Our Ethics & Project Selection Policy
Working With Purpose
At Mutuality, we believe that the projects we choose to work on represent our values in action. We started Mutuality with the objective of helping good people do good things through technology, while operating in a way that creates positive impact for society and the environment.
Our partnership model isn’t just about how we structure our business relationships—it’s also about who we choose to partner with and why.
Project Selection Criteria
We carefully evaluate potential partnerships to ensure alignment with our values and mission. This helps us create meaningful relationships where we can truly invest in mutual success.
Projects We Don’t Support ⛔
We decline projects that are:
- Harmful to individuals or communities: Including projects that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or which negatively impact individual and collective freedom
- Focused on conflict: Projects directly promoting arms, ammunition, or military conflict
- Predatory in nature: Including exploitative financial services, manipulative marketing practices, or other services designed to take advantage of vulnerable populations
- Environmentally destructive: Projects primarily focused on fossil fuel extraction, deforestation, or other activities with significant negative environmental impact
- Harmful to health: Including tobacco products or unhealthy products specifically marketed to children
- Ethically compromised: Projects for organizations with a proven record of lobbying against positive change or with documented environmental, worker’s rights, or human rights abuses
Projects We Actively Seek 👥
We especially enjoy partnering on projects that:
- Build community: Digital platforms that connect people and foster collaboration
- Support social justice: Projects working toward equity, representation, and fairness
- Address environmental challenges: Initiatives focused on sustainability, conservation, and climate action
- Strengthen worker and union rights: Tools that empower workers and improve workplace conditions
- Empower underrepresented groups: Projects supporting women, minorities, and excluded communities
- Enhance education and access to knowledge: Platforms that democratize learning and information
- Promote health and wellbeing: Digital solutions that improve physical and mental health outcomes
- Support small, local businesses: Projects that strengthen local economies and communities
Our Evaluation Process
When evaluating potential partnerships, we follow a structured approach:
Initial Screening
All new inquiries are reviewed against our core ethical criteria by our team. Projects that clearly violate our ethical boundaries are politely declined.
Discovery Conversation
For projects that pass initial screening, we conduct a discovery conversation to better understand the client’s mission, values, and goals.
Team Review
For projects where there may be ambiguity, our team discusses the potential partnership to determine alignment with our values and mission.
Decision and Transparency
We communicate our decision openly and honestly, providing context for our choice when appropriate.
Continuous Improvement
We recognize that ethical considerations evolve over time. We commit to:
- Regularly reviewing and refining our ethical policy
- Listening to feedback from team members, partners, and community
- Being transparent about our decisions and learning from challenging cases
- Striving to better align our work with our values
Building Better Together
Our ethical policy is designed to help us create the most positive impact possible through our work. By being clear about our values and boundaries, we can build stronger partnerships based on shared purpose.
If you’re interested in working with us and have questions about our ethical policy or how it might apply to your project, we’re always happy to have that conversation.