Mission, Philosophy, and Principles

Basic principles and values are the core of every organization. These are its "character," distinguishing it from others. As part of our responsibility to our many supporters, we share our core values here.

Our Mission

NYOF transforms the lives of impoverished Nepalese children by providing them with what should be every child's birthright – education, housing, medical care, and loving support.

How we work with the children

• We serve Nepalese children and hire staff without regard to caste, religion, disability, ethnicity, or political affiliation. We actively foster tolerance and diversity.
• We are non-proselytizing and unaffiliated with any religious group.
• We support only children who have no other opportunity for education or a better life.
• We take a highly personal approach to the children and families we serve, even when that takes more time and energy.
• We deeply admire and respect Nepalese culture and society, and strive to promote them in the children.
• We emphasize the development of personal and social responsibility in the children we support.
• We protect and promote the family unit wherever possible.

• We take seriously the trust that a dependent child places in us. We ensure that we have the necessary financial and logistical stability before we take on children who will depend entirely on us. We will not abandon these children once they enter our fold (they have been abandoned enough in their lives).
• Likewise, we ensure that we have sufficient logistical and financial support in launching programs before making promises to Nepalese communities.
• Since we cannot do everything, we do thoroughly what we can do—whether a small act or a major program—from inception to follow-up.
• We manage NYOF's growth carefully, developing programs in the context of local need, potential, and participation—not in terms of organizational ambition. We favor "slow but sure" growth that involves Nepalese communities and organizations.
• At the same time, we value our nimble ability to cut through red tape and act quickly—and strategically—exactly when needed.
• We prioritize interventions that can make significant, enduring improvements in children's lives. For this reason we emphasize education, the only way an orphaned or poor child in Nepal can break out of the cycle of poverty.
• We creatively "bundle" our interventions with sustainability measures. For instance, while we restore a malnourished child's health, we teach his or her mother how to prepare locally-available foods to prevent future malnourishment.

• Because we are passionate about our mission, we are fiscally prudent, working "in the black" so we are able to deliver on our commitments.
• We take great pride in stretching the reach of every dollar donated to us. Because we work in a developing country, we can accomplish so much within our budget. We feel enormously responsible to our donors' generosity.
• We see ourselves as the "arms and legs" of people around the world who want to help children. These people—our donor partners—have expressed their values through philanthropy, entrusting their intentions with us. We keep our donors informed of the outcomes they make possible.
• In Nepal, we are astute but generous in sharing resources, whether logistical or financial, with other Nepalese efforts to help impoverished children and families.
• We operate with integrity, transparency, and high ethical standards. While we are motivated by compassion, we carry out our work with professionalism. Underlying NYOF's work is a group of capable professionals who bring years of experience and skill to our mission. Our work involves not only love for children but development of systems, follow-through, and endless details, all tuned toward the single goal of enhancing our ability to help the children.