Vision of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation:

• To promote social, economic and environmental justice.
• To strengthen democracy, through an educated and informed populace.
• To encourage innovation and excellence in a dynamic nonprofit sector.
• To support progressive public policy and social change.
• To foster cooperation and respect among all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.
• To build strong, vibrant, economically sound, and peaceful communities.

Diversity and Inclusiveness:

The Foundation’s grant making policies reflect the belief that organizational performance is greatly enhanced when people with different backgrounds and perspectives are engaged in an organization’s activities and decision-making process. Thus, the Foundation actively seeks to promote access, equity and inclusiveness, and to discourage discrimination based on race, creed, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors that deny the essential humanity of all people. This principle is a lens through which all of the work of the Foundation is viewed.

The Foundation reserves the right to decline proposals from organizations the board and staff of which do not reflect the diversity of the community in which they work.

To view the diversity policy adopted by the Foundation's Trustees in November 2005 (and subsequently amended in May 2009) click here.

To view guiding questions that Foundation staff have prepared to assist nonprofit leaders who seek to advance racial diversity in their organizations click here.