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For Bruce and Carol Waterson, success includes never forgetting their roots. Both were raised in large Rhode Island families with modest means, and those early experiences have shaped much of who they are and where they focus their time and attention - including their decision to establish a donor-advised fund at the Rhode Island Foundation. 

Bruce's path to business ownership wasn't conventional. After 28 years in the scrap business, working his way from entry-level to management without a college degree, he found himself facing limited options. "Because I didn't have that education, it was hard to advance," he recalls. But in 2000, Bruce and Carol took a leap of faith, founding Waterson Terminal Services, now one of New England's largest deep-water port operators. 

"It was scary for a few years, but we ended up being successful," says Bruce. "We have not forgotten where we came from, and we want to help people in whatever way we can.”

Their donor-advised fund supports causes close to their hearts, including the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House, and Foster Forward, with each organization reflecting a personal connection. Their commitment to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank reflects their family’s generous spirit and recognizes their good fortune. "There are so many people struggling with food insecurity," shares Carol. "We have an abundance, and we want to help those who need a little help." The Watersons have sponsored a room at the Ronald McDonald House ever since an employee lost her five-year-old daughter to cancer several years ago, recognizing the comfort the family received by staying at the Ronald McDonald House to be close to her. The couple discovered Foster Forward through their daughter-in-law Lauren’s board involvement and were quickly drawn to its mission. "We were so impressed, and we wanted to be a part of it," Carol says of the organization's vital work with young people in foster care. 

Their newly created fund is designed for sustainability, ensuring that the causes they care about receive meaningful support both now and well into the future. By naming their children - Brian and Kaitlin Waterson of Carlisle, MA, and Chris and Lauren Waterson of Providence, RI - as well as their three grandchildren as successors, the Watersons hope to instill philanthropic values across generations, allowing them to make a lasting impact in the communities they call home. The Rhode Island Foundation proved to be the ideal partner for their vision. "Working with the Foundation was great, and the process was very simple," notes Bruce.  

"We've been truly blessed and we've been able to do a lot for our family," says Carol, reflecting on their fifty years of marriage. "But it's important to me that people understand that everybody is family. We need to have compassion and reach out to those in need."