The core purpose of the Foundation is:
To provide support and encouragement for activities that preserve, protect, and restore the environmental integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine and support a trail along it.
The Foundation operates primarily by funding the work of others and through offering leadership or coordination for Moraine-wide activities where appropriate. The Foundation also sees itself as a convener, bringing people and interests together to identify common ground, and as a funding partner.

The Foundation will encourage all activities that are consistent with its core purpose and objects and with the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.

The Foundation's vision for the Moraine is to be able to say in 10 years that:

The Oak Ridges Moraine is a vibrant, healthy ecosystem widely acknowledged as a model for successful preservation, protection, and restoration of landscapes; where land owners, users of the Moraine and all levels of government are actively engaged; where a scenic trail along the Moraine is secured; and where the Foundation is regarded as an essential partner.