Mission Statement

Our purpose is to educate and to encourage the exploration, appreciation, and utilization of the past in order to add value throughout our community and bring the great stories of Tidewater, Virginia and families in the area, people, history, interactions, customs, cultures, landscape, and economy in a way that provides a better understanding of who, what, and how it has evolved into what the area is today. .The focus is particularly on the African American and Native American complex relationships with European settlers, loss of land, laws, and the effects of these actions have had on these communities.

What is more, the Watts Foundation will secure historical documents, conduct research, acquire artifacts, preserve historical buildings and sites, writings, photographs, antiques, and other items; as well as conduct other activities in support of continuing the history of the Watts Family, Native Americans, in Tidewater, Virginia and surrounding areas. In addition, the Foundation is committed to recognizing, researching, and protecting the overall history and knowledge of African American and Native American families, culture, and history of inhabitants throughout the Tidewater, VA communities and surrounding areas. To this end, .the Foundation will host charitable events and provide opportunities for grants, awards, and any other purpose as outlined in its purpose and bylaws.

Vision Statement

To improve the pride, connectivity, and well-being of the inhabitants in the Tidewater, VA, and surrounding area in particular the African and Native American communities. And encourage families and individuals to create a determination to build and leave positive legacies that are worthy of our great heritage, and to provide enhanced judgment and optimism in charting a promising future.

Values Statement

To uphold the trust and respect of the people and cultures in the Tidewater, VA, and surrounding areas and to create a repository for its valued history by demonstrating that we honor and value the diverse cultural heritage of its people.

Innovation & Resourcefulness

We continually seek fresh ways to meet our mission of connecting people to history and sharing compelling stories.

Creativity and effectiveness are critical to our success and recognized, supported, honored, and rewarded.

Integrity

We communicate with honesty, openness, and transparency.

Inclusion & Collaboration

Collections, programs, staffing, and governance reflect the diversity of the communities that we work in and with.

We conduct our work with cooperation and mutual respect, working collaboratively to create teams that take advantage of the diversity of skills and activities throughout the organization and the greater community.

Our Culture

Watts Foundation Board, Staff and Volunteers will take advantage of the power of history to transform lives. Our culture thrives as a result of four elements of our values:

Respect

We appreciate one another’s knowledge, experience, and expertise, and builds relationships upon trust.

Collaboration

We achieve the best results when our diverse perspectives and skill sets come together with others

Innovation

We are open to innovative ideas and the involvement of others as we continuously seek to improve.

Committees

Watts Foundation Historic Committee

Concerns  itself with history, past events, and “the historical background to such studies" belonging to the past.

Historical/History Sub-Committee

The History Committee will preserve the history of Watts Family, and other participating families, Native Americans and Tidewater, VA from its beginnings in America to the current time. To this end, we will build a repository of this history that will be available to Watts Family members and its branches and t the general public.

Responsibilities

Members of various committees will review historical topics and develop ways in which to store this history that will include articles, photographs, letters, wills, and other documents. This history shall include but not limited to the Watts Family and Branches, other participating families, Native American Tribes, their History, Events, Customs. Culture, and their interconnections with African Americans, Europeans, and the Tidewater History and Cultures from the founding of America to the present day.

Watts Foundation Research Committee

Research will be performed systematically to include investigation and study of materials and sources of Tidewater, VA, area African American and (Free People of Color) and Native Americans from the time of the founding of America to present day in manner that establishes facts and reaches new conclusions that have been hidden or not well known.

Watts Foundation Preservation Committee

Preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve, and protect buildings, objects, landscapes, artifacts, and graveyards  of historical significance to the Foundation.

Collecting, Preserving, Processing, Interpreting, Storing and Exhibiting Digitally:  Time, and resources, are devoted to Collecting, Preserving, Processing, Interpreting, Storing, and Exhibiting the history of the Watts Family, Native American, and Tidewater, VA history.

Watts Foundation collections that range from a manila envelope filled with photos to scores of objects, and two hundred plus year history of the Watts Family, Native Americans and Tidewater, VA

Watts Foundation Community Service Committee:

Helps to develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational service projects that helps our local communities thrive. Guidelines follow:

• ·        Develop committee goals to achieve community service project goals for the coming year.
• ·        Conduct service projects that include assessments, planning, and evaluation.
• ·        Create a balanced program of service.
• ·        Work with other organizations, volunteers, and committee members to maximize the impact of your projects.
• ·        Lead fundraising efforts to fund projects.
• ·        Understand liability issues that affect the Foundation’s projects and activities. 

Watts Foundation Community Service

Community Service responds to the needs of the local community. The approach to selecting and implementing a service project can be the same regardless of the issue the foundation decides to address. The following steps can help our foundation to truly identify their niche in the community and to develop effective service projects.

Selecting a project

Bring together African American and Native American  groups along with community members to discuss the community’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses.

Asking

What are the assets in the community that are available to the foundation to accomplish its chosen programs.? What are the needs? Which direction are the African and Native American communities heading and to what extent is the Foundation involved in these changes? What is the vision of the African American and Native American communities relative to striving toward and developing safe, and sustainable communities?
 
Discussion will help identify where resources and talents are best utilized and identify partners with whom a particular committee can work while addressing particular issues.

Planning a Project

Meet as a group to set goals for the project and do preliminary preparation. A project coordinator or committee for the project can then develop a work plan and budget, as well as initiate discussions about fund-raising, informing the public, and evaluating the results of the project.

It is important to keep in mind that other groups may be working on the same topics which will provide collaborative opportunities. Partnerships can be an effective use of resources and will help develop relationships with the community.

Establish specific and measurable goals and objectives. Obtain agreement from the members and others who are involved. Create a timeline indicating the steps involved and identify persons responsible for each step. Make sure you are setting targets that are achievable – it is better to have a small but successful project than an ambitious project that fails.

A plan for communicating information is particularly important. Effective action requires motivation, commitment, and follow-through. 

Evaluating Success 

For a project to be effective, it is important to ensure reaching the goals that were established. Evaluating the project while it is underway allows you to revise strategies and improve the project. The information is also useful during public relations campaigns and can be helpful when applying for further funding.

An evaluation need not be expensive or time consuming if the aims and activities of the project are thought out and recorded before the project begins. Keep track of the number of people involved and how the targets have changed. Conduct thorough interviews or surveys with those participating in or benefiting from the project, ask whether the changes are actually taking place, and how all aspects of project implementation can be enhanced as new efforts are coordinated in the future.

Education Committee

The Education Committee assists in proposing workshops, webinars, tours, conference sessions, and mobile workshops; developing the content of these programs; and identifying and recruiting qualified speakers. The Education Committee serves as a sounding board when new initiatives are proposed or developed and helps to promote the Watts Foundation educational programs.