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Our DEIJ Vision
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The motivation and guidance for this diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) work is drawn from our mission and vision, our direction from Margaret Cargill, and the caring and compassionate culture we strive for through work with grantees, partners, and each other. Embracing this vision will have a transformational influence on our organization, our partnerships, the work we do, and the impact we ultimately seek.

Our vision for change

At Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, we envision a future in which our philanthropic resources and relationships help remove systemic barriers that limit access to opportunity and marginalize people within communities, as well as help empower and support them as agents of the change they seek. In this way, our joint efforts deepen and sustain the impact we work to achieve.

To achieve this impact, we seek to foster a culture—both internally and externally with grantees, community members, and other strategic partners—where differences are seen and respected, voices are heard, and all individuals feel supported and valued for their authentic selves.

Indigenous woman in a classroom reading on a laptop.

Photo courtesy of American Indian College Fund

Our practices

MACP’s vision is driven by our mission and guided by our values of excellence, humility, learning, respect, integrity, and making a difference. Our approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are rooted in these same values: we strive to remove bias and strengthen a culture of belonging to enable the most qualified people of all identities and backgrounds to feel welcome, do their best work, and advance our mission of providing meaningful assistance and support to society, the arts, and the environment.

Our work benefits from the collective wisdom and strength of many perspectives, and we are committed to supporting a culture free of discrimination in any form. We welcome the opportunity to engage with organizations and individuals of all backgrounds who share a commitment to our donor’s vision of supporting efforts to enhance the quality of life and prevent and relieve suffering of children, families, and older adults; preserve and promote the environment and the arts; and encourage the humane treatment of animals.

Establishing shared definitions

To advance our DEIJ Vision, we need a clear understanding and a common reference point of what these terms mean. We believe it is important to use language that is shared and recognize the expertise of others working in this space. To that end, we have chosen definitions from external sources and have begun to explore what these concepts mean in practice for MACP. Read more here.