Walton Family Foundation
Advising a preeminent foundation & strengthening collaborations for healthy oceans.
Philanthropy
Oceans & Natural Resources
About
The Walton Family Foundation is a family-led foundation that tackles tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities.
Protecting Oceans & Communities.
As part of its multi-million dollar investments, WFF has focused on protecting oceans and rivers and the livelihoods they support, for the benefit of people and the environment. These efforts include making commercial fisheries more sustainable by promoting good management concerned with protecting ecosystems and building economically thriving coastal communities.
Problem
Across South America's vital coastal regions, the Walton Family Foundation recognized a critical opportunity to transform both policy frameworks and market systems to support sustainable fisheries. The stakes were extraordinarily high - with millions of livelihoods dependent on healthy marine ecosystems, rampant illegal fishing threatening biodiversity, and opaque supply chains undermining accountability.
The complex challenges included:
Fragmented governance systems preventing coordinated marine resource management
Lack of transparency enabling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
Disconnected conservation efforts working in isolation rather than toward system-change
Limited financial resources to scale successful interventions
Weak market incentives for sustainable harvesting practices
Without systems-level intervention, these challenges threatened not only marine biodiversity but also economic security for coastal communities and the long-term viability of the region's blue economy.
Solution
Council Fire recognized that transforming South America's fisheries required more than isolated technical solutions—it demanded a holistic systems approach that connected policy, markets, communities, and finance. As a global change agency specializing in systems-level transformation, we:
Systems Thinking with Local Relevance
Created a comprehensive stakeholder mapping of the entire regional fisheries ecosystem, identifying leverage points for intervention
Facilitated strategic alignment sessions with WFF grantees across multiple countries to develop integrated approaches tailored to local contexts
Established a regional knowledge-sharing network to amplify successful innovations
Radical Partnership Development
Designed a collaborative framework that enabled diverse organizations (including previously competing NGOs) to work in coalition toward shared outcomes
Facilitated trust-building processes between international funders, local communities, and government agencies
Brokered new partnerships between conservation interests and market actors to create economic incentives for sustainability
Creative Financial Leadership
Identified innovative funding mechanisms to sustain conservation efforts beyond initial grant periods
Developed a compelling investment case that attracted additional funders, including USAID
Designed blended finance approaches that leveraged philanthropic capital to unlock public funding
Action Over Abstraction
Implemented practical traceability systems adaptable to various country contexts
Developed clear metrics and accountability frameworks to track progress
Translated complex sustainability science into actionable tools for fisheries managers
Results
Council Fire's systems-level approach delivered breakthrough outcomes that transcended traditional conservation metrics:
Policy & Governance Transformation
Facilitated the development of coordinated traceability systems across multiple countries, dramatically reducing illegal fishing
Helped establish new collaborative governance models that brought previously marginalized stakeholders into decision-making processes
Enhanced Collaborative Impact
Transformed fragmented NGO efforts into a cohesive regional strategy with clear roles and shared accountability
Created a learning community among grantees that accelerated the adoption of successful innovations across countries
Catalytic Financial Impact
Helped secure an additional $8 million in USAID funding, effectively doubling the initial investment
Established sustainable funding mechanisms that will continue beyond the grant period
Market Transformation
Contributed to increased consumer awareness and demand for sustainable seafood products
Helped formalize previously opaque value chains, creating economic incentives for sustainable practices
FAQ
01
What does it really mean to “redefine profit”?
03
What makes Council Fire different?
02
Who do you work with?
04
What does working with you actually look like?
05
How do you help organizations turn big goals into action?
06
How do you define and measure success?
More Works
©2024
Walton Family Foundation
Advising a preeminent foundation & strengthening collaborations for healthy oceans.
Philanthropy
Oceans & Natural Resources
About
The Walton Family Foundation is a family-led foundation that tackles tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities.
Protecting Oceans & Communities.
As part of its multi-million dollar investments, WFF has focused on protecting oceans and rivers and the livelihoods they support, for the benefit of people and the environment. These efforts include making commercial fisheries more sustainable by promoting good management concerned with protecting ecosystems and building economically thriving coastal communities.
Problem
Across South America's vital coastal regions, the Walton Family Foundation recognized a critical opportunity to transform both policy frameworks and market systems to support sustainable fisheries. The stakes were extraordinarily high - with millions of livelihoods dependent on healthy marine ecosystems, rampant illegal fishing threatening biodiversity, and opaque supply chains undermining accountability.
The complex challenges included:
Fragmented governance systems preventing coordinated marine resource management
Lack of transparency enabling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
Disconnected conservation efforts working in isolation rather than toward system-change
Limited financial resources to scale successful interventions
Weak market incentives for sustainable harvesting practices
Without systems-level intervention, these challenges threatened not only marine biodiversity but also economic security for coastal communities and the long-term viability of the region's blue economy.
