Our vision and values

Meta was formed in 2003 by a group of young professionals inspired to make a difference in the life of those living in the developing world, and who believe that ‘contribution to another’ is at the heart of all deeply satisfying human experiences.

The word 'meta' means 'change' or 'transformation' in ancient Greek (think metamorphosis or metabolism) and in Sanskrit it means 'kindness and compassion', which together pretty much sum up what we're about.

Our vision is a world in which special needs receive special care, and our mission is to inspire Australians to empower the lives of disadvantaged people in developing countries.

We do this by linking organisations working in developing countries with people like you, who wish to make a contribution but might not be sure how and to whom. Meta calls on the money, time and talent of many individuals and organisations to partner them in this work. We bring together people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or political beliefs.

Meta’s values are:

• Integrity – being whole and complete in what we do and say
  
• Freedom – making choices and being responsible for those choices
  
• Community – working together to achieve extraordinary results
  
• Charity – an opportunity to contribute as distinct from a moral obligation
  
• Efficiency – using limited resources in a way that maximises their benefit