Annual Report 2011-2012
As we look to the next decade, we must reflect on the challenges we see and ask: Are we fit for purpose for what lies ahead? But, perhaps most important, we see a way forward. We do not accept that injustice is inevitable. Although we are grappling with thorny issues as part of a confederation-wide planning process, this year we will put the finishing touches on our strategic plan for the coming decade.
As we look to the future, we feel fortunate to do so with a sound financial base and remarkable donor loyalty. And we are grateful to have earned the confidence of generous institutional supporters. Increasingly, foundations are identifying Oxfam as a global leader. After an independent evaluation of major policy organizations, in May 2011 the Gates Foundation endorsed Oxfam's policy and advocacy skills by awarding us $13.5 million—one of the foundation's largest grants of this kind.
In the end, however, we rely primarily on the hundreds of thousands of Americans who support us through their gifts, emails, and presence at public events. Citizen action is what drives change. At Oxfam, our role is in large part one of public education: we help connect the dots, offering understanding about complex problems, and then offering real solutions that give citizens the power they need to advance a grievance to a positive change. We value the support of each and every person who joins us in this enterprise. You give us life and purpose.