Our Vision & Values

A Letter from Cari and Dustin, Co-Founders

We’ve seen human well-being increase dramatically in recent decades. Quality of life is rising and violence is declining. At the same time, humanity is becoming better networked, technologically, economically and socially. We’re optimistic that these trends will continue — and accelerate — in the decades to come.

Our giving, leveraged well, can quicken the pace of humanity’s progress and mitigate the risks that threaten to derail it. Our giving can increase the human capital on which society has to draw. Our giving can prevent unnecessary suffering by ensuring that the fruits of our collective labor benefit those who are most marginalized today.

Given this opportunity, we accept and embrace a critical challenge: how can we give and invest for maximum impact? After all, our resources are finite, and the problems humanity faces, while possible to overcome, are immense and complex.

We have a long way to go, but we’ve already learned a lot. We’ve learned about the limitations of traditional philanthropy. The lack of transparency. Difficulty measuring impact. Few clear feedback loops to allow for iteration and improvement. At the same time, we’ve heard from some of the most innovative and effective philanthropists, nonprofits and companies about what’s working, and what’s promising.

None of us can solve humanity’s problems alone. That’s why we’re committed to sharing what we learn — with detail and honesty — so that other donors can build upon our work. We invite you to follow our progress, and we encourage all donors (especially foundations) and the charities they support to be as transparent, reflective and results-oriented as possible.

We’re motivated by our vision of a day when every person’s needs are met and each of us is empowered to shape our collective story. But this day will only come if we set aside our fears and recognize that as members of one world, our futures are inextricably linked.

We’re eager to work toward this future with you. Together, we can help humanity thrive.

Cari & Dustin
Co-Founders, Good Ventures

Cari Tuna oversees the foundation’s strategic development and day-to-day operations. Previously, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, where she covered corporate management, the California economy and enterprise technology.

Dustin Moskovitz is the co-founder of Asana, which builds software that makes coordination effortless. He also co-founded Facebook, where he served as CTO and later as VP of Engineering.


A GiveDirectly cash transfer recipient in her home. (Photo courtesy of GiveWell)
A GiveDirectly cash transfer recipient in her home. (Photo courtesy of GiveWell)

Our Values

  • Love
  • Reason balanced with intuition
  • Leverage
  • Fearlessness
  • Mindfulness
  • Transparency
  • Equanimity
  • Pragmatism
  • Adaptability
  • Self-reflection
  • Appreciation for our interconnection
  • All lives are valuable, including future lives