At its core, philanthropy is about relationships. One way to foster positive relationships, connection, and collaboration is to be mindful of how we participate in conversation. We have adopted this set of discussion guidelines and principles that we hope will serve as a foundation for trust and learning.

We are here to learn. To lead constructive conversations, we agree to:

Respect differing opinions and beliefs.

• Commit to learning, not debating
• Trust that people are doing the best they can
• “Try on” ideas

Recognize our use of space and privilege.

• Listen actively and allow everyone a chance to speak

Reflect on the discussion, our preconceptions and discomfort.

• Avoid assumptions about individuals or generalizations about social groups
• Don’t ask individuals to speak for their (perceived) social group