Surdna & Social Justice

Grounded in History

The Surdna Foundation’s commitment to social justice is grounded in and has evolved from the legacy of John E. Andrus and the Andrus family. In our mission, we have committed to using social justice as a compass, guiding the systemic change that we strive for. We believe that principles of social justice increase our impact and make us more effective.

Advancing a Just Future

As an institution working to foster sustainable communities, we know that thriving cultures, inclusive economies, and sustainable environments simply are not possible without directly addressing structural racism and discrimination. Sustainable communities must include access to fair opportunities and the processes that shape our lives and communities.

The Change We Seek

We strive to achieve a just and equitable society through transformative processes. We aim to help shift historic patterns of power imbalance. We observe persistent patterns of inequality and strive to address their root causes. We believe that inequity hurts everyone and that racial and social justice yield benefits throughout society.

Our Approach

We work with grantee partners and practitioners across diverse fields, focusing on:

Opportunity

We seek equal access to opportunity, with barriers dismantled in communities that have been historically disenfranchised and systematically excluded.

Root Causes

Systems thinking and history ground our work; we aim to address root causes. We work to transform the systems of inequity – particularly racism, classism and sexism – that have shaped opportunity in society. We acknowledge the inequity that exists based on country of origin, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, and ability, among other group identities.

Power

We believe that the communities that are most affected by racism, classism and sexism should lead the structural changes they seek. Decision-making structures and processes must prioritize empowerment.

Capacity Building

To shift power dynamics, we work with grantee partners to develop emerging leaders from historically marginalized identity groups. We make investments in organizational capacity so under-resourced organizations can fully participate as informed partners.

Vision, Mission & Values

Social justice guides our internal operations, our programmatic work and our grantmaking partnerships.

Theory of Change

We believe that the inequities in American society are historical, attitudinal and structural.