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New York, NY [September 24, 2025] – Humanity in Action is proud to launch our 2025–2026 Strategic Plan, a 16-month roadmap to deepen impact, strengthen community engagement, and advance its North Star: cultivating and supporting principled, brave leaders who listen deeply, confront complexity, and act across differences.
At a time when democracy is under threat and polarization is deepening across societies, the urgency of cultivating principled leadership has never been greater. With democratic institutions strained, histories challenged, and communities divided, there is an urgent need to equip a new generation of leaders and support existing leaders who can bridge divides and act with courage. In an era marked by attacks on democracy, truth, and pluralism, Humanity in Action affirms the vital role of leadership development in defending freedom, justice, and human dignity. This Strategic Plan is essential because it gives us a clear roadmap to meet that urgency, channeling our values into concrete action and ensuring that we can rise to this moment with purpose, focus, and accountability.
This Strategic Plan is the product of deep listening, rigorous dialogue, and genuine co-creation.
“This Strategic Plan is the product of deep listening, rigorous dialogue, and genuine co-creation,” said Azadeh (Azi) Khalili, Executive Director, Humanity in Action. “I am deeply grateful to our Board for their thoughtful contribution and for approving this plan. I also extend heartfelt thanks to our community – especially Senior Fellows who responded to our summer survey – whose voices shaped what will now guide our work. We have a plan that not only reflects our shared values but embodies our aspiration: to ensure that justice, freedom, and dignity for all people are not ideals but lived realities.”
The plan represents months of collaborative work involving Senior Fellows, staff, board members, alumni, partners, and other community members. It is grounded in both quantitative and qualitative feedback, including insights from the summer survey, which helped to shape priorities and sharpen focus.
This plan gives us direction as well as accountability.
“I want to thank Azi for designing and facilitating this participatory process with creativity, care, and clarity,” said Bill Spencer, Chair of the Board of Directors, Humanity in Action. “We are glad to have this Strategic Plan as our North Star – it gives us direction as well as accountability. And I thank everyone who engaged with us for making this plan possible.”
We invite our supporters to stand with us in implementing this Strategic Plan.
Humanity in Action cannot achieve this vision alone. We invite our supporters – donors, partners, and alumni – to stand with us in implementing this Strategic Plan. Your engagement, whether through financial contributions, partnership, or amplifying our work, is essential to building the community of principled leaders our world urgently needs.
Together, we can transform this roadmap into lasting impact, ensuring that democracy, freedom, and dignity are lived realities for all.
Media Inquiries:
Vanda Proskova, Communications Coordinator, Humanity in Action, Inc.
Email: v.proskova@humanityinaction.org
Website: www.humanityinaction.org
