The call to action that the Ares Foundation tirelessly heeds is rooted in the staunch belief that people deserve to lead dignified lives that allow both a sense of purpose and the opportunity to chart a purposeful future. Each day, we strive to match our compassion for individuals in need by our efforts to help accelerate economic equity and equality. We believe that if our work proves efficacious, impactful and motivational, then our aspirations and reality will become one and the same.

The support that we provide likeminded nonprofits permits them latitude to think outside the proverbial box about creative, smart solutions that can help advance our mission. Much like Ares and its investment ethos, we strive to fund innovation rather than the status quo so that the value we add to the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors — and indeed, to the world — is empirical and tangible. As we hope this report helps make clear, our grantmaking is solutions-oriented and human-centric while our ability to make a difference hinges heavily on deep partnerships and relationships.

Core to what we do is the understanding that philanthropy is an ongoing process, not a singular action. Addressing economic disparities necessitates continually taking steps toward the change we desire, and that requires time and patience. Thus, you will see that this report builds on our inaugural 2022 report by showcasing the progress of previous grants while highlighting those recently awarded.

We appreciate your willingness to learn more about the Ares Foundation over the following pages but ask that you nonetheless consider the global circumstances that make our work necessary. With this in mind, we encourage you to challenge us — and yourselves — to not simply do more, but to do better so that society embraces and upholds the progress that we seek.