Our Mission, Vision & Values
Our Mission
By collecting, managing, preserving and providing broad and equitable access to the historical records of philanthropy and other efforts to work on behalf of the public good, the Rockefeller Archive Center inspires critical analysis and contributes knowledge to diverse learning communities throughout the world.
Our Vision
Consistent with our obligations as an independent operating foundation, the Rockefeller Archive Center aspires to:
- Embed the principles of equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging in the framework of everything we do.
- Evolve and expand our collecting and interpretive activities to engage underrepresented communities taking part in and impacted by the work documented in the archival collections in our care.
- Be among the leaders in the archives field in creating and contributing to a more diverse and equitable community of practice, both at our institution and across the profession.
- Hold ourselves truly accountable by measuring the impact of our work in meaningful ways and adjusting our activities as appropriate to meet our goals.
Our Values
Human-Centered
We respect the dignity, agency, privacy, and expertise of every person who is a part of or interacts with our organization. We foster a culture of empathy and mutual respect, ensuring that our systems and services are designed to be intuitive and supportive. By valuing the unique backgrounds and needs of all our constituents, we fulfill our mission with a commitment to the well-being and success of the people at the heart of our work.
Responsible
We aim to create a sustainable and expansive future by caring for our organization, the archival records we steward, and our world. We responsibly manage our financial resources and support the people whose expertise makes our work possible. We uphold the highest ethical and professional standards in the care and preservation of our collections, ensuring they remain accessible to our global user communities. We manage these resources with a long-term commitment to environmental sustainability, actively working to minimize the ecological impact of our physical facilities and technological infrastructure.
Equitable
We want our collections, services, workplace culture, and facilities to empower and reflect the diverse communities we serve. We proactively dismantle barriers to access and recruitment while evolving our collecting, interpretive, and analytical activities to engage the communities impacted by our work. We design our processes, services, and systems to promote racial, gender, and economic justice, cultural competence, and to address the structural imbalances inherent in historical documentation.
Adaptive
We believe that progress is more important than perfection. Therefore, we embrace change as a fundamental component of our work, intentionally adopting new technologies and processes that extend our reach and enhance users’ experiences. We regularly review our policies and systems to reflect new thinking and remain responsive to evolving circumstances. We foster collaboration because we believe that multiple perspectives and experiences bring value to our work.
Trustworthy
We build trust through transparency, accountability, and institutional independence. Through the ethical application of technology, professional standards, and intentional development of processes, we ensure that our systems and services are built on a foundation of observability, integrity, and a commitment to clear, actionable feedback. In support of those who create new knowledge, we uphold the primacy of free exploration and inquiry.