Mission & Values

Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. Pew addresses the challenges of a changing world by illuminating issues, creating common ground, and advancing ambitious strategies that lead to tangible progress.

Informed by its founders’ entrepreneurial and optimistic spirit, Pew has evolved with the times while remaining true to the Pew family’s enduring interest in research, practical knowledge, and a robust democracy.

Our mission is to:

• Improve public policy by conducting rigorous analysis, linking diverse interests to pursue common cause, and insisting on tangible results.
• Inform the public by providing useful data that illuminates the issues and trends shaping our world.
• Invigorate civic life by encouraging democratic participation and strong communities, particularly in our hometown of Philadelphia.

Pew seeks to cultivate a respectful and engaged workplace where all employees feel welcome and have the support and encouragement needed to do their best work. Our values are based on our history as well as our commitment to finding common ground. They include:

• Equity. We believe systemic inequities must be recognized, illuminated, and addressed. We operate from a perspective of mutual respect that affirms our individual differences and our common humanity.
• Humility. We recognize that our ability to create change is linked with the capacity and knowledge of our colleagues and our partners. We listen and foster understanding to serve the common good, acknowledging our mistakes and changing course when needed to learn and grow.
• Impact. We are ambitious and know that the path to success often comes through incremental steps. We know our strengths and apply our efforts where we see the greatest potential to make a difference. We measure our progress and seek a high return on investment in all that we do because we know that lasting, measurable results matter for the communities we serve and support.
• Inclusion. We believe that diverse voices generate better ideas. We collaborate with others because we are more effective and creative together than we are alone. We understand that adapting to multiple viewpoints is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to a welcoming and inclusive culture.
• Innovation. Since its founding, Pew has been a dynamic organization, discovering and pursuing new approaches to meet the challenges of the day. We continually seek opportunities to improve the world through the work we do and the way we do it. We welcome bold ideas and the changes required to advance them.
• Integrity. We provide trustworthy information to ground public discourse and advance solutions. We are committed to accuracy, and we hold ourselves accountable for conducting rigorous research and developing recommendations grounded in data and science. We keep our commitments to our colleagues and partners. We are open about what we know and don’t know, and we avoid exaggeration.
• Nonpartisanship. We follow the facts wherever they lead us. When we take a stand, we do so based on evidence, not ideology or opinion. We are advocates for civil public debate, respectful dialogue, and thoughtful compromise that will lead to positive change. We remain steadfast in our belief in the power of expanding common ground and building bridges among different perspectives.

Pew is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other protected characteristics. Pew complies with all laws, including but not limited to anti-discrimination laws, when making business decisions such as the award of grants, contracts, and fellowships in the pursuit of our charitable mission.