The activities of the Inamori Foundation reflect the lifelong beliefs of its founder that people have no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of humankind and society and that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between scientific development and the enrichment of the human spirit. The Foundation seeks to actively promote peace and prosperity among all people on earth through the promotion of mutual understanding. It does this through programs of public recognition and the support of creative activities to foster science, culture, and the enrichment of the human spirit, as well as through social contributions.

It was through the help and support of people that Kazuo Inamori overcame his childhood illnesses, received a university education, and found employment. These early experiences made Inamori aware of his own vulnerability from a young age, prompting him to think deeply about the essence of human nature and to question how people really ought to lead their lives.
　
The years following the establishment of Kyocera Corporation in 1959 brought a new set of trials to Inamori as a corporate manager. While these hardships caused him considerable confusion and distress, they likewise served to reinforce his personal quest for the most meaningful path in life. He gradually arrived at the conclusion that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for greater good of humanity and the world, a tenet he committed to aspire to for the rest of his life.

By this time, Inamori himself had been the recipient of awards from various groups and organizations. Such recognition served as the inspiration for how to put into practice his lifelong conviction that the highest calling as human beings is to work for the greater good of mankind and society. In 1984, he founded the Inamori Foundation and endowed it with approximately 20 billion yen of his personal funds. The Foundation began its operations the following year.