Creating positive outcomes for future generations

Guided by this vision and the Statement of Founders’ Intent, each day we strive to make a significant and positive impact on the world. We tackle large, important issues at a scale where we believe we can make significant and measurable impacts. We know that our ability to take risks and make long-term and relatively large commitments allows us to undertake challenges not accessible to many other organizations.

Our Mission
We foster path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements, and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area.

Our Values
The following core values reflect the character and beliefs of Gordon and Betty Moore and guide the foundation’s work.

Impact – We strive to achieve large-scale, enduring impact.

Investing on a sufficient scale to make a difference on important issues.
Taking the long view, staying the course and persisting.
Seeking to create durable, not temporary, change.
Taking calculated risks and supporting new ideas for significant change.
Focusing on root causes, not symptoms, to create systemic change.
Integrity – We hold ourselves accountable to our founders’ ideals and aspirations.

Carrying out our work with uncompromising integrity and committing to the highest standards of conduct.
Communicating honestly, clearly and in a timely manner.
Using the resources entrusted to us responsibly.
Holding ourselves to the same standards that we ask of others.
Disciplined Approach – We take a systematic, evidence-based approach.

Developing and implementing, evidence-based, well-vetted theories of change.
Testing our assumptions and challenging our thinking; we adaptively manage to address changing conditions.
Evaluating our impact, learning and improving, we establish outcomes which we can measure using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Consistently implementing full cycles of planning, execution, evaluation and improvement, we learn from both our successes and failures.
Staying well informed and making decisions on the basis of knowledge, analysis, external input and objective due diligence.
Collaboration – We collaborate with respect and purpose.

Recognizing that our impact is achieved through the efforts of our grantees and others.
Working with others, respecting their ideas, values and time.
Listening to varying points of view, including those that may differ from our own.
Gathering and incorporating the best thinking into our work.
Respectfully challenging ourselves and our partners to strengthen our collective thinking.
Fostering collaboration when we can create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.