In 1993, only a few months before his death, Dr. W. Edwards Deming candidly shared with his grandson, Kevin Cahill, that he was desperate, knowing that he was “running out of time to make a difference…”
Dr. Deming knew the U.S. was facing a future economic crisis and we were unprepared. We needed to awaken to the crisis, and management needed to take action. Everyone doing his best was not the answer. First, people needed to know what to do.
Dr. Deming's hope was for The W. Edwards Deming Institute to continue his life's work, to inspire individuals and organizations to work collaboratively with the aim for everyone to win. He believed that, through learning and understanding The Deming System of Profound Knowledge, we can improve all aspects of life and advance commerce, prosperity, and peace. The Deming Institute was founded in 1993 and received its ruling as a nonprofit organization in July 1994.
A COMMUNITY-FUNDED NONPROFIT
To be true to his teachings and to promote a collaborative community effort in building the organization, Dr. Deming did not fund The Deming Institute's launch, or its ongoing or future operations. The Institute was established as a 501(c)(3) public charity, which would rely on revenue from programs and services, and charitable contributions from the community to pursue its aim.
PRESERVING A LEGACY...
The Deming Institute operated as an all-volunteer organization from 1993 to 2011. A committed and passionate board of trustees, many of who had directly worked with Dr. Deming, guided the Institute. During that time, the Institute worked to preserve the teachings of Dr. Deming and help organizations and individuals with information, guidance, research, and educational opportunities around the Deming philosophy.
...AND SHAPING THE FUTURE
In 2008, the Board of Trustees recognized the need to transform the organization to have a greater impact. In August of that year, Kevin Edwards Cahill, Dr. Deming’s grandson, and a Board Trustee became Vice President, taking over more of the operations. March 2011 marked the beginning of a new chapter for The Deming Institute as Kevin transitioned into the role of the organization’s first full-time Executive Director. Since then, the Institute has been evolving - introducing more educational events, developing new learning resources, improving our website and building our social media communities, providing scholarships, growing the staff and operations, and creating partnerships with individual supporters, businesses, and organizations in the United States and around the world.
The W. Edwards Deming Institute® continues to be a catalyst for bringing the Deming teachings to the forefront, to inspire and motivate organizations, businesses, and individuals to achieve continual improvement, innovation, greater service, joy in work, and joy in learning.
ANNUAL REPORTS
Learn more about the work of the Institute over the last few years.