Prosperity is all about people. If individuals are doing well, they have the opportunity and responsibility to develop societies in which others have the freedom to prosper.

This sense of reciprocity, this relationship that exists between an individual’s own prosperity, and their ability to help create prosperous societies that in turn then nurture individual prosperity for others to prosper, underpins how we think and what we do.

Character and opportunity are not the only aspects that shape our prosperity at an individual level, but in our view, they are among the most critical.

Character is defined as 'the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual’. Our characters are shaped by the culture we’re exposed to, the family we grow up in, the friendships we form, the communities we’re part of, the experiences we have, the choices we make and the beliefs that are formed as a result.

The values and ideas we hold affect our ability to overcome challenges, to find what will fulfil us, to take advantage of the opportunities that come our way.

Access to those opportunities, however, is fundamental to our ability to progress. To gain an education, access healthcare, develop our skills and talents, find meaningful work, start a business. Without opportunity, however talented a person might be, it will be very hard for them to fulfil their potential.

When we talk about culture, we are referring to the values, beliefs and ideas that influence our behaviour as a society.

These qualities are a reflection of our individual characters, which together define who we are collectively.

For societies to do well we need some of its members to come forward as leaders, to inspire us, to model alternatives, to show us a way through.

That leadership should come from our public figures, but is also seen in what’s happening every day, in every village, school, town and city: it’s the people coming forward, encouraging one another, being able to see something better, and having the courage to stand up for what they believe in.

When it comes to how we go about our work the approach we take is based on collaboration and partnership - whether that’s investing in a business we believe in, helping to support an entrepreneur to get their ideas off the ground, or working with local organisations to facilitate routes out of poverty for the most vulnerable.

We put resources into the hands of the people who already know what to do, and help them do it faster, better, at scale. Finding and training local leaders, shining a spotlight on the answers already out there and backing innovative ideas that will solve the challenges of tomorrow.

For those trapped in poverty, it’s very hard to take advantage of opportunities, let alone find space to contribute more broadly to the community and the wider society that you are part of.

We want to help change this situation by channelling resources towards organisations that are working to liberate people from poverty, so they can move forward with their lives.

When it comes to how we can ‘help’ we ask ourselves, are we serving this person? Are we really helping them and not just keeping them trapped in a cycle of aid dependency? And can we be sure we’re not inadvertently exacerbating the problems by displacing local solutions?

As people move out of poverty and subsistence living, they need training and access to resources to be able to take advantage of life’s opportunities.

We work with our locally-based partners to equip individuals with the tools they need to progress, and to identify and support leaders in fulfilling their own ambition of creating better lives for their communities.

People see opportunities to create businesses in response to societal needs and local problems. The challenge for some, however, is to access the resources they need to get their ideas off the ground.

We encourage constructive innovation by providing individuals with a range of resources including education, expertise and capital, alongside working with governments to help nurture the conditions that will drive entrepreneurship more broadly across societies.

We believe that well run businesses are the single biggest driver of overall prosperity. They provide the products and services we need and create the jobs that drive prosperity for individuals, communities and society.

We make investments directly into companies we believe will be successful over the long-term and that are run by people we believe to be trustworthy.

The volunteer networks, faith groups and community organisations that spontaneously emerge as a result of people wanting to take care of one another are an essential, yet often overlooked, aspect of what helps us live fulfilled lives.

The work of voluntary organisations can be the connective tissue of a flourishing society, where love and grace displace the need for governments to do what friends, families and neighbours can do so much better.

The challenges of building a strong and vibrant social sector differ greatly across countries, but the essential roles these organisations play in sustaining healthy cultures remains the same and so we work in a range of ways to support this vital aspect of our society.

In everything that we and others are doing to help increase prosperity, we seek ways to verify and measure progress, digging into the data that can help illuminate where best to apply focus and resources.

We invest heavily in the development of research and tools to help us and others to do this, and look to nurture a culture of questioning, understanding and continuous learning, both within our own network of organisations and together with others.

By adopting a relational, multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach towards our work we are seeking to nurture the ecosystem which sustains prosperity, in all of its forms.

Our hope is that by taking a holistic approach and through working together with others, we will build a movement of people all across the world all working towards the shared goal of increasing prosperity for all.