Omidyar® Network is a mission-based
organization established by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, and his wife,
Pam. Since 2004, we have made both for-profit and nonprofit investments
to advance our mission, and we are currently expanding beyond
investments to include public policy and other areas that enhance the
organization's reach and impact. Mission, Philosophy, and ApproachOmidyar
Network believes that all individuals have the innate potential ...
more
Omidyar® Network is a mission-based
organization established by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, and his wife,
Pam. Since 2004, we have made both for-profit and nonprofit investments
to advance our mission, and we are currently expanding beyond
investments to include public policy and other areas that enhance the
organization's reach and impact.
Mission, Philosophy, and Approach
Omidyar
Network believes that all individuals have the innate potential to make
life better for themselves and their communities. Certain conditions
increase the likelihood for individuals to discover and act on that
potential, and consequently improve the quality of their lives as they
define it. Such "enabling" conditions include equal access to
information, resources and tools, the ability to connect to others with
shared interests, and a sense of ownership over outcomes. Our work is
focused on building and sustaining environments characterized by these
conditions.
We
approach any environment or context (e.g., microfinance) as a system
that is comprised of individuals, institutions, supporting structures,
and the relationships among them. We believe the most efficient way to
build, enhance and sustain the enabling conditions of a system is to
apply a broad combination of tools and to engage institutions and
structures, not only within but also across sectors--public, private,
and social. It is our belief that each sector has a distinct and vital
role to play.
As the actors within a system become aware of how
the conditions of access, connection and ownership help them achieve
their goals, we believe they will be more likely to cultivate those
conditions. Over time, this cultivation will facilitate more and more
positive effects in the lives of individuals and communities. This is a
virtuous cycle, one that we expect will scale exponentially among
increasing numbers of people and in different contexts. Ultimately, we
hope that people everywhere will constructively engage with each other
to pursue what they care about most, resulting in a global society that
is continually advancing social progress.
