Our work is grounded in advancing justice and equity in every way possible – paying attention to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, and any other ways that people are divided. We are working to dismantle white supremacy, patriarchy, and all the other oppressive structures, norms, rhetoric, and systems that hold us back from building power and achieving collective liberation. We are specifically committed to addressing anti-blackness and all forms of racism and sexism by working toward a just and equitable democracy in partnership with under-resourced and under-represented communities. We recognize justice and equity as inextricably linked. They are both the outcomes we wish to achieve and the process by which we work and live. There can be no peace until there is justice, and there can be no justice without a continuous effort to make sure everyone’s needs are met and voices heard.

We believe in building relationships by practicing interdependence and recognizing relatedness in our work. We do this by assuming good faith and extending grace in all we do. We don’t avoid conflict, nor do we approach conflict aggressively. Rather, we engage in generative conflict – a purposeful and respectful form of conflict that grows each of us and expands possibilities for the world we are creating together. We practice mutual accountability as a process of accepting responsibility for one’s actions and remedying any harm caused by them. We prefer and encourage transformative justice processes whenever possible to repair harm. 

In the context of equity work, accountability refers to the ways in which individuals and communities hold themselves to their goals and actions, and acknowledge the values and groups to which they are responsible. We believe that to be accountable, one must be visible, with a transparent agenda and process. We are committed to making a concerted effort to show up for our relationships by participating in relevant meetings, convenings, and planning sessions to drive our shared vision of democracy and justice.

We identify community-centeredness as the practice of grounding plans, decisions, and actions in community practice, whether that body is staff, BIPOC communities in Virginia, or partner organizations. Centering the people who are most impacted by our work can take many shapes, but we believe that intention should be rooted in humility and seeking understanding. We invest in forming communities of care and practice in order to contribute to shifting the paradigm of our culture & society to one that is regenerative and focused on collective care, investing in relationships that are genuine and transformative, not transactional.

We embody and support sustainable work cultures that prioritize people ahead of the work product. This means there are policies and cultures that treat all workers fairly and support their ability to grow professionally and lead holistic, restorative lives. Together, we practice mindfulness and sustainability and respect staff capacity, time, and wellbeing, and foster cultures of dignity and respect. The work of social justice is a long game and this approach allows us to strengthen our capacity, be in integrity, and work effectively together.

We define innovation as the  practice of creating, developing, and implementing a new product, process, or service, with the aim of improving efficacy and efficiency. Innovation requires a learning mindset, a desire to grow, a spirit of experimentation, and the willingness to take risks in service of mission. We believe in embracing change to better practice and work towards our values and goals, and believe that just because something has been done, doesn’t mean it should continue to be so. Further, we believe process as product, that how we do matters just as much as what we do. This includes embracing changes and creativity in work patterns, cultures, and settings, as well as striving for systemic changes and innovation work.

We know that short-term wins, individual campaigns, and working alone will not achieve our goals; we transform our democracy by developing strategies that drive a year-round set of activities with a wide–range of tools to build power in our communities, and we do that work together.