Our Vision

Quite simply, we believe in the power of great ideas to change the world.

The Headwaters Group was founded in 1999 by Gayle Peterson and John Sherman as a resource for private foundations, corporate foundations, community foundations, family foundations, and individuals.

We chose the name Headwaters because it evokes images of new beginnings, of clarity of ideas that lead to powerful results. We believe deeply in cultivating community and giving back to people and the land with our actions. To do that, Headwaters follows a triple bottom line philosophy: for us to be successful, we must do good for our clients, for our employees, and for the community we all share.

In addition to our work for our clients, some of the things we do to live our vision include:

• Hiring champions for our firm – staff closely aligned with our values and intentions.
• Mentoring the philanthropic leaders of the future by offering fellowship and internship opportunities.
• Practicing innovative and sustainable practices, including r educing our carbon footprint.
• Creating a peace garden for a nearby women's shelter and running ongoing nutrition and health programs for the residents.
• Renovating a turn-of-the-century house to serve as our business headquarters, believing that this investment will strengthen the community and create a happier, more productive environment for our employees.
• Investing our 401k in a socially responsible portfolio, ensuring that we fulfill our commitment to social and environmental change.

As thinkers and doers, we constantly strive to create value for our clients, for our communities, and for our team.

The Headwaters Group Approach

Our client-centered approach is grounded in our experience as business owners. We understand the pressures, challenges, and rewards that accompany running a for-profit enterprise.

We know that it's important to respond to current trends—and we monitor daily information about the philanthropic world. We digest this information, look for patterns, and translate it into strategic action.

This work is important, but we also believe it is crucial to retain our core values. At Headwaters, we work hard, play hard, and have fun. We value great work while balancing our professional and personal lives.

All of our services are integrated and intended to complement each other. When we combine research and planning with communications and evaluation, we tap strategies and tools to help our clients make a difference.

When our clients have forward-thinking information grounded in research and policy, they are more likely to see future possibilities. We like to help make that connection.