Purpose
To preserve and celebrate, through education and research, the literary, cultural, and social legacy of Anne Spencer, thus memorializing her contributions, and those of the Spencer family, to the City of Lynchburg, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America.

Mission
To engage in a broad range of innovative and traditional educational enterprises that use the Spencer properties, collections, and archives to illustrate and document Anne Spencer's philosophy, vision, and literary accomplishments.

Objectives
To deliver learner-centered programs and projects that stimulate creativity, promote historical awareness, and foster respect for the dignity of all people.

To encourage, support, and undertake scholarly research that expands, regionally and nationally, recognition and appreciation of the Spencer heritage.

To ensure the preservation, security, and integrity of the Spencer structures, grounds, materials, and documents.

Winning poets at an awards ceremony held in the Spencer Garden. The annual poetry contest of high-school students is one of several educational programs the Foundation offers in cooperation with regional schools.