Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our Commitment

Archstone Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of older adults in California through equitable, coordinated care.

We see justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion not as abstract ideals, but as core values that inform everything we do. Justice means ensuring fairness and addressing systemic barriers; equity involves providing resources and opportunities based on individual needs; diversity embraces the full spectrum of identities and experiences; and inclusion means fostering an environment where everyone is valued, heard, and empowered. These principles guide our mission, shape our partnerships, and drive our collaborative efforts to foster meaningful change in the communities we serve. Indeed, achieving equity is fundamental to ensuring all older adults and caregivers receive the support, resources, and dignity we all deserve.

We are committed to integrating principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout our work. We believe that the current care provided to older adults is frequently unjust – its quality, appropriateness, and utility fails far too often. And we know that these burdens fall most heavily on older adults who have faced marginalization due to factors such as age, race, ability, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, income, geography, and other aspects of identity. As we work toward fundamental system change through our current strategic focus on health and social service care integration, we are focusing our efforts to ensure that future systems of care meet the needs of historically marginalized people, are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and serve to reduce disparities in health and well-being.

Archstone Foundation’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Principles

Archstone Foundation seeks to partner with organizations that align with our values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Through all aspects of our work, we strive to uphold the following principles:

1. Prioritize Underserved Communities – We aim to address the systemic challenges faced by communities that are currently or have been historically underserved or unjustly treated due to factors such as age, race, ability, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, income, geography, and other aspects of identity. We understand that people often navigate multiple intersecting identities and that older adults who have experienced lifelong discrimination may have more complex care needs as a result of compounded inequities.
   
2. Enhance Inclusive, Person- and Family-Centered Care – We recognize that older adults have diverse preferences and capacities, and we seek to ensure care is tailored to meet these needs. By focusing on individual and family-centered approaches that also consider financial, physical, and cognitive resources, we aim to provide equitable, respectful care for all.
   
3. Address Disparities and Track Progress – We acknowledge the systemic factors that have led to unequal outcomes for marginalized groups. Our work focuses on reducing the health disparities documented in data and research, especially for those who have been most affected. We emphasize ongoing evaluation to measure improvements over time, with special consideration to how different forms of identity intersect.
   
4. Center Community Perspective – We believe that the people most affected by challenges are key to creating the most relevant solutions. We prioritize working with grantee partners who seek to or currently incorporate deep cultural, linguistic, and locally based knowledge of those who are already in the communities we wish to serve.

At Archstone Foundation, we hold ourselves accountable to these principles through regular reflection. A dedicated JEDI Committee of board members and staff meets quarterly to evaluate our progress, ensure transparency, and make improvements where necessary. We are making a conscious effort to include the perspectives of our grantees and community partners as we further develop and implement these principles. We are committed to learning, growing, and staying aligned with our mission to serve all older adults equitably.

Supporting These Efforts Beyond the Foundation

Archstone Foundation also supports other organizations in the field of aging in their own journeys to address justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Although we have a long way to go toward building a more just and equitable future, we have taken concrete steps and are committed to making measurable progress. We will continue to listen and learn from the people doing this important work, and to incorporate what we learn into the way we operate. We are also committed to continuing to share our progress with you. 

Take a look at some of our recent blog posts that provide more detail on our journey to address how we work both internally and externally and let us know your thoughts in the comments or just give us a call.