Throughout its history, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation’s focus has always been on innovation. Our founder, Charles F. Kettering, believed that “our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.”

In summer 2023, Kettering announced its new strategic plan, In Defense of Democracy, the result of the foundation’s staff flexing their imagination to better meet the needs of democracy. It introduced our new vision, mission, guiding beliefs and values, and outlined five new strategic focus areas that are designed to utilize our resources effectively in the defense and advancement of democracy.

Defending Democracy: The Charles F. Kettering Foundation 2023 Annual Report chronicles this journey of transformation, highlighting a year of reflection, dialogue, and action. It is our answer to the question, “What can the Charles F. Kettering Foundation uniquely offer the democracy field at this moment of crisis?” In 2023, we took the first step in our commitment to strengthening existing partnerships, forging new collaborations, broadening our reach and influence through innovative communication strategies, and exploring new lines of research.