Cornerstones Make Heifer Unique
If you were to ask Heifer project partners, "What are the most fundamental principles upon which you build your life?" many would answer "Heifer's Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development."
These principles, used for more than 60 years, light the way for people who are on the road to self-reliance.
Cornerstones stimulate group wisdom and personal insights, and they keep people's hearts, minds and actions balanced, focused and productive.
Together, they form the acronym PASSING ON THE GIFTS and echo the quintessential Cornerstone and trademark practice that makes Heifer unique and its projects sustainable.
Passing on the Gift
Accountability
Sharing and Caring
Sustainability and Self-Reliance
Improved Animal Management
Nutrition and Income
Gender and Family Focus
ON THE
Genuine Need and Justice
Improving the Environment
Full Participation
Training and Education
Spirituality
Passing on the Gift allows families and individuals who  have received animals to be donors themselves. This spirit of goodwill ripples through the community as animals are passed on and bonds are formed in a group effort to better their own lives.
Accountability allows for organization at the grassroots  level. Community members decide together what kind of animal and assistance they would like. They also set goals, plan appropriate strategies to achieve those goals and evaluate their success.
Sharing & Caring embodies Heifer’s belief that global  problems can be solved if all people are committed to sharing what they have and caring about others.
Sustainability & Self-reliance is necessary for the  long-term success of projects. Heifer can only fund a project for a limited time so the families Heifer works with must plan to support themselves.
Improved Animal Management means that project  participants learn how to keep their animals safe, healthy and productive through proper food, shelter, healthcare and reproductive management.
Nutrition & Income are the rewards Heifer expects  recipients to reap from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of products such as milk, eggs, cheese, honey and wool.
Gender & Family Focus encourages women and men to share in decision making as well as in the benefits the animals and training bring.
Genuine Need & Justice ensures that those most in need  are given priority in receiving animals and training.
Improving the Environment includes such agroecological  techniques as improving soil fertility with animal manure, promoting forestation, respecting and encouraging biodiversity, monitoring watershed conditions and minimizing erosion.
Full Participation is expected in groups that Heifer works with. Leaders at the grassroots level should be committed to involving all members in decision making.
Training & Education include formal sessions as well as  informal farm visits and demonstrations. Each project group decides on their own training needs and local people are involved as trainers. Some topics of education include human nutrition, food processing, marketing and leadership development.
Spirituality is expressed in common values, common beliefs  about the value and meaning of all life, a sense of connectedness to the earth and a shared vision of the future. Heifer International works with people of all beliefs in our efforts to overcome poverty and hunger.
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