What We Stand For.
We believe in shaking things up, stirring the pot, and painting outside the lines. That’s right—we’re not your average philanthropy organization. We’ve thrown out the old rulebook and written our own. While some people are OK with the way things are, we’re not.
Gone are the days of playing it safe and sticking to the status quo. We’re all about blazing new trails, smashing barriers, and making waves that would make the ocean itself jealous. We’re tearing down walls, smashing glass ceilings, and building a future where everyone can be their true selves. We’re with the disruptors, the agitators, and the dreamers.
Want to stir up some trouble with us? Good, because that’s what we do best at Voqal Partners. We’re unafraid to challenge the status quo, push boundaries, and defy expectations. Why? Because we know that real change never comes from playing it safe. We would rather shake sh*t up so we can rebuild stronger, together.
OUR DREAM
Our Vision
To create and sustain collective liberation and abolish systemic oppression.
Our Mission
To support communities in expanding and exercising their power.
OUR VALUES
Champion Equity
We believe in the inherent dignity and worth of all people. We actively challenge ideologies and institutions that produce unjust outcomes. We examine our actions through an equity lens, working to identify and dismantle inequities in our policies and practices.
Work With, Not For
We believe that in the quest for justice, those closest to the problems are best equipped to address them. We co-create our systems and structures in community. We center, honor, and trust their expertise.
Shine The Light
We believe we only get better and make the right decisions when we share information (the good and the bad) and embrace feedback. We have conversations that are open, honest, and sometimes tough and share the how and why of our decisions.
Step Forward
We believe for change to happen we have to take action. It is not always safe for some people to push for change. We commit to using our privilege to speak truth to power and to advocate for justice and we strive to bring out the leaders in ourselves and others.
Think Big, Act Boldly
We believe, rather than focusing on incremental improvements, we need to make big and bold leaps forward. To rise above the noise of the status quo, we must dream with radical imagination, try new things, take action, adapt, and learn.
OUR JUST CAUSE
Imagine collective liberation.
Imagine that every child has the freedom to learn and pursue their dreams.
Imagine that hard work pays enough to let people live in dignity.
Imagine that we are all able to move about the world without fear for our lives.
Imagine that we all have a place to call home and hug our loved ones.
Imagine that we are all able to get the care we need, when and where we need it.
Imagine that we can leave a healthy world for future generations.
Imagine that we all can live freely no matter our skin color or who we love.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Shared Prosperity
We have a just and moral economy with an equitable and sustainable allocation of resources, including food, water, education, and health care. No communities are displaced, exploited, or extracted from to obtain resources.
Self Determination
Every person is able to participate in and have influence over the decisions that affect their lives. Through democratic decision-making processes, the public, not special interests, can influence and affect the creation of public policy.
Social Protections
We have a culture that provides safety, security, and protection from physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Individual expression is acknowledged, affirmed, valued, and celebrated. Every person has the same basic rights and is free from unfair treatment or discrimination.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Provoke Transformation
We commit to promoting social change by making big, bold changes to the existing system and structures, instead of fine-tuning our way forward. We will use our resources to foster policy solutions that address the root causes of oppression and have a lasting, equitable, collective impact on the whole community.
Extend Trust
We commit to building authentic relationships and trust with communities who have traditionally been excluded from places of power. We will be flexible in the use of our resources and recognize that we may not see results right away. We will learn from our mistakes and failures (because we’re human and will make them).
Build Power
We commit to supporting communities in developing, sustaining, and growing their political, economic, and social power and leadership. We will take our direction from people who are part of, and organizations led by, the communities who have long been impacted by oppression, because they see and know more than we ever could.
Support Advocacy
We commit to supporting community organizing, coalition building, and public policy advocacy. We will support communities in acting together through democratic structures to set agendas, shift public discourse, influence those who make decisions, and cultivate accountability with decision-makers.
Decolonize Systems
We commit to unlearning oppressive systems and developing anti-oppressive practices. We will recognize past and current harms, work toward equitable practices, repair our own harmful policies and practices, and demonstrate liberated ways of working.
OUR Liberation Statement
