s home.** The Foundation’s commitment to Cleveland derives not just from our history but also from our belief that Cleveland can continue to develop original responses to issues that can benefit people everywhere. Our focus on Cleveland offers an important point of leverage to affect issues that go well beyond the city’s boundaries and includes its roles as a place for innovation, an example and a leader in Ohio, a politically important state that can wield outsized influence nationally and, therefore, globally. Moreover, the urban emphasis of our work stems from a belief that thriving cities are and will remain one of the nation’s best hopes for addressing essential issues. We invest in this place with an eye toward building the sense of community—locally, nationally and globally—that human progress requires. We commit to this for the long term, working alongside those who are making concrete progress. We also must acknowledge, however, that our work is often propelled by recognition that both Cleveland and any larger sense of community are threatened by powerful forces and divisive issues. Such challenges are many but three interrelated issues stand out: [Climate change and environmental degradation](https://gundfoundation.org/vision-and-values/#1758223671-1-421758303915607) Climate change is a threat to the very future of humanity. Its consequences grow more apparent even as many ignore both the evidence before their eyes and the scientific consensus that calls on all of us to act. In 2016 the world community reached an agreement in Paris that set targets for greenhouse gas reductions to limit global temperature rise to less than two degrees Celsius. The United States government turned its back on that accord for four years, rejoined in early 2021, and withdrew again in 2025. In response to the interruption, many states, cities, businesses and foundations—including The George Gund Foundation—asserted their commitment to the Paris goals and took action to help achieve them. Even if the Paris targets are achieved, however, human activity already has triggered a chain of damaging climate change and environmental degradation. Adaptation to these consequences is a growing need, and it is increasingly apparent that those who suffer first and foremost will disproportionately be people of color who live in more vulnerable locations and the poor who have fewer resources to adapt. Collective action across all sectors is required to meet these challenges. [Entrenched and accelerating inequality, especially racial inequity](https://gundfoundation.org/vision-and-values/#1758223671-2-781758303915607) Inequality is a worldwide issue and its American dimensions pose grave societal questions. Can the American dream of upward mobility survive in an economy that distributes benefits so unequally? How does the concentration of wealth at the top affect our capacity for justice and the effectiveness of our politics? Can we finally overcome the deep-rooted racial aspect of inequality that is so conspicuous in America, repair the enduring damage of slavery and undo the countless actions, decisions and policies throughout our country’s history that have embedded racial inequity into nearly all societal systems? Cleveland has its own distinct version of this history and the racial dimension of inequality is present in nearly every community issue. Likewise, issues of justice for women, the LGBTQI community, people who are disabled, immigrants, refugees and others have become more prominent in recent years. The George Gund Foundation supports targeted groups as public discussion increasingly highlights them, and especially when they are attacked with language that is xenophobic and coarse. [Weakened democracy](https://gundfoundation.org/vision-and-values/#1758223671-2-7861758303915607)