Agua Fundinc

FRONT ROYAL, VA EIN: 11-3659697 Website

Agua Fund Inc is a private independent foundation established in 2002 (originally founded in 2000 as a donor-advised fund at Tides Foundation before becoming independent in 2003). Based in Front Royal, Virginia with an office in Washington, DC, the foundation serves as a philanthropic vehicle for Catherine Mellon Conover, an heiress to the Mellon fortune and environmental advocate. Since its inception, Agua has invested over $55 million in nonprofit organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.1M

-22.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.1M

-5.7% YoY

Grant Count

+5.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$41K

-10.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Agua Fundinc reported a distributable amount of $488K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to improve quality of life through support for efforts to:

Protect the natural environment
Help the disadvantaged and underserved
Give voice to the underserved
Promote democratic values and full participation in civic life

Environmental Grants: Focus on protecting the watershed of the Shenandoah River in Virginia by addressing issues of land, water, and food. Grants support organizations that advocate for resource protection, sustainable agriculture, and locally-produced food. Environmental grants for Florida emphasize protection of the Gulf Coast.

Social Service Grants: Primarily address the vulnerable elderly in southwest Florida and Washington, DC.

Board-Directed Grants: Support arts and culture, disaster relief, women's rights in the Middle East, mental health care for returning veterans, and solar cooking.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

** $5,000 to $200,000

How to Apply

** Agua only considers invited proposals. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Mid-Atlantic region (Virginia, Washington DC)
Western Colorado
Indian Country (Native American communities)
Florida (Gulf Coast protection and southwest Florida social services)
Multiple states including Arkansas, Arizona, California, and others

The foundation is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and collaborates with other foundations on regional environmental initiatives.

Grant Distribution by State

District of Columbia $3.3M (29%)

Virginia $3.0M (27%)

Florida $1.4M (12%)

Maryland $990K (9%)

Colorado $825K (7%)

Pennsylvania $450K (4%)

California $420K (4%)

Montana $205K (2%)

+13 more states

States

Arkansas Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Montana New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Pr South Dakota Utah Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaAnnandaleAnnapolisArlingtonAtlantaBethesdaBillingsBlacksburgBladensburgBoulderBozemanBrandy StationBrentwoodCharlottesvilleCheverlyChicagoCockeysvilleEarlsvilleFayettevilleFront Royal

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $8.1 million to $10.4 million (varies by reporting year)

Annual Giving: $3.0 million to $3.1 million

Total Revenues (2024): $1,629,789

Total Expenses (2024): $3,818,435

Staff: 2 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$8,142,737	$10,435,633	$11,066,361
Revenue	$1,629,789	$3,254,507	$3,641,785
Expenses	$3,818,435	$3,983,885	$3,977,477
Qualifying Distributions	$3,767,934	$3,918,986	$3,868,616
Net Investment Income	$1,594,984	$2,293,772	$2,858,822
Distributable Amount	$488,268	$644,857	$663,137

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley ($150,000), Piedmont Environmental Council ($150,000), National Wildlife Federation ($115,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALL VOTING IS LOCAL WASHINGTON, DC	TO SUPPORT VOTING RIGHTS IN PENNSYLVANIA	$40,000
ALLIANCE FOR THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY NEW MARKET, VA	FOR GENERAL SUPPORT	$150,000
ANACOSTIA WATERSHED SOCIETY BLADENSBURG, MD	FOR GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
ARCADIA ALEXANDRIA, VA	TO SUPPORT THE MID-ATLANTIC FOOD RESILIENCE ACCESS COALITION	$30,000
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TEMPE, AZ	TO SUPPORT THE SWETTE CENTER	$30,000
BARNSTABLE CLEAN WATER COALITION OSTERVILLE, MA	FOR GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
BAY JOURNAL MEDIA MAYO, MD	TO SUPPORT A REPORTING FELLOWSHIP	$10,000
BLUE RIDGE AREA FOOD BANK VERONA, VA	FOR GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
CAPITOL HILL VILLAGE WASHINGTON, DC	TO SUPPORT THE GENDERSON FUND	$15,000
CASCADIA RESEARCH COLLECTIVE OLYMPIA, WA	TO SUPPORT RESEARCH IN HAWAII	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Ann Mills – Executive Director

Compensation: $198,281 (2024)
Contact: mills@aguafundinc.org

Moshe Z Pasternak – Secretary

Compensation: $65,390 (2023)

Catherine Mellon Conover – Listed director and philanthropic vehicle for the foundation; co-founder of the environmental publisher Island Press

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CATHERINE M CONOVER	DIRECTOR	2	—
LINDA LOCKE	TREASURER	6	—
ANN MILLS	PRESIDENT	40	$216,835
JOY A HORWITZ ESQ	CHAIR & DIRECTOR	2.5	—
MEGAN GALLAGHER	DIRECTOR	2.5	—
MOSHE Z PASTERNAK	SECRETARY	40	$69,313
KENYON FIELDS	DIRECTOR	2.5	—
EMILY FRANCIS	DIRECTOR	2.5	—

Contact Information

Primary Address: 203 Milldale Hollow Rd Front Royal, VA 22630-7305

Washington, DC Office: 1010 Wisconsin Ave NW #550 Washington, DC 20007

Phone: (202) 944-9623

Website: www.aguafund.org

EIN: 11-3659697

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Agua Fundinc fund?

The foundation's mission is to improve quality of life through support for efforts to: • Protect the natural environment • Help the disadvantaged and underserved • Give voice to the underserved • Promote democratic values and full participation in civic life **Environmental Grants:** Focus on protecting the watershed of the Shenandoah River in Virginia by addressing issues of land, water, and food. Grants support organizations that advocate for resource protection, sustainable agriculture, and …

How do I apply for a grant from Agua Fundinc?

**Grant Range:** $5,000 to $200,000 **Grant Type:** General operating support grants **Annual Giving:** Approximately $3 million to $3.1 million annually **Application Process:** Agua only considers invited proposals. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. **Recent Grants (2024):** • Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley: $150,000 (General Support) • The Piedmont Environmental Council: $150,000 (General Support) • Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC): $100,000 (General Suppor…

Where does Agua Fundinc make grants?

• Mid-Atlantic region (Virginia, Washington DC) • Western Colorado • Indian Country (Native American communities) • Florida (Gulf Coast protection and southwest Florida social services) • Multiple states including Arkansas, Arizona, California, and others The foundation is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and collaborates with other foundations on regional environmental initiatives.

What size grants does Agua Fundinc award?

In 2024, Agua Fundinc awarded 74 grants totaling $3.1M — an average of about $41K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Agua Fundinc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Agua Fundinc reported a distributable amount of $488K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.