Our Goals: The National Conference of Editorial Writers Foundation, Inc., was established in 1981 "to conduct, sponsor and support educational programs and projects in the field of journalism in order to achieve quality on editorial pages, and to conduct research, assist students who are either studying, or show and interest in, journalism; promote seminars and regional conferences for journalists; and publish and encourage publications, reports, and other projects concerning composition, content and quality of editorial pages and journalism generally, journalism education and the First Amendment."

Today, the Foundation provides much of the money to pay for important NCEW programs such as the Minority Writers Seminar, the Masthead quarterly publication, foreign travel, seminars for college students and, soon, regional conferences for NCEW members. Members of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, individual newspapers and foundations all contribute funds to pay for NCEW programs.

One of the foundation's goals is to raise the levels of contributions from its own members to reflect the growth and success of the organization and its programs. All funds raised by the foundation go to the work of improving the quality of editorial pages and the skills of the editors who produce them.

Our fundamental mission is to dedicate NCEW Foundation funds to projects that significantly promote the value and effectiveness of opinion writers and editors in stimulating and furthering the "public conversation" of democracy. The NCEW Foundation provides financial support for projects that it believes will advance this mission and contribute to the achievement of the following goals:

Enhance the value of opinion writing and editorials as forums of public discussion;

Help opinion writers and editors provide readers and viewers with insights needed to make sound decisions on important public issues;

Help opinion writers and editors translate facts and information into that most precious quality, understanding;

Improve the skills of opinion writers and editors;
Attract talented students and outstanding active journalists into opinion writing and editing;
Actively promote racial, sex and ethnic diversity among opinion writers and editors;

Continually re-examine the purposes, functions and definitions of opinion pages and editorials, and broadcast editorials.

ADOPTED 
NCEW Foundation Board Meeting, Sept. 16, 2003