Theme

Purpose

What makes for a meaningful purpose? At its best, what can philanthropy do that other sectors cannot? Meet organizations re-imagining their purpose.

The most powerful way to shift a system is to change what it is for, the philosophy underpinning it, and therefore what its purpose is …

Jennie Winhall, Service Designer & Charles Leadbeater, British Author

Posts from Purpose

Photograph of four people crowded around a large booklet

Theme: Purpose Type: Introductory

Introduction To Purpose Stories

Get to the heart of purpose, differentiating it from function and strategy; and, explore some very different philanthropic purposes.

Theme: Purpose Type: Core concepts

What is Purpose?

Differentiate purpose from strategy and understand its power in organizations to imbue every structure, process, role, and communication with greater meaning.

Three people sitting around a table outdoors. On the table is a big blue poster, cups, saucers, smaller pieces of paper, glue sticks, and writing implements. They are adding to the poster.

Theme: Purpose Type: Core concepts

Purpose & Narrative: Peas in a Pod

Understand how to communicate purpose so that it can be lived and understood in context, through narrative!

A person adds a dot sticker to a poster titled "What matters to us" to indicate that "Belonging & Connection" is a top value.

Theme: Purpose Type: Provocative

Putting Purpose into Words

Study what makes for a purpose statement you can be guided and inspired by: compare the statements of purpose from several Canadian Community Foundations and grow your own sense of discernment about what makes purpose more or less powerful.

Four people stand looking at a wall covered in blue posters. Each describes a different philanthropic purpose and they are adding post-it notes to them.

Theme: Purpose Type: Provocative

Other Purposes

Get inspired by leaders pursuing bold philanthropic purposes that repurpose the inherited content of philanthropy for modern contexts.

Woman with mid-length black straight hair carrying shoulder bag stands looking at a bookshelf, and away from the camera.

Theme: Purpose Type: Case study

Unpacking Neutrality at the Public Library

Delve into the controversial question of whether an organization can or should ever be neutral. Let's learn from the lively debate over at the public library.

A room full of what appear to be staff celebrating: purple and white balloons adorn the ceiling

Theme: Purpose Type: Case study

How Visa Became a 'Chaordic' Organization

Learn from the influential founder of Visa about why every organization needs a moral purpose, and how that purpose unifies, galvanizes, and enlivens any collective endeavour.

Purpose stories podcast

At its best, what can philanthropy do that other institutions cannot? What purposes can foundations meaningfully pursue? Guests make the case for experimentalism, civic action, mutuality, transitional justice, and more.

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Theme

Purpose

Jennie Winhall, Service Designer & Charles Leadbeater, British Author

Posts from Purpose

Purpose stories podcast

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