As a grassroots not-for-profit organization, we at the Bardsley Children Foundation believe that we need to both start small and aim big.  We are a team of social workers, ministers, librarians and engaged citizens collaborating to make sure the needs of service populations are met.

 

Our approach is guided by the "listen first" principle.  Bardsley Children’s Foundation staff members understand that, in order to adequately serve a population, we must first learn about that population’s experiences----particularly in their own words.  Board members and volunteers create space for service populations to introduce themselves, their context and their needs.  In centering their understanding of their own experiences, Bardsley Children's Foundation mobilizes resources around priorities set by the people in need.

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Similarly, we apply this concept to our support of existing organizations and partners.  Among our main objectives is the support of existing grassroots organizations and efforts whose interests and goals overlap with our own.  We operate by identifying other grassroots efforts serving the same populations and listening to their challenges, before organizing to compliment their needs.

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