The Petters Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Newport News, Virginia. Established in 2012, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to philanthropic giving with a particular emphasis on education and community engagement.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.7M
+3.6% YoY
Grant Count
29
+31.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$94K
-21.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is renowned for exceptional generosity in education. Their investments support high-quality educational programs, scholarships, new buildings, and educational opportunities for students across all socioeconomic levels. The foundation also demonstrates commitment to community engagement and environmental education initiatives.
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains significant grantmaking capacity. According to the most recent available financial data, the foundation distributed $2,642,565 in total giving. The foundation has made major gifts, including a $1 million lead gift to support science achievement and education initiatives.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Virginia, with particular activity in the Newport News area.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of the most recent 2023 IRS Form 990 filing:
- Total Assets: $26,982,099
- Total Giving: $2,642,565
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by Michael and Nancy Petters, who serve as principals of the family foundation. Their family includes daughters Sarah and Caroline. Michael and Nancy Petters have maintained a 30-year history of philanthropic support in their community, beginning as member family supporters in the early 1990s and evolving into major donors and foundation leaders.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| C MICHAEL PETTERS | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 4 | — |
| NANCY B PETTERS | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| SARAH FLETCHER | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| CAROLINE G SAUER | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In November 2024, the Petters Family Foundation made a transformational $1 million gift to the Virginia Living Museum's "Next Gen: Protect what's Precious" Growth Campaign. The gift supports the museum's new state-of-the-art Veterinary Hospital within the Wild Care Center, which bears the Petters Family Foundation name. The foundation received the museum's prestigious Golden Paw Impact Award in recognition of this extraordinary support and their longstanding commitment to advancing the museum's mission to connect people to nature.
Petters Family Foundation $1Million Gift | Virginia Living MuseumThis gift represents the culmination of the Petters family's sustained engagement with the Virginia Living Museum, including previous major campaign support in 2004 for the Early Childhood Education Room and lead support for the 50th Anniversary Future Ready Campaign in 2015.
Petters Family Foundation $1Million Gift | Virginia Living MuseumSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
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Grants
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Total Given
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Total Given
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Total Given
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Iraqi Children Foundation Inc
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Assets
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Total Given
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Mjh Foundation
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Assets
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Total Given
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The Roth Family Foundation
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Assets
$67K
Grants
1
Total Given
$25K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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