The Universal Foundation for Holistic Design (UFHD) is an organization that seeks to transcend the non-profit industrial complex. This concept refers to a system of relationships between the state/ funding entities and non-profit organizations/ charities that create power dynamics of imbalance and dependence based on the funders’ interests - not necessarily the greater good. Such relationships result in a reliance on ‘external’ support by means of funding. This can limit changes beyond what the state/ funding bodies accept, permit, and allow, which often restricts an organization’s autonomy in carrying out its mission. 

UFHD aims to be extremely intentional in its endeavors to create/ support projects by addressing systemic gaps or imbalances and creating alternatives guided by the  Holistic Design Principles. Through these Principles, regeneration is woven throughout all process components to support self-regulation, responsiveness to feedback, and ultimately, syntropy in order to scale and replicate projects. Designing models that are based on these Principles support structures that do not need constant monitoring and interference in the form of dependence on funders who, by nature, can affect the natural progression or trajectory of a project’s path. 

Being who we are

To ensure our autonomy, UFHD’s team has been volunteering our time since 2019, with some members working on restructuring systems in various capacities for much longer. We recognize the importance of working on our internal ecosystems through the Re-enculturation Process as a prerequisite for whole system design. Without understanding our internal programming, it is inevitable that we will perpetuate the harm to the systems we seek to restructure. For this reason, we have abstained from external input based on monetary affiliations that may interrupt or sway the initial stages of the Foundation’s development. On the contrary, it has been a privilege to instead address the mind’s programming and our approach to work; deconstructing thought processes that tell us we are defined by what we do, that our value is determined by how much money we make, and our worth increases or diminishes based on levels of productivity. Rather, we are experientially learning that doing actually comes from a state of being. Our true job is to be who we authentically are. It is from here that we can truly create from a place of harmony.

Sharing it with the world

After years of dreaming, building, and cultivating coherence, our team feels ready to share this work with the world. The restructuring of societal systems to work in concert with natural ones for the benefit of all life and their environments, requires all of us in our global village to “raise” these systems and their projects. We are developing an education platform, while also creating a curriculum as a way to support communities with the Re-enculturation Process. Simultaneously, we are delivering info sessions on the Holistic Design Principles and some of their applications (such as the 80-20 System) that we are in the process of actualizing. It is our intention to provide a platform of giving and receiving for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. In order to build even these preliminary steps, we need source capital and believe we have reached a place where our foundation is strong enough to support this. It is imperative that our systems are transparent and show exactly how the money flows within our organization and between those with whom we collaborate. In sharing this, we strive to remain open with each step in the process. 

If your heart has called you here, and you would like to be part of the change we wish to see, we welcome any contribution you wish to give with the utmost gratitude.