We believe that it’s in coming together, creating communities, sharing ideas and resources that community-based leaders and their partners will begin to tackle challenges of inequity, injustice and poverty, and create the change we need in the world.
At various points, David and Lisa have called South Africa and New York City home, and both have always felt passionate about engaging with younger people, so their focus began among young leaders and organizations in those regions, supporting leadership development and organizational capacity-strengthening efforts with a specific emphasis on improving the lives of children and youth.
Both Lisa and David believe in the powerful potential of a meaningful education. As Executive Director, Lisa builds on her past experience as an educator, which taught her that education can be a tool for opening the world, expanding opportunities and perspectives, and building communities, confidence, and skill sets. Since the foundation’s founding in 2007, Lisa has also learned much from the foundation’s partners and in response began developing programming that could help support an increasing number of early-stage social impact leaders and their organizations.
The Foundation’s current programs bring emergent leaders with lived experience together into shared spaces to create learning opportunities and supportive networks. The Foundation believes that it’s in coming together, creating communities, sharing ideas and sharing resources that community-based leaders and their partners will begin to tackle challenges of inequity, injustice and poverty, and create the change we need in the world.
IFF is deeply invested in collaborating in order to evolve and develop community. We actively engage fully with our partners as well as other implementing organizations and funding partners. We intentionally foster networks and facilitate relationships in the sector.
IFF actively pursues continuous learning to improve ourselves and enhance our work in service of others. We proactively listen and engage to learn, challenge ourselves and share with others.
IFF values diversity of experience, opinion, perspective, approach and background. Incorporating a global perspective and focusing on equality of access for everyone, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, is essential to our work. We promote transparency and honesty in ourselves and in our relationships.
