Principles

The basic principles of The Hop & Mae Adams Foundation (“Mae”) are simple:

Address Root Causes, Not Symptoms

“Mae” Trustees have determined that its charitable investments will focus on root causes for the issues facing Carson City. After substantial study and due diligence, the Trustees believe the key root cause for most of the challenges facing Carson City is economic: a lack of good paying jobs and careers in Carson City for Carson City residents. As various experts have pointed out, financial stress on citizens and families is at the heart of all subsequent ills in the city. Developing good paying jobs and career opportunities for Carson City residents is thus the key focus of the Foundation.

Carson City in Charge of its own Economic and Educational Future

Addressing the key root cause, the challenge to “Mae” then becomes: “Which comes first, the jobs or the skills for those jobs?” The Foundation has determined it must address both careers and the capabilities of workers in a simultaneous and synergistic way. This challenge is also a national and global issue; however, “Mae” believes it is errant to wait or hope that the efforts of others may bleed over into Carson City to address this root cause. The Foundation has determined to bring Carson City the tools proven to address economic and educational issues. “Mae” wants to help Carson City to map and execute its own economic and educational destiny.

The Use of Leverage

Although the challenges before the Foundation and Carson City are financially trying, “Mae” believes that resources can be leveraged to achieve sustainable recovery and growth. Creating sustainable solutions is the focus of the Foundation. We work with other public and private agencies, institutions, and non-profits in creating efforts that can become self-sustaining, positioned to continue without further need for funding.

Invest Aggressively in Carson City

Foundations generally invest their core assets in the global marketplace and then use a percentage of their investment gains on those assets to provide charitable donations to fit their mission. Thus, they never exhaust their core assets, but rather pay out a portion of the gain on those assets. “Mae” believes they must take a more aggressive course at this time to address the severe economic issues facing the Carson City community. “Mae” has converted much of its core assets, which were outside of Nevada, with the intent to then invest a substantial portion of those assets in the Carson City community. “Mae” believes these aggressive investment tactics will create sustainable opportunity for economic growth and community vitality Carson.

Future Relevance

The Hop & Mae Adams Foundation is focused on solutions that provide long-term viability. The solutions implemented today, must be forward looking to ensure they will remain relevant for many years to come.