Our Values
We value health. As Mark O. Hatfield, founding chair of the Northwest Health Foundation Board once said, “You cannot build a strong nation — economically, militarily, spiritually or socially — on the backs of sick people.”
We define health according to the World Health Organization: a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
We value transparency and accountability as essential elements of a commitment to community.
We value collaboration, respect for others, diversity along all dimensions, and the celebration of differing opinions.
We believe we can create an environment for change when we strive to exemplify our values and principles.
Guiding Principles
In order to truly fulfill our mission, we believe that certain societal conditions must be promoted. These are framed as our guiding principles:
- Social justice, equity, pluralism, and community engagement are elements of a healthy society.
- The health of all people in the community is improved through prevention practices, education, research, and reduction of barriers to service
- A robust public health system is a vital component of a healthy community
- Access to quality health care is a basic right of all people
- Social change that improves health can be achieved through advocacy efforts that influence public policy
- Collaborative relationships are crucial for developing effective strategies to promote the community’s health
- Transparency, credibility and accountability are essential elements of Northwest Health Foundation’s commitment to community
How We Operate
- We are values-driven. Transparency, credibility and accountability are essential elements of the Foundation’s commitment to community. The manner in which staff, board and advisory committee members work together at Northwest Health Foundation is central to our impact.
- We are community-driven. The Foundation’s role is to identify, nurture and support community efforts that have demonstrated effectiveness as well as emerging and innovative approaches to expand our community’s capacity to optimize health.
- We are strategic. The Foundation makes conscious choices to focus our grantmaking, community-building, and advocacy in areas for which we have identified opportunities for change. Our strategic process weighs evidence, opportunity, timeliness, need, and impact. We re-examine our strategies on an ongoing basis in order to remain flexible and agile in responding to changing or unforeseen circumstances.
- We address root causes. The Foundation challenges ourselves and others to address health disparities. In doing so, the Foundation is willing to move beyond the traditionally held boundaries of “health” in order to promote integrated, holistic strategies required to fulfill our mission.
- We are engaged. The Foundation’s role as a convener, capacity-builder and advocate is as important as the grants we provide. Through the engagement of staff and board members, we seek to better identify opportunities to leverage our investments, sustain meaningful relationships and promote genuine collaboration and partnership.
- We are building a community for change. The Foundation is always looking for opportunities to support, grow and celebrate individual and collective leadership to promote community health.
- We are partners. We recognize the fact that we are only as successful as our partners. Our ability to sustain relationships and common goals beyond a single grant, issue or campaign is crucial to our role as an agent for social change. The Foundation strives to remain accessible to all our partners in promoting health.
We are at our most effective when we provide an environment for community organizations and their members - many of whom may have divergent opinions - to come together and engage in conversation around common themes and producing strategies that will advance the common good.