Solution
Council Fire recognized that transforming South America's fisheries required more than isolated technical solutions—it demanded a holistic systems approach that connected policy, markets, communities, and finance. As a global change agency specializing in systems-level transformation, we:
Systems Thinking with Local Relevance
Created a comprehensive stakeholder mapping of the entire regional fisheries ecosystem, identifying leverage points for intervention
Facilitated strategic alignment sessions with WFF grantees across multiple countries to develop integrated approaches tailored to local contexts
Established a regional knowledge-sharing network to amplify successful innovations
Radical Partnership Development
Designed a collaborative framework that enabled diverse organizations (including previously competing NGOs) to work in coalition toward shared outcomes
Facilitated trust-building processes between international funders, local communities, and government agencies
Brokered new partnerships between conservation interests and market actors to create economic incentives for sustainability
Creative Financial Leadership
Identified innovative funding mechanisms to sustain conservation efforts beyond initial grant periods
Developed a compelling investment case that attracted additional funders, including USAID
Designed blended finance approaches that leveraged philanthropic capital to unlock public funding
Action Over Abstraction
Implemented practical traceability systems adaptable to various country contexts
Developed clear metrics and accountability frameworks to track progress
Translated complex sustainability science into actionable tools for fisheries managers
Results
Council Fire's systems-level approach delivered breakthrough outcomes that transcended traditional conservation metrics:
Policy & Governance Transformation
Facilitated the development of coordinated traceability systems across multiple countries, dramatically reducing illegal fishing
Helped establish new collaborative governance models that brought previously marginalized stakeholders into decision-making processes
Enhanced Collaborative Impact
Transformed fragmented NGO efforts into a cohesive regional strategy with clear roles and shared accountability
Created a learning community among grantees that accelerated the adoption of successful innovations across countries
Catalytic Financial Impact
Helped secure an additional $8 million in USAID funding, effectively doubling the initial investment
Established sustainable funding mechanisms that will continue beyond the grant period
Market Transformation
Contributed to increased consumer awareness and demand for sustainable seafood products
Helped formalize previously opaque value chains, creating economic incentives for sustainable practices
FAQ
01
What does it really mean to “redefine profit”?
03
What makes Council Fire different?
02
Who do you work with?
04
What does working with you actually look like?
05
How do you help organizations turn big goals into action?
06
How do you define and measure success?
More Works
©2024
Walton Family Foundation
Advising a preeminent foundation & strengthening collaborations for healthy oceans.
Philanthropy
Oceans & Natural Resources
About
The Walton Family Foundation is a family-led foundation that tackles tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities.
Protecting Oceans & Communities.
As part of its multi-million dollar investments, WFF has focused on protecting oceans and rivers and the livelihoods they support, for the benefit of people and the environment. These efforts include making commercial fisheries more sustainable by promoting good management concerned with protecting ecosystems and building economically thriving coastal communities.
Problem
Across South America's vital coastal regions, the Walton Family Foundation recognized a critical opportunity to transform both policy frameworks and market systems to support sustainable fisheries. The stakes were extraordinarily high - with millions of livelihoods dependent on healthy marine ecosystems, rampant illegal fishing threatening biodiversity, and opaque supply chains undermining accountability.
The complex challenges included:
Fragmented governance systems preventing coordinated marine resource management
Lack of transparency enabling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
Disconnected conservation efforts working in isolation rather than toward system-change
Limited financial resources to scale successful interventions
Weak market incentives for sustainable harvesting practices
Without systems-level intervention, these challenges threatened not only marine biodiversity but also economic security for coastal communities and the long-term viability of the region's blue economy.
Solution
Council Fire recognized that transforming South America's fisheries required more than isolated technical solutions—it demanded a holistic systems approach that connected policy, markets, communities, and finance. As a global change agency specializing in systems-level transformation, we:
Systems Thinking with Local Relevance
Created a comprehensive stakeholder mapping of the entire regional fisheries ecosystem, identifying leverage points for intervention
Facilitated strategic alignment sessions with WFF grantees across multiple countries to develop integrated approaches tailored to local contexts
Established a regional knowledge-sharing network to amplify successful innovations
Radical Partnership Development
Designed a collaborative framework that enabled diverse organizations (including previously competing NGOs) to work in coalition toward shared outcomes
Facilitated trust-building processes between international funders, local communities, and government agencies
Brokered new partnerships between conservation interests and market actors to create economic incentives for sustainability
Creative Financial Leadership
Identified innovative funding mechanisms to sustain conservation efforts beyond initial grant periods
Developed a compelling investment case that attracted additional funders, including USAID
Designed blended finance approaches that leveraged philanthropic capital to unlock public funding
Action Over Abstraction
Implemented practical traceability systems adaptable to various country contexts
Developed clear metrics and accountability frameworks to track progress
Translated complex sustainability science into actionable tools for fisheries managers
Results
Council Fire's systems-level approach delivered breakthrough outcomes that transcended traditional conservation metrics:
Policy & Governance Transformation
Facilitated the development of coordinated traceability systems across multiple countries, dramatically reducing illegal fishing
Helped establish new collaborative governance models that brought previously marginalized stakeholders into decision-making processes
Enhanced Collaborative Impact
Transformed fragmented NGO efforts into a cohesive regional strategy with clear roles and shared accountability
Created a learning community among grantees that accelerated the adoption of successful innovations across countries
Catalytic Financial Impact
Helped secure an additional $8 million in USAID funding, effectively doubling the initial investment
Established sustainable funding mechanisms that will continue beyond the grant period
Market Transformation
Contributed to increased consumer awareness and demand for sustainable seafood products
Helped formalize previously opaque value chains, creating economic incentives for sustainable practices
FAQ
What does it really mean to “redefine profit”?
What makes Council Fire different?
Who do you work with?
What does working with you actually look like?
How do you help organizations turn big goals into action?
How do you define and measure success?
More Works
©2024