The McDougal Family Foundation was established in 1994 by Alfred L. and Nancy Lauter McDougal following the sale of McDougal, Littell & Company, a publisher of educational materials for elementary and high schools. The McDougals had a clear set of values that drove the creation of the Foundation and continue to drive its purpose.

• A moral obligation and a real desire to give others some measure of what has been given to us.

• Respect for others—grantees and applicants—in the manner in which we interact with them.

• Respect for each other in the decision-making process. Wherever possible, decision by consensus rather than by voting.

• Openness to new ideas.

• Willingness to make and admit mistakes.

• Continual searching for maximum leverage.

• Importance of backing qualified people.

• Emphasis upon results vs. feel-good funding for prestige.

• Avoidance of excessive dependence of any single grantee upon us.

• Good stewardship of financial resources.

• Willingness to accept non-quantitative and long-range progress.

• Recognition that there is no one right way or magic bullet for effecting change.
  
  

Board of Trustees

Thomas McDougal, Executive Director, Lesson Study Alliance 
Steve McDougal, CEO and Founder, 3Degrees
Jan McDougal, Educational Consultant and Entrepreneur
Sarah Duncan, Co-Executive Director, Network for College Success