The Glaser Progress Foundation aims to build a better future by rethinking the measurement of progress, addressing the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, ensuring diversity in media voices, and promoting the humane treatment of animals. It seeks to challenge traditional measures of progress like GDP and stock market performance, advocating for metrics that reflect cherished values and aspirations. The Foundation believes in the power of independent media to strengthen democracy by amplifying diverse voices and ideas, thereby contributing to a more just and equitable world.
The Glaser Progress Foundation offers grants in two main program areas open to unsolicited applications: Measuring Progress and Independent Media. The Measuring Progress program focuses on enhancing our understanding and measurement of human progress, questioning the adequacy of traditional metrics like GDP and promoting values and aspirations reflective of societal well-being. It draws inspiration from Robert Kennedy's criticisms of using wealth alone as the measure of a nation's success, advocating for a holistic approach that values qualities essential to life's worth. The Independent Media program strives to empower democracy through a thriving community of independent voices, challenging the dominance of mainstream media by supporting diverse and adversarial ideas and narratives. It underlines the importance of independent media in uplifting unrepresented and critical perspectives, ultimately aiming to inspire and mobilize for positive change.