In 2013, Pete and Carol Walters invited their three adult children – Matt, Joe and Sarah – to participate with them in a special retreat. With one child living in North Carolina, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Detroit, Pete and Carol were considering new ways to bring their family together while building on their family’s philanthropic values. 

They collaboratively developed a values statement and discussed the idea of starting a foundation, a concept Carol and Pete were well familiar with through their professional backgrounds.  

“I don’t know that we’d have a foundation if our children had not volunteered to be a part of it from the beginning,” Pete said.   

The foundation was officially formed in 2014. 

Their first step was connecting with CMF, joining other family philanthropists at networking and learning events.

“We learned a lot from talking to other families,” Pete said.  

The Walters then brought in Colleen Mitchell, a member of the CMF consulting services network, who guided them through a strategic planning process. 

“We knew that if this was going to work and going to last, it needed to be collaborative,” Carol said. “We have done our best to involve our children in the decision making and organizational steps from the beginning.” 

The outcome of their discussions led to the creation of four priorities: 

• Conserving our natural environment. 

• Celebrating arts and culture. 

• Advancing economic vitality.  

• Empowering people to reach their full potential through innovative learning initiatives. 

The Walters family spent nearly two years in planning, starting their grantmaking as a foundation by focusing on a small number of select projects, primarily student scholarships.  

“Looking back, it was an advantage,” Carol said. “It gave us a few years to design and thoughtfully consider how we wanted to approach the work.”  

Their grantmaking kicked off with more substantial funding in the spring of 2017. During the past year, the family also devoted time to administration, hiring program officer Shilpa Bavikatte and launching a foundation website.  

In the “media section,” their website features Stories of Impact - articles highlighting the impact of the first six approved grants: 

• Support of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s efforts to transform Atwater Beach. 

• Restoration of the trout habitat of northeastern Michigan's Milligan Creek as part of a collaborative funding partnership. 

• Renewable scholarships and summer learning opportunities for Detroit's Promise School charter students. 

• Promotion of entrepreneurism at the Eastern Market as part of a micro-grant matching fund program. 

• Completed conservation projects and providing undesignated funds to The Nature Conservancy. 

• Support for the college aspirations of over 100 students attending U Prep, a tuition-free public charter school system in Detroit. 

Three of the above projects came to the foundation through ideas offered by the Walters children. 

“All of our outreach has been proactive so far, with us going to the grantees because nobody knows us,” Pete and Carol said. 

Now, they’re ready to begin announcing the opportunity for potential grantees to complete an online grant application.  

“We’re trying to deliver our contributions to underserved communities and give access and opportunities to people who haven’t had them, who have faced challenges,” Pete said. “We’re willing to take risks for innovative ideas.” 

The family is also interested in projects that involve collaboration, but particularly those that are clear on the intended impact. 

“We ask our potential grantees to explain in some detail what the positive impact will be and how it will be measured," Carol said. 

Family members have taken that desire to heart, traveling to visit their grantees to see first-hand what has been accomplished. 

“We have enjoyed talking with people, asking questions and understanding what the grants have meant to them,” Carol said. “We have also tried to stay in touch with students who have received scholarships as they go off to school.” The Walters family has met several of those students’ parents, who have been eager to express their gratitude for supporting their children in receiving a four-year college education. 

Reflecting on the foundation nearly five years after it first began, Pete and Carol call the journey a remarkable learning experience.

“It’s very much like starting your own company together, with a lot of family discussions required,” Carol said. “The foundation has strengthened our relationships, and we’ve learned a lot about each other.”  

Pete and Carol also say they are happy to have the administrative tasks of launching the foundation largely complete.  
 
“Finally, we’re in business. Now we hope to have a little fun while making a positive impact.”

The Download