The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

2007 President's Statement:
The Importance of Data
by Paul Brest

Foundations support the development and dissemination of myriad forms of knowledge, ranging from scholarship of no immediately foreseeable use to applied research designed to improve health, education, and the environment. Data, whether quantitative or qualitative,

are the atoms and molecules of knowledge. No program to promote or assess progress in any sector of society can succeed without a solid grounding in data.